Dear Friends:

ManytimesasImeetandspeakwithmyDallasCountyconstituency,they’renotsureifI’mcomingorgoingfromAustin;inoroutofsession.Withmyhecticschedule,ImustadmitthatsometimesI’mnotsosuremyself.Buthere’safail-safeclue.Ifit’sanodd-numberedyear,fromJanuaryuntilJune,theLegislatureisinsession.Butaneven-numberedyeardoesn’tprecludemefrombeinginAustin.Thosearoundthelegislaturecommonlyuse“theinterim”whenreferringtotheseeven-numberedyears.Duringtheinterim,standingandspecialcommitteesarechargedwithstudyingnumeroustopicsofinterest,andsubmittingreportsandrecommendationsonthosetopicstothelegislaturefortheupcomingsession.Thesereportscontainrecommendationsthatmaybecomethebasisfornewbillsnextsession.Morethan6,500billswerefiledlastsessionandI’lltellyouthatit’saloteasiertokillabillthantopassone.Butifyourbillisbackedbyaninterimcommitteerecommendation,itschancesofpassagearegreatlyenhanced.ThisnewsletterwilldetailtheactivitiesofthecommitteesonwhichIserve,aswellmyeffortstoinformandseekyourinputonanumberofissues,somegatheredthroughaseriesoftownhallmeetingsheldoverthelastyear.

I’dliketotakethismomenttorecognizethecontributionsofsomeiconicindividualswhohavehelpedmetoaccomplishthelitanyofinitiativesventuredinmyeffortstorepresentthecitizensofDistrict23whileamemberoftheTexasLegislature.I’llbeginbyhonoringthelegacyandvastinfluenceofDr.C.A.W.Clark,mypastorandspiritualsageasalongtimememberanddeaconofGoodStreetBaptistChurch.Tothislist,I’lladdmygodfatherPanchoMedrano,theHon.BarefootSanders,Mrs.KathlynGilliam,AlLipscomb,JudgeL.A.Bedford,Mrs.MattieNash,Rev.ZanHolmes,FrancisDirks,BerniceConley,MillieBruner, JamesWhitlow,DorothyDean,LuciousWagner,LunitaWhite,DanWeiser,AnnieMaeHunt,JosephineTorres,LeroyFisher,SallyMoore,andMrs.WillieMaeButler. Thisisanexcitingtimetobeengagedinpublicservice.TheMarchprimariesleadinguptothisNovember’spresidentialelectionsawunprecedentedlevelsofpublicinterestandparticipation.Itismygreathopethatthislevelofinvolvementwillremainhigh,fortheveryessenceofdemocracydemandsthevoiceofthepeopletobeheard.Onewaytodothatisbywayoftheballot.Ifyouthinkforevenonesecondthatyourvotedoesn’tmatter,considerthefollowing.ATexasHouseprimarycontestthispastMarchwasdecidedbyonly17votes.Ina2004Texas House general election contest, the winnergainedpublicofficebyamere33votes.In2000,weelectedapresidentbya537-votemarginoutof105,396,641votescast.Yes,yourvotematters.

Ihopeyoufindthisnewsletterinformative.Asalways,onbehalfofmywifeCarolandmyentirefamily,thankyouforallowingmetoserveyouasamemberoftheTexasSenate.

Signature

Summer/Fall 2008

Sen. West is joined by school and city officials from DeSoto, Duncan-ville, Cedar Hill, Lancaster and Dallas for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to start the “It’s About Our Community” Summer Employment Fair held at the Cedar Hill 9th Grade Center.

