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Weatherford – State Representative Phil King today expressed his concerns over the recent decisions made by the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District.

“I have been contacted by many constituents concerned over the direction taken recently by the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District,” said Rep. King. “I share those concerns particularly with regard to the financial impact the district will have on home owners. The district was never intended to regulate or assess fees upon residential well owners or municipalities.”

A budget for the district has been set by the board at $946,650, including a fee of .22 cents per 1000 gallons of water for residential homeowners. Additionally, the board has decided to place a “registration fee” on all new residential wells.

“I strongly encourage residents to contact the conservation district in order to express their concerns,” said Rep. King. “Furthermore, cities should continue their efforts to protest the district’s decisions by submitting official resolutions passed by their respective city councils to the board as soon as possible.”

“It is my sincere hope that the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District will take a new direction without the need for any legislative action. However, if necessary, I am prepared to pursue a legislative remedy when the legislature reconvenes this January.”

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(817)596-8100

Dear Friend –

Over the past few weeks it has taken me a little longer to respond to your calls, letters and emails and I wanted to let you know why. As you may know, I am a member of the Texas State Guard. The Guard is tasked, among other responsibilities, with disaster relief efforts during times of emergency in Texas.

Unfortunately, we have had three hurricanes make landfall on or near the Texas coast since late July. First was Dolly, which hit around South Padre Island. Gustav was next making landfall just east of Texas. And last week we had Ike which devastated much of southeast Texas. The State Guard activated me for each of these hurricanes to assist with relief efforts. I’m very pleased to inform you that the Texas State Guard and all of the other volunteer and relief organizations are doing an outstanding job in handling these efforts.

In my absence, my staff has done a great job keeping up but there are some communications from constituents that I want to handle myself. I ’ve been doing my best to get back to you on these. Thank you for your understanding and patience during my absence.

Sincerely,

State Representative Phil King

PS: I spent Wednesday afternoon in a fly over with the Chairman of the Public Utility Commission assessing the power outages from Galveston to Beaumont. The devastation is incredible. Some communities are completely gone. Sadly, many of the people who lost homes are the least able to recover from such a loss. Please keep them and all the victims in your prayers.

State Representative Frank Corte

Democrat Jim Dunnam, who supported a competitive electricity market in Texas along with a majority of Democrats, is dead wrong with his historical facts and his view of the current market in his op-ed piece Friday, August 1 (“Utility Customers Pay for Wild West Ride”).

He intentionally misleads the reader by referencing a factually incorrect Wall Street Journal article about electric rates in Texas. Mr. Dunnam then uses the story to falsely conclude that Texas has some of the highest prices in the nation. In reality, the WSJ article was referring to a very small segment of the wholesale market; not the broader wholesale market where the majority of electricity is sold at a significantly lower price.

In fact, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in December 2001 (about the time the electric market was opening in Texas) the state ranked 14th in terms of highest rates in the country. The most recent available data from the EIA found that the Texas ranking remains unchanged, and our rates are lower than other industrial states such as California, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.

In addition, among states that depend heavily on natural gas, such as Texas, the Republican leadership has helped our state have the 5th-lowest residential electric price, according to the EIA despite the fact that natural gas prices have quadrupled over the last few years because of the higher-than-average use of natural gas in our state.

Mr. Dunnam also incorrectly claims that Texas uses more coal than any other state to produce electricity. Again, the reality is Texas uses less coal than most other states.

As strong stewards of our environment, the Republican leadership has taken environmental protection steps by reducing emissions every year since 1999. One of the one of the most important bills of the 2007 session was HB 3693, authored by Rep. Straus (R-San Antonio) and it passed almost by unanimous vote.

That bill raised energy efficiency goals for electric utilities from 10% of annual demand growth to 15% in 2008 and 20% in 2009.

When it comes to renewable energy, Texas is #1 in wind power production, with expectations that wind can provide 20 percent of all electricity capacity in coming years. Wind power has been a nonpartisan issue in both chambers of the legislature because of its effect on the environment; the effect being that wind does not pollute the air.

Last session, Chairman Phil King (Regulated Industries Committee) had legislation from his committee that set the stage for the Texas Public Utility Commission to approve a plan to build hundreds of miles of transmission lines from West Texas to the urban areas of Texas to speed wind power across the state.

The competitive market is not the only market being stung by high prices. There are dozens of other examples where non-competitive markets have historically high prices. San Antonio’s municipal electric system raised prices by more than 30 percent this summer. The City of Weatherford has seen city system prices double.

The bottom line in today’s global market-driven process is that thoughtful observers acknowledge that prices are part of a broader trend of rising energy prices everywhere, and not a failure of competition.

I welcome Mr. Dunnam’s suggestions for enhancing the competitive market in the next session. Getting affordable and reliable electricity to Texans in a manner that supports economic growth and job production is a bipartisan issue; not one that leaves divides between political parties.

