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AUSTIN – Today State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) was named a “Taxpayer Champion” and received an A+ rating on the Fiscal Responsibility Index by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, a taxpayer watchdog group.

“Rep. King has been steadfast in his commitment to defending hardworking Texans and their pocketbooks from out of control government spending and higher taxes,” Michael Quinn Sullivan, President and CEO of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility stated, “Texans for Fiscal Responsibility is proud to name Rep. King a ‘Taxpayer Champion’ for all of his work promoting conservative principles in the Texas Legislature.”

The 2011 Fiscal Responsibility Index rates lawmakers on their votes. In the House, more than 40 votes were used. It focuses on the size and cost of government, providing voters with a measure of which lawmakers are working to protect Texas’ taxpayers.

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AUSTIN – Today, State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) announced several historic accomplishments for the pro-life movement from this legislative session:

Passed HB 15 – The Sonogram Bill
The abortion industry is suing for an injunction and recruiting abortion clinics in Texas to join a class action lawsuit to stop this historic law from taking effect. Many pro-life advocacy groups, pregnancy centers and legislators will be involved in the defense of the new law, which is considered the strongest in the nation.

Increased funds for the State’s Alternatives to Abortion Program
Since 2005, Texas has funded alternatives to abortion through an allocation to the Health and Human Services Commission. The funds for this landmark program were not only protected, but also increased in HB 1.

Cut funds to the abortion industry and Planned Parenthood
The abortion industry receives funds through the state’s family planning revenue streams. With the successful adoption of eight amendments to HB 1, $64.2 million was redirected to other health and human services programs, and the distribution of the remaining family planning funds is now restricted. Preliminary estimates are that $88 million was taken from all abortion providers, with $47 million of that from Planned Parenthood alone.

Stopped abortion funding at county hospitals
County hospital districts can adopt policies to use taxpayer funds for abortions at their local hospitals. An amendment to SB 7 (special session) closed that loophole, preventing local hospital districts from paying for abortions at the county hospitals.

Anti-Life Measures Stopped:
• SB 188 on genetic counseling
• HB 2967 on Travis County Hospital District making capital or financial donations to non-profit organizations
• Women’s Health Program reauthorizing legislation that would have expanded abortion funding
• Measures to attack Pro-Life pregnancy centers

Dear Friend:

With the Obama Administration’s irresponsible spending and the out of control federal government implementing costly regulations every day, it is important that Texas stand up against the encroachment upon our sovereignty. This legislative session several bills were passed that work toward this end. Please understand that these bills are not fix-alls, but are important steps in our fight against an overreaching federal government.

These bills include:

HCR 18 – Calls on the United States Congress to propose and submit to the states a federal balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution. Texas operates on a balanced budget and is economically the most successful state in the U.S. Until Congress starts operating their budget more like Texas does, federal spending will be out of control.

HB 5 – Allows Texas to enter a “Health Care Compact”, or an interstate compact, which will provide the flexibility to fight back against the expensive health care mandates from the federal government. This bill is making its way through the legislature and is expected to be passed by next week.

HB 2510 – Exempts the intrastate manufacture of light bulbs from federal regulation. The federal government recently banned the sale of certain types of light bulbs, which will be extremely costly. This bill will allow Texans to buy whatever type of light bulbs they would like to use as long as they are manufactured and sold only in Texas.

SB 875 – Helps protect Texas businesses from greenhouse gas nuisance and trespass lawsuits that stemmed from the EPA’s unilateral and flawed proposed regulation of greenhouse gases.

HB 41 – Makes it a criminal offense for a government official to intrusively touch a person seeking access to a public building or transportation without probable cause. Since the federal government implemented their stringent “groping” policies at airports across the nation, many Texans have been subjected to inappropriate touching and groping by government agents. This bill will prohibit these actions from taking place in Texas. HB 41 is hoped to be passed during this special session.

I am encouraged at the progress Texas made this session in fighting the federal government’s encroachment on our state, and hope other states will follow our example. It is a pleasure to serve you in the Texas Legislature.