S e n a t o r r o y c e W e S t

Capitol RepoRt

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eduCation Throughout my legislative career, my strongestadvocacy has been for accessibility to a quality publiceducation.Educationhasbeenattheforefrontofthepastseveralsessionsandeachofthespecialsessionsandthe80thSessionwasnoexception.Wemodifiednewlawsonpublicschoolsandpassedlegislationthatcreateddropoutprevention programs, high school success initiatives,college and workforce readiness, curriculum alignmentandeducationalinfrastructure. Lastyear’spropertytaxreductionsarenowhavingafinancialimpactonschools.Duringtheinterim,wearereviewingcurrentschoolpropertytaxrates.Wefacethedelicate task of attempting to increase school fundingduring harsh economic times, while not negativelyimpactingthequalityofinstructionoffered. As a member of the Senate Education Committee,mycolleaguesandIarealsoconductingacomprehensivereviewofthecurrentaccountabilitysystemthatmeasuresthe performances of students at both the district andcampuslevels.Wewillmonitorprogramsthatpromotestudentachievementandmeasurethisachievement-orlackthereof-asitrelatestotheeffectivenessofteachers,curriculumandfunding. Often overlooked in the debate over the virtues ofpublicversusprivateschoolsisthatpublicschoolshaveanobligationtoeducateeachandanychildthatcomesthroughitsdoors,regardlessofdisabilityorneeds.Lastsession, concerns were raised regarding the quality ofinstruction and services provided to special educationstudents - including those students with autism. Tothat end, we are evaluating whether special educationprograms are adequately preparing students for post-secondaryopportunities. Evenaswewouldliketoimpartsuchinfluence,wealsoknowthateverychildisnotcollegebound.Thatsaid,ca-reerandtechnologyprogramshaveaffordedstudentswithotherwindowstofuturesuccessandwearelookingtomakerecommendationsthatwillcontinuetoaddressthepresentandfutureeconomicandworkforceneedsofTexas. Morethanever,wemustcontroleducationalcosts.So,wearelookingatwaystocontrolthecostoftextbooksandinstructionalmaterials.Withagingfacilitiesandin-creasedneedsforfastgrowthdistricts,weareexaminingtheconditionoffacilities,spaceneeds,constructionandlandcosts,andevenclasssizes. Withalarmingdropoutnumbersthatseenearlyhalfofurbanminoritymalesleavingwithoutgraduating,weim-plementedlegislationthatfocusesondropoutprevention,highschoolsuccessandcompletion.Throughpassageofahighschoolallotment,wenowprovideadditionaldollarsfordistrictstoencouragehighschoolcompletionandex-pandtheavailabilityofadvanced-levelcoursework.

SubCommittee on HigHeR eduCation FormanyTexans,collegeisbecominglessaffordablewitheachpassingday.SoitisimperativethattheHigherEducationSubcommitteetakeahardlookattheeffectsof tuition deregulation on college enrollment andaccessibility. A few years ago, a MTV/Bill and MelindaGatesFoundationpoll found that87percentofyoungpeople want to go to college. What’s stopping them?Costs!Whenpubliccollegesanduniversitiesbemoanedthestate’sshrinkingsubsidizationofcollegecostsin2003,the legislature gave control over tuition to universityboardsofregents.Sincethattime,tuitionhasincreaseddramatically at public institutions all over the state.Wemustfindawaytopreservethedreamofacollegeeducationforallwhowantit.

A concept I’m developing involves the creation ofhigher education enhancement districts.Theideaisforaschooldistrictandcommunitytopartnerwithalocalcollege.Localvoterscouldoptforanincrementalsalesorpropertytaxincreaseanddedicatetheproceedstofundscholarshipstoattendanareacollegeoruniversityandtopromotegeneralexcellenceatthatschool.Wecouldalsoofferpartialscholarshipstoschoolsoutsidethedistrict. We can’t replace the role of parental involvement inachild’seducation,butwecanofferhopeintheformofacollegescholarship.Aschool-agechildwhoknowsthereis money for college upon graduation has hope and isencouragedtostayinschool.Byfinishinghighschool,thatchildincreaseshisearningpoweroverhislifetime.Earningacollegedegreeincreaseshisearningpowerevenmore.

Sen. West takes part in an installation ceremony for student govern-ment officers at El Centro College in Downtown Dallas.

Letmeagainstressthateverythingaboutthisproposalisvoluntary.Acollegehastowantit,thestatehastofinditwillprovideabenefit,localvotersmustapproveit,andtherewill be public input through open hearings at every step.Thisisstillawork-in-progressandtherearemanyhurdlestogettingitdone.Butifyoulikethisidea,there’llcomeatimewhenitwillneedyoursupport.Weallwantabetterlifeforourchildren–Isaywegivethemalittlehope.