Frank Corte, Jr.
Chairman, Texas House Republican Caucus

Contact Information:
(817)596-8100

Austin – State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) made the following statement today to residents of District 61 due to concerns over recent property tax appraisal increases:

“Many of my constituents have recently contacted me about large increases in their local property tax appraisals. This is deeply disturbing, as the Texas Legislature voted in 2006 to reduce school property taxes by a full one-third. Additionally, we went further by requiring voter approval before certain property taxes could be raised.

I have heard from several local business people, including one gentleman that reported a 300% increase in a 10-acre tract of undeveloped land. This is the exact opposite of what the legislature intended to happen when we ordered property tax reductions.

If you have received notice from your local appraisal district of a large increase in the appraised value of your home or business, I would like to know. Please fax a copy of the notice from your local appraisal district to my office at (817) 596-8375 or my capitol office at (512) 463-5896. If you prefer, a scanned copy may be e-mailed to [email protected] or mailed to Rep. Phil King, P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768. You can also go to www.philking.com and register to receive email updates from me on legislation and different projects that I am working on.”

Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland) recently appointed King to the Select Committee on Property Tax Relief and Appraisal Reform. King intends to use the appraisals that are sent to his office as evidence that the current appraisal system is broken and must be fixed.

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(817)596-8100

(Austin) – Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland), this week, appointed State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) to the Select Committee on Property Tax Relief and Appraisal Reform. The committee will oversee all matters related to property tax relief and reforming the property appraisal system.

“The people of House District 61 will benefit from having a reform-minded taxpayer advocate, such as Representative King, on this committee,” Speaker Craddick said. “Representative King is committed to easing the tax burden on property owners, and his experience will be an asset to this committee.”

The committee will review the sections of the Texas Constitution and the tax code that limit or authorize limiting the appraised value or increases in the appraised value of property for tax purposes. It may request assistance from any executive branch agency, and it will issue a report to the House of Representatives before the 81st Legislative Session, which may include draft legislation or recommendations for legislation.

“The property tax system is broken beyond repair,” King said. “It should be methodically phased out through a dedication of state tax surplus and sales tax revenue. It is a barrier to home ownership and propels Texans into foreclosure. Real, permanent cuts in property taxes will put real money into consumer pockets and be a tremendous economic stimulus to Texas.”

King is serving his fifth term as the state representative for House District 61. He is the chair of the House Regulated Industries Committees. Rep. King is also a member of the House Civil Practices Committee and the House Redistricting Committee, and he currently sits on the Select Committee on Electric Generation Capacity and Environmental Effects.

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(817)596-8100

WEATHERFORD – Following months of work by the Legislature and policymakers, a reduction in the size of the Texas Universal Service Fund (“TUSF”) is one step away from a successful conclusion.

The Texas Universal Service Fund review began with the passage of SB 5, groundbreaking legislation in 2005, which directed the Texas Public Utility Commission to determine what changes needed to be made to the fund to better reflect today’s competitive marketplace. State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford), the chairman of the House Regulated Industries Committee, sponsored the bill.

“When we began this process in 2005, the most important consideration we had was to make sure that we reduced the taxes associated with the fund, which every Texas consumer will see as a smaller charge on telephone bills,” State Rep. Phil King said. “At the same time, we knew we had to do this in a way that balanced our desire to reduce taxes with our goal of ensuring that ratepayers see the ultimate benefit.”

On April 9, the Texas Public Utility Commission reported that all parties involved in the process had agreed to a balanced settlement that will be good for all Texans. The parties to the proceeding included the PUC staff, large telephone carriers, the cable industry and the Office of Public Utility Counsel, which is the PUC’s in-house consumer advocacy arm.

Currently, the TUSF is funded by an assessment on consumer’s telephone bills, currently 4.4 percent. “The proposal now before the commissioners will result in a 64% reduction in the size of the fund, and that’s good news,” King said. “But it accomplishes this in a way that serves the interests of rural customers, and that is a critical consideration for the folks in Parker and Wise counties, and so it is also a critical consideration for me.”

The TUSF was originally created to ensure that telephone service would remain affordable for Texans, particularly in rural areas, as the industry transitioned from regulated monopolies to a consumer-driven free market. The proposed reduction in fees imposes strong restrictions that carefully limit any potential rate changes in rural areas.

The proposed settlement will now go before the commissioners of the PUC for consideration. A final vote could come as soon as April 25.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform’s Political Action Committee endorses Rep. Phil King for re-election in HD 61 because of his commitment to a fair, honest and efficient civil justice system.

Rep. King’s support of lawsuit reform has helped to restore respect for the law in our State and has created hundreds of thousands of new jobs for our citizens, added hundreds of billions of dollars to the state’s economy, enhanced productivity and encouraged innovation. Texas is now more competitive in the global economy because we have gone from being the “lawsuit capital of the world” to one of the best civil justice systems in America.

Rep. King’s commitment to lawsuit reform has also greatly improved health care in Texas. Our State has added thousands of new doctors since passage of medical liability reform, especially in high risk specialties such as neurosurgery, orthopedics, obstetrics, and emergency room care. Hospitals have taken their liability savings and invested them in improved indigent care, new equipment, and upgraded facilities.