Thank you,

Phil King
State Representative

Dear Friend:

This was a great legislative session for Pro-Second Amendment reform in Texas. The key piece of legislation that passed and has been sent to the Governor for his signature, is SB 321, the employee/parking lot protection bill. SB 321 has been a main priority for the National Rifle Association and Texas State Rifle Association for years, so this was a big victory.

The key components of SB 321 are:

• Prohibits employers from enacting and enforcing bans on employees transporting and storing firearms in their locked, private motor vehicles while parked at work
• Applies to both public and private employers, as well as all lawfully-owned firearms – not just firearms in possession of Concealed Handgun Licensees
• The bill does not authorize an employee to possess firearms on any property where such possession is prohibited by state or federal law and does not apply to:
• Vehicles owned or leased by the employer and used by the employee for work purposes
• School districts, open enrollment charter schools, and private schools
• Property subject to an unexpired oil, gas or mineral lease that contains a provision prohibiting the possession of firearms on the property
• Property owned or leased by a chemical manufacturer or oil and gas refiner on which the primary business conducted is the manufacture, use, storage or transportation of hazardous, combustible, or explosive materials (CHL holders have a limited exemption from this stipulation)

The bill, if signed by the Governor, becomes effective on September 1 of this year.

It is a pleasure to serve you in the Texas Legislature.

Thank you,

Phil King, State Representative

Dear Friend:

One of the major victories of the recently concluded legislative session was SB 18, the eminent domain reform bill. This bill implements some very important protections for Texas landowners and strengthens private property rights.

Here are a few of the highlights of the bill:

• Previously there was ambiguity in Texas law that allowed governmental entities to use eminent domain to take private land for a “public purpose”. With the help of other conservative legislators, I was able to amend the statute changing “public purpose” to “public use”, which conforms the statute to the Texas and U.S. constitutions. We believe this will further ensure that eminent domain is only used as envisioned in our Constitution.
• Requires government entities to make bona fide, good faith offers to landowners
• Requires fair compensation for loss of access to property
• Ends government land speculation by allowing property owners to re-purchase their land at the price paid to the owner if the governmental entity has made no actual progress on the public use project after 10 years

SB 18 was signed by the Governor on May 19 and will become effective on September 1 of this year.

It is a pleasure to serve you in the Texas Legislature.

Thank you,

Phil King
State Representative

Dear Friend:

Monday was the last day of the regular legislative session, which was one of the most, if not the most, successful sessions for the pro-life community in Texas!

HB 1 – I was proud to help pass the state appropriations bill which removed 100% (approximately $60 million) of state funding to abortion facilities or abortion facility affiliates. We believe this makes Texas the first state to totally defund Planned Parenthood.

HB 15 – This bill requires that doctors in Texas perform a sonogram and offer an option to view the baby prior to obtaining an abortion. This bill also increases medical oversight of the abortion process.

SB 23 – This Medicaid reform bill contained language prohibiting state Medicaid dollars from being used to perform or promote elective abortions, or to contract with entities that perform or promote ele ctive abortions or affiliate with entities that perform or promote elective abortions. This bill unfortunately died on the last day of the regular session, but is back up in the special session that started this week. I’m hopeful that we will be successful in keeping this pro-life language in the bill.

It is a pleasure to serve you in the Texas Legislature.

Thank you,

Phil King
State Representative

Dear Friend:

Each week for the next couple of months I’m going to report to you on important progress made during this legislative session. This week the update will focus on election reforms, including “Voter ID”, that were passed by the House and Senate. This session I was proud to serve on the House Committee on Elections; we tackled some very important issues and passed bills that I truly believe will help preserve the integrity of our election process in Texas. The following is a list of just a few of the bills that were passed that address election integrity and process:

SB 14 – The “Voter ID” bill, which I was proud to co-author, requires that an individual show their photo identification prior to voting. This bill ensures that law-abiding citizens’ votes are not cancelled out by those voting illegally and truly helps prevent major fraud in our election process that has been happening for years.

HB 174 – This common sense legislation, which I also co-authored, requires that the Secretary of State cancel the voter registration and eligibility to vote for deceased persons and those that are not citizens of the United States.