FinanCe Thereisastrongpossibilitythatthelegislaturewillfacesignificantbudgetchallengeswhenthe81stSessionconvenesinJanuary2009. Thestate’sbudgetprovides fundingfortheservicesandprogramsthatweallhavecometoexpect, includ-ingeducation,publicsafety,roadconstructionandmain-tenance, healthcare, and economic development. Thestate’s total expenditure for the current 2-year budgetcycle (2008-2009) is approximately $167.8 billion - allfunds($86.2billiongeneralrevenue). InNovember2007,TexasComptrollerSusanCombs’officialrevenueestimateforthestateprojecteda$2bil-lionendingcashbalancetocarryforwardforthe2010-2011budget.Thiscarryforwardrepresentsjust2.5per-centofgeneralrevenuespending.Themostrecentesti-matessayTexas’populationisgrowing6percentperyearandinflationatarateof4percent.Thismeanswemustfind an additional $3.2 billion in revenue for the nextbudgetcyclejusttokeepupwithinflationand$5billionmore to accommodate population growth. In prelimi-narycomments,theComptrollerhasnotindicatedthatstate sales taxes and the new business margin tax willgeneratesufficientfundstocovera10percentincrease.Thepicturewillbecomemuchclearer inJanuarywhentheComptrollerreleasestheinitialrevenueestimateforthenextbiennium. Asalways, Iwillcontinuetoworktoensureappro-priatefundingforthekeyneedsofDistrict23.But,myrealityisthateverydollarspentcomesfromataxdollarraised.Ithereforeremaincommittedtospendingeveryoneofyourdollarswisely.

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Capitol RepoRtHealtH and Human SeRViCeS Afundamentalandcommonthemeofeverylegisla-tivesessionisthehardfactthatourlimitedresourcesareinsufficienttomeetourvastneeds.ThisunderscoresthechallengesthatfacetheHealthandHumanServicesCom-mittee.Thecommitteewillexamine14specificchargesover the interim. Those topics of study include fostercare,developmentaldisabilities,childabuseprevention,mentalhealthservices,nursinghomesandhomehealthcare,ongoingMedicaidreform,andthestate’sprepared-nessforaflupandemic.Inaddition,theissueoftheun-insuredandunder-insured-howwegetthosepeoplethecaretheyneed-andhowwecompensatecareproviders,loomsominouslyoverthecommittee’swork. In lightofmyassertionaboutneedsandresources,considerthefollowing:

★Wehavemorethan30,000Texansonwaitinglistsfornursinghomecare.

★ThereimbursementrateforMedicaidistoolow-solowthatdoctorsarereluctanttoseelow-incomepa-tients,andessentialpersonnellikehomehealthcareaidesare inshortsupplybecauseemployerscannotpaythemacompetitivesalary.

★Theavailabilityofprimarycarephysiciansinour32bordercountiesismuchlessthanintherestofthestatebecausethepopulation,stillgrowingatanas-tonishingrate,istheleast-insuredinTexas,andnotallofadoctor’spracticecanbecharitywork.

★Lowsalariescontributetoahighturnoverrateamongcaseworkerswhodealwithabusedchildren.Theyarealsostressedbyhighcaseloads.

Howwillweaddresstheseandcountlessotherissues?Throughthemedicaid reformbillpassedlastsession,wewillemploynewandcreativestrategiestohelpaccessfederalfunds.Wecanalsodothingslike:

★using technology to practice medicine and trainnursesviatheInternet;

★relieveadministrativeburdensondoctors;and

★offer incentives toyoungphysicians to locate theirpracticesincertainareas.

But, at the end of the day, the answer more oftenthannot involvesmoney. Sowehave tobe smart andefficientwithwhatwehave.Beingsmartmeansnotcut-tingstatespendingthatisusedtodrawdownmatchingmoneyfromthefederalgovernment. Being smartmeansfinding away topromotekin-ship careasanalternativetofostercare.Supplementingtheeffortsofrelativestoraisetheirkinhasprovenlesscostlyandproducesfarbetterresultsforkids. Itmeansrealizingthatwhilewemustalwaysbepru-dentandcarefulwithyourtaxdollars,somespendingisaninvestmentthatwillsavemoneyinthelongrun.Mak-ingthesmartchoiceonthefrontendsavesmoney,andoh-by-the-way,improvesthequalityoflifeforeveryoneinthelongterm.