It takes courage to stand up to the powerful personal injury trial lawyers the way Rep. King has, and therefore he deserves the support of all of us who want a balanced and fair civil justice system.

Source: Baptist General Convention of Texas www.bgct.org

Staff

The Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission filed a complaint today with the Texas Ethics Commission against Texans for Economic Development, a political action committee of racetrack owners and supporters of video slot machines, alleging the group could be using corporate funds inappropriately to try to influence legislative races.

In its last regular sworn report filed with the Texas Ethics Commission, Texans for Economic Development reported receiving political contributions from two corporations – Retama Development Corp., a Texas group, and Call Now, Inc. a Nevada corporation. Reports filed with the commission show, on their face, that the corporate contributions were accepted by the PAC for political purposes.

In Texas elections, use of corporate money for political purposes, to advocate the election or defeat of a candidate, is a third degree felony under state law. Had Texans for Economic Development intended to use the corporate funds for non-political purposes, such as administration of the political action committee, they would have reported the corporate contributions on Schedule C-2 of its sworn report. TED reported the contributions under Schedule A, which is for political contributions intended to be used for political expenditures.

“We have watched this PAC over the years, and been dismayed at the handful of individuals and entities that continue to push the slots-or-nothing agenda at racetracks in our state,” said Suzii Paynter, CLC director who filed the complaint. “This filing brings to light the gravity of the misuse of corporate funds in our political process.”

Other than one fee paid to the state, all expenditures of Texans for Economic Development previously reported to the Texas Ethics Commission have been used to support the election or defeat of candidates, Paynter said. No administrative costs for the PAC have been filed.

“We hope that the Ethics Commission’s staff will aggressively and thoroughly investigate this complaint to insure the laws of our state are protected and respected by the gambling industry.” said Weston Ware of Texans Against Gambling.

“The public has the right to know how the gamblers are using the corporate money they have received. At the very least, TED seems to have filed grossly inaccurate reports, which deceive the public as to the intended use of corporate funds. More urgently, the Texas Ethics Commission must determine with all due haste, whether corporate money has been used against certain House incumbents, who TED has openly bragged about targeting for defeat.”

In media reports, Texans for Economic Development Treasurer Tommy Azopardi admitted the group budgeted $1 million to impact about a 25 House races during this election cycle. Their advertisements running in some of these districts attempt to influence voters through the use of thinly veiled “issue” ads. Based on activity across the state, TED has clearly targeted Representatives Phil King, R-Weatherford, Betty Brown, R-Terrell and Nathan Macias, R-Bulverde, who are all opposed to the expansion of gambling in Texas.

Texas Insider

Staff

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC today announced that State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) is the recipient of TLR’s Civil Justice Leadership Award for his support in leading the fight to improve medical malpractice and civil justice laws in Texas.

“Rep King’s strong commitment to lawsuit reform in Texas has helped boost our state’s economy and ensure that doctors are not forced to flee the state because of unreasonable medical liability costs,” said TLR PAC Chairman, Richard J. Trabulsi, Jr.. “With Rep. King’s critical support, we have been able to pass lawsuit reforms that are restoring fairness, balance and predictability to the Texas civil justice system.”

“Passage of important legislation to reform our civil justice system, beginning in 2003, would not have been possible without the vigorous backing of Representative King, who has served on the House Civil Practices Committee in the last three legislative sessions,” Trabulsi said.

TLR’s Civil Justice Leadership Award is presented to lawmakers who courageously stand up to personal injury trial lawyers and support a fair, honest and balanced civil justice system in Texas.

Representative King serves in the Texas House representing District 61which includes Parker and Wise counties. He serves as Chairman of the Regulated Industries Committee and co-chairs the Electric Utility Restructuring Legislative Oversight Committee. King serves on the Civil Practices and Redistricting committees. Additionally, he sits as a member of the joint House and Senate Committee on the Power of Eminent Domain.

TLR PAC is the political arm of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the state’s largest civil justice reform organization. TLR is a bipartisan, volunteer-led coalition with more than 16,000 supporters residing in 818 Texas communities and representing 1,266 different businesses, professions and trades. For more information about TLR visit www.tortreform.com.

Contact Information:
(956)821-7925

Weatherford – The Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) is proud to announce their endorsement of State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford). YCT gathered members from across the state to join King in a block walking day and to officially announce his endorsement in the March 4th Republican Primary.

“Phil King is a true conservative leader in the Texas House. He represents the people of Parker and Wise counties with honor and distinction, and we are glad to endorse his candidacy,” explained Laura Elizabeth Morales, Director of Public Relations for the Young Conservatives of Texas. “The energy and passion that he has for working for Texas and his deeply held conservative principles make him a truly outstanding leader.”

The Young Conservatives of Texas commend Representative King’s battle against government spending with innovative thinking such as abolishing the school property tax system and moving to a state-wide consumption tax.

The Young Conservatives of Texas is a non-partisan, grassroots, conservative youth organization that has been fighting for conservative values for more than a quarter century in the Lone Star State. YCT has chapters at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas Tech University, Texas A&M University, West Texas A&M University and the University of North Texas.