HB 360 – This bill requires that when a local taxing entity holds an election to approve the imposition, increase, or reduction of a tax or issuance of bonds, the ballot language must clearly state the dollar amount of bonds to be issued or the amount of the tax or tax rate increase being proposed and any projects to be supported by the bonds. Current law allows a local taxing entity to write proposed ballot language for a proposition in a way that obscures the intended use for the additional funding, and this bill will help fix this ambiguity.

HB 2449 – This legislation makes it illegal to obtain another person’s ballot to be voted by mail. There is currently a shameful practice being conducted in Texas called “vote harvesting”, whereby individuals collect mail-in ballots and sell them to the highest bidder in elections. It’s a despicable practice that must be stopped. HB 2449 strengthens laws to penalize those engaged in vote harvesting.

I look forward to continuing to serve on the Committee on Elections throughout the coming interim. Over the next year and a half, we will conduct hearings and consider additional election related reforms in preparation for the next legislative session in 2013. It is a pleasure to serve you in the Texas Legislature.

Thank you,

Phil King
State Representative

Contact Information:
(817) 381-8282

State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) this week joined a group of legislators calling for a thorough investigation of abortion facilities in Texas by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The letter comes on the heels of a report released by Operation Rescue, alleging violations by Texas abortion clinics of dozens of state and federal laws related to women’s health. The legislator’s request was made even more urgent by a disturbing news report out of El Paso, which uncovered a black plastic bag containing a human fetus found in the parking lot of an abortion facility.

“The reports of these gross violations of law that threaten the health and safety of women, including minor women, must be investigated thoroughly,” King stated, “We look forward to a prompt response form the Department of State Health Services to our urgent request.”

The Operation Rescue report alleges a variety of violations of state and federal laws by a dozen abortion clinics in five broad categories:

1. The illegal disposal of hazardous bio-medical and infectious waste, including human urine, blood, and tissue.
2. Drug violations through the illegal disposal of vials still containing controlled substances.
3. Violations of the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
4. Widespread abuses to the Texas mandated informed consent laws.
5. A pattern of willingness to help minors evade parental consent laws and ignore the mandatory reporting of child sex abuse.

Weatherford Democrat

Sally Sexton

Texas public schools may find a little breathing room after the announcement from State Rep. Phil King that the allocation of federal education dollars has been made available to schools, netting district schools in Parker and Wise counties a total of $8 million.

“This money will help save the jobs of teachers and classroom staff during these hard economic times,” King stated in a release. “It is crucial that during this difficult time, we focus on keeping money in the classroom to support the teachers who work so hard for our children and the future of Texas.”

Weatherford ISD alone will receive $1.2 million in funds, which may not be used for central office employees, administrative expenses or construction.

The money comes from the Education Jobs Fund, a new federal program that provides $10 billion in assistance to states to save or create education jobs for the 2010-11 school year. Jobs funded under this program include service providers for childhood, elementary and secondary education.

Contact Information:
817-381-8282

State Representative Phil King (R- Weatherford) announced today the allocation of federal education dollars that have recently been made available to Texas. School districts across Parker and Wise counties will receive a total of $8,058,906.

“This money will help save the jobs of teachers and classroom staff during these hard economic times,” King stated, “It is crucial that during this difficult time, we focus on keeping money in the classroom to support the teachers who work so hard for our children and the future of Texas.”

The project period for the federal grant is August 10, 2010 – September 30, 2012. No funds may be expended for central office employees, administrative expenses, or construction. This money had been the subject of much controversy over the past year when Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) did his best to prevent the money from being sent back to Texas. King and several other conservatives called on Congress to release the money back to the Texas taxpayers.

The following is a list of the school districts in Texas House District 61 that will receive education job funds, followed by the amount they will receive:

Aledo ISD – $699,091
Alvord ISD – $145,692
Azle ISD – $909,724
Boyd ISD – $209,969
Bridgeport ISD – $400,512
Brock ISD – $159,050
Chico ISD – $118,076
Decatur ISD – $505,518
Garner ISD – $41,924
Millsap ISD – $154,205
Northwest ISD – $2,303,442
Paradise ISD – $200,625
Peaster ISD – $190,795
Perrin-Whitt CISD – $78,669
Poolville ISD – $104,079
Slidell ISD – $55,154
Springtown ISD – $578,029
Weatherford ISD – $1,204,352