inteRgoVeRnmental RelationS AschairmanofSenateIntergovernmentalRelations,wehavebeenstudyinganumberofissuesthisinterim,includingseveralitemsrelatedtoaffordable housing.Forexample,duringtwoFebruaryhearingsinAustinwetookupchargesrelatedtohowtheTexasDepartmentofHousing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) awards thestate’s allotmentoffederal tax credits.Thecommit-

teealsoexploredfindingapermanentfundingsourceforthestate’sHousing trust Fund,whichiscurrentlythestate’sonlysourceofrevenueforaffordablehousing.AtourDallashearingthispastMarch,weheardbothinvitedandpublictestimonyonchargesrelatingto:

★economic displacementoflow-incomeindividu-als in areas where redevelopment is taking place -somepeoplecallthis“gentrification;”

★habitability of single- and multi-family hous-ingandwaysfortenantstoaddresshealthandsafetyviolationsinthesedwellings;and

★whethertitle insuranceshouldberequiredundercertain seller-financed transactions, such as a con-tract-for-deed.

These issues must be addressed by the legislaturebecause the ability to own a home is so crucial to theAmericandream.Studiesshowthathomeownershipcon-tributestolowerdropoutrates,lowercrime,andhighercollegeattendance,whichIthinkwecanallagreetoasvitaltooursharedfuture.Also,displacementofexistingcommunitiesduetocircumstancesbeyondtheircontrolis something thatweas a stateneed toaddress.Whilefamilies have left our inner-cities looking for biggerhomesandthelureofsuburbanliving,emergentfactorssuch as the rising cost of gasoline, are enticing peopleback intoour urbancenters.Thecommittee is review-ingthistopictoensurethatthisreturntotheinner-cit-iesdoesnotdisruptanddisplaceexistingresidentswhohaveperenniallymadetheseurbancorestheirhomes.

Coming attRaCtionS Anyoneinterimchargecoulddevelopintopartofamember’s legislativepackage fornext session.Here isabriefrundownofsomehotissueslikelytobediscussedanddebatedbythelegislaturenextsession.

Foreclosures Nationalexpertssaythatcomparedtomanypartsofthecountry,neitherTexasnorDallasCountyhasbeenimpactedbytheforeclosurecrisisthathashelpedtiptheAmericaneconomyintoadownwardspiral.Buttrytell-ingthattoanyofthe150,000Texashomeownerswhowereinforeclosurein2007.Forty-ninethousandofthosehomeowners lived in Dallas. Hit particularly hard alsowereCedarHill,DeSotoandGrandPrairie. The crisis that began in 2006 has not yet ebbed.Across the U.S., more than 400,000 homeowners wereforeclosedin2007.Nationally,morethan243,300prop-ertieswerereportedtobeinforeclosureinAprilthisyear.The same month, one in every 809 Texas householdswasinforeclosure.InDallasCounty(includingGarland,Irving, Mesquite and Grand Prairie) during May, morethan11,300propertieswereinforeclosure.

Senator West makes sure he and the witness are on the same page in the IGR Committee.

Capitol RepoRt

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Manypointtosubprimeloansasamajorcontributortotheforeclosurecrisis.Butmanyprimeborrowershavebeenswept into the foreclosuremorassaswell.Specifi-callyblamedareARM(adjustableratemortgage) loans.Soldat introductory“teaser” interest rates,when theseratesreset,borrowersfindthemselveswithmortgagesatlevelstheycannotpay.Morethan1.5millionsubprime/ARMloanswillresetin2008.Another500,000willdosonextyear. Greedandunscrupulouslendingpracticesarealsoatfault.Thousandsof loanshavegone toborrowerswho-understandardunderwritingpractices-wouldnothavequalified. These kinds of shady practices are where wewilllookasweheadtothe81stSession. Areloanpackageschockfullofhiddenorunwarrant-ed fees?Doborrowers reallyunderstandwhat they aresigning?Doborrowers realizewhat itmeans indollarswhentheirtermssaytheinterestcanincreasetoarateashighas14percent?Andhowmanyborrowershavebeenshovedintosubprime/ARMloanswhentheyactu-allyqualifyforprime,fixed-rateloans?Althoughfederalhelpisontheway,reliefforTexashomeownerscannotcomefastenough!

inFY2008.Thosebusinesseswithgrossreceiptsof lessthan$300,000wouldowenotaxes.Lastsession,withHB3928,thelegislaturerevisedtherevisedtaxevenbeforeitwasimplemented.Aslidingscalewasimplementedforgrossreceiptsbetween$300,000and$900,000,reducingtheoriginalrevenueestimateby$3.5million. Somewanttorevisitthemarginstax.Ononehand,supportersofHB3pointtothefactthatwearejustnowcollectingit-aftertheduedatewasextended-andsug-gestthatitsimpactoreffectivenesscannotyetbeprop-erlyevaluated.Ontheotherhand,some,suchasthelieu-tenantgovernor,haveindicatedapreferencetoscrapthisnewapproach - evenbefore full implementation - andinstead,extendtheoldfranchisetaxtoservices;anap-proachpreviouslyendorsedbythesenate. Democrats presented an alternative in 2006 thatwouldprovidepropertytaxreliefbyraisingthehome-stead exemptionfrom$15,000to$30,000or$45,000,ratherthanlowerthetaxrate.Manyofusfeltthatgiv-ingeveryonethesamesavings,insteadofapplyingare-ducedratetothetotaltaxablevalue,wasmoreequitableinthat itdidnotdisproportionatelybenefitthosewithmorevaluablepropertiesandhomes. Regardlessofwhetherwestandpat,tweakthetaxfur-ther,scrapitaltogether,oradoptthehomesteadexemp-tionincrease,theplanthatprevailsshouldlevyataxratethatspreadsthefinancialburdenasfairlyaspossible.

Voter ID IjoinedSenateDemocratslastsessioninblockingabillthatwouldhavereplacedthecurrentrequirement-thatavotersimplypresenttheirvoterregistrationcard-witharequirementthatavoterpresentalongwiththeregistration card, either one acceptable form of photoidentificationortwoformsofacceptabledocuments.Webelievethatthoselesslikelytohavethingslikedrivers’licensesaretheelderlyandthepoor.Ibelieveweshouldbedoingmoretoprotecttherightsofourmostvulner-ablepopulationsratherthanmakingitharderforthemtoexerciseasacredrightlikevoting. Proponents of Voter ID changes have struggled toproduce substantiveevidenceof the typeof fraud theystrivetoprevent.Nevertheless, theU.S.SupremeCourthasupheldanIndianaVoterIDlawandIexpectthistoemboldensupportersofsuchmeasuresaroundthecoun-try.Thisfightislikelytoresumein2009.

Senate diStRiCt 23 Whilethegoings-onattheCapitolarecertainlykeep-ingmebusythisinterim,mystaffandIhavebeenhardatworkinthedistrictaswell.OneofthewaysIamstrivingtoimprovethequalityoflifeforallofusinDistrict23isthroughtheestablishmentofprogramstogiveourchildrena boost in their pursuit of educational achievement andprofessionalsuccess.TheseeffortsincludetheDr. Emmett J. Conrad Leadership Program,andmorerecentlyIt’s About Our Community.AndofcourseIcouldnotclosethisnewsletterwithoutupdatingyouontheprogressoftheUniversity of North Texas at Dallas.

tHe dR. emmett J. ConRad leadeRSHip pRogRam Thissummermarksthe16thsummerclassofthein-ternshipprogramestablishedin1993thathasaffordedlocal college students the opportunity to obtain paidinternshipsintheirchosenfieldsofstudy.Theprogramwascreatedtoexpandandexplorecareerchoices,lead-ership capabilities and jobmarketabilityof college stu-dentsfromDistrict23.NamedfortherenownedAfrican-

Insurance TheTexasDepartmentofInsuranceisunder“Sunsetreview,” the process by which the legislature routinelyevaluatesstateagenciesanddetermineswhetherchang-esshouldbemadeintheiroperationandevenwhethertheyshouldcontinuetofunctionatall.In2003,theleg-islature addressed skyrocketing homeowners insurancepremiums by enacting both statutory and regulatoryinsurance reform. Since that time however, homeown-ers insurance premiums have not declined as forecast.Indeed,ourpremiumsarestillthenation’shighest,whileinsurersaremoreprofitablethanever.IhaveaskedtheSunsetAdvisoryCommissiontoinvestigatethefailureofpast reforms tobringneeded relief, and to take a longlookatregulatoryapproachesusedbystateswherepre-miumsarelowerthanthoseinTexas.

Margin Tax Likemanylocalbusinessowners, Ipaidmyrevisedfranchise,or“margin”taxearlierthissummer.Thisnewtax scheme - created by HB3 - is the result of the spe-cialsessionsonschoolfinanceheldin2006.ThosecourtmandatedsessionswerecalledforlawmakerstoaddressTexas’ over-reliance on property taxes to fund publicschools.Priortoitspassage,manybusinesseshadfiguredoutways toavoidpaying the franchise tax.Our intentwastoachieveagreaterdegreeoftaxequitybybringingsomeofthosenon-payersbackintothesystem,andtoreducetheburdenonpropertyowners.HB3’sfiscalnoteprojectedthatitwouldgenerate$3.4billioninrevenue

Sen. West (pictured top left) hosts students from District 23 schools as part of Nov. 2007 Student Advisory Committee food drive benefiting the North Texas Food Bank.

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Capitol RepoRtAmericanphysicianandeducationadvocate,Dr.EmmettJ.Conrad,theprogramcontinuesourcommondesiretogrowourownleaders.Itismuchmorethanjustfindinga job. Internsparticipate incommunityserviceprojectsand gain insight through topic-driven workshops thathelpthempreparefortheroadahead. Conradinternsrepresentthebestandbrightestthedis-tricthastooffer.Thisyear’sclasshas117internsandsinceprogramorigin,morethan1,500summerjobplacementshavebeensecured.Tobeconsidered,applicantsmustbeenrolledina4-yearcollege/universityandbearesidentofSenateDistrict23.Studentsmustmaintaina2.25cumula-tiveGPA.ThenextapplicationprocessbeginsinNovember2008withthedeadlinebeingJanuary16,2009.Tolearnmoreabouttheprogramanditsrequirements,pleasevisitwww.conradleadership.comandapplyon-line.

It’s About Our Community Iwent from serene tooutraged in amatter ofmo-mentswhenthuggeryandviolencethreatenedtraditionasAmericanasaFridaynight footballgame-one Iat-tended!Severalotherincidents-twodeadly-happenedwithinaspanoftwoweekends.Weconvenedimmedi-ately,acoalitionofschoolandcityofficials,lawenforce-ment,business,civic,faith-basedleadersandparentsthathasbecomewhatisnowIt’s About Our Community.Thiseffortfocusesonfosteringcitizenshipandacademicachievementinstudentsbackedbyparentalandcommu-nityinvolvement.Whileweswiftlyrespondtoinappro-priateandcriminalbehavior,wealsobelievethereshouldbepositivereinforcementwhenourkidsdogood. Itiswellknownthatjuvenilecrimereachesitspeakin the summer when idle minds don’t always lend toconstructivebehaviors.Ifounditinexplicablethatare-gionas largeasDallasCountylackedaformalsummeryouthemploymentprogram.InSummer2006,ourBestSouthwest schools, citiesandbusinesses found jobs for409students.Thisyear,DallasISDjoinedinandthroughcommitmentsandajointjobfair,26areaemployersin-terviewedandhiredincomingjuniorandseniorstudentsforjobspayingabovetheminimumwage.Butthisisjustastart.Weneedmorecommitmentsfromlocalbusinessandindustryandweneedincentivesforouryoungerstu-dentswhentheystudyhardanddotherightthing.Soemployersandentertainmentvenues,don’tbesurprisedwhenwecomecalling.

University of North Texas at Dallas The University of North Texas – Dallas Campus isbursting at the seams, literally. This past Spring some1,837 (764FTE) studentswereenrolledat the$25mil-lion, state-of-the-artbuilding that sitsmajesticallyatopthe264-acrecampuslocatedatCampWisdomRoadandHoustonSchoolRoad.Withafacultyandstaffof72,thecampus’firstbuildinghasalreadyreachedcapacity.Thisisagoodthingbecause it illustrates thenecessity forastate-supported,highereducationvenueinDallasaswellasthesupportandcommitmentofarearesidentstoat-tendtheDallasCampus. Thecurrentenrollmentplacesthecampuswellontheway to the1,000FTEs (full timeequivalent students) re-quiredtobecomeastandalonecampus-theUniversityofNorthTexasatDallas.AdditionalfacultywillcomeaboardinJanuarywithincreaseddegreeandcourseofferings. I’vebeenworkingwiththeGovernor,Lt.Governor,andSpeaker’sofficesalongsidetheUNTSystemtoobtainfundsforthecampus’secondbuilding.Inaddition,weare currently following transition plans and schedulesthatwillalignthecampustoopenasTheUniversityofNorthTexasatDallasinFall2010.

OneoftheanchorcomponentsofoureffortsistheestablishmentoftheUNTCollegeofLaw.TheUNTSys-temhascreatedaFounder’sBoardchairedbyJayPatter-son,MarcosRonquilloandDeMetrisSampsontogarnersupportfortheLawSchool,includingthesolicitationofresolutionsandlettersofsupportfromareacities,cham-bers,barassociations,etc. WorkcontinueswiththeCityofDallastomakesureeverything is in sequence for their$16millionrestora-tionoftheOldCityHallbuildingonMainandHarwoodStreets-theproposedsiteofthelawschool.Andlastly,the UNT System is maintaining communications withtheAmericanBarAssociationtoworkwithintheirguide-linesandsuggestionstopursuethemostappropriateandexpeditious pathway toward accreditation for the lawschool. UNTDallasCampuscontinuestobeaninstitutionofthefirstclass,offeringarearesidentsaccesstosuccess.ItisaneducationalandeconomicalcatalystthatwillchangeDallasCountyandNorthTexasforever.

Copper theft Aftermuchlegislativewrangling,Iwasabletopassabillthathasalreadybeguntochangehowthesalesandpurchases of metals such as copper, brass, bronze andaluminum are reported in Texas. Unfortunately, thosechanges have not been as swift in implementation asthethieveswhohavemadelifemiserableformanyho-meowners,businessesandevenchurcheswhohavehadtheirairconditioning,constructionandbuildingmateri-alsandnowevencatalyticconverterspilferedforcentsonthedollar.

ThisJuly,theTexasDepartmentofPublicSafety(DPS)beganoperationofastatewideelectronicreportingdata-basethatwillenablepolicetoreviewpurchaserecordsforapossiblematchwithreportsofstolengoods.Underthelaw,allgoodssoldtoscrapyardsthatcontainregulatedmetalsmustberecordedandreported.Itemssuchascem-eteryvases,guardrails,coppercoilsfromairconditioningunits,electronictransmissionwireandotheritemsusedbytelephone,railroadandutilitycompaniescannolon-gerbesoldtometalyardsunlessthesellerprovesowner-shiporlegitimateaccesstosuchmaterials.Thelawalsoimposesastatewideholdpolicythatrequiresmetalyardstokeepitemscontainingregulatedmetalsontheirprop-ertyforatleast72hours,allowingforpoliceinspection. Beforethenewstatelaw,onlysalesofregulatedmet-alsweighingatleast40poundswerereported. Recently,theCityofDallasrevampeditspolicyandhasurgedsurroundingcitiestopasstheirownordinanc-estohelpdeterregulated(copper)metalstheft.

Sen. West joins Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and Police Chief David Kunkle for press conference to address metals thefts at police head-quarters.

Senator Royce Westdistrict 23p.o. box 12068austin, texas 78711

pRSRT STDU.S. postage

paiDpermit No. 2468

austin, Texas

How To ConTaCT

Senator Royce West

2612 main Street, Suite 100dallas, texas 75226

214/741-0123 • FaX: 214/749-7830

www.west.senate.state.tx.us

THE TEXAS SENATE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN, SEX, RELIGION, AGE OR DISABILITY IN EMPLOYMENT OR THE PROVISION OF SERVICES.

auStin:p.o. box 12068

austin, texas 78711512/463-0123 • FaX: 512/463-0299

dial 711 for Relay Calls

t H e C a p i t o l R e p o R t

“Please let me know what you think about the important issues facing our state by going to the following web addresses and filling out my on-line questionnaires.

Your input counts.

http://www.west.senate.state.tx.us/survey0001.htm

http://www.west.senate.state.tx.us/survey0002.htm“

5787 South Hampton Rd., Suite 385dallas, texas 75232

(214) 467-0123 • FaX: (214) 467-0050

dallaS:

Millie Bruner

Judge Barefoot Sanders Dr. C.A.W. Clark

Josephine Torres

Judge L.A. Bedford Pancho Medrano

In recognition of the contributions of all the

public officials and civic leaders past and

present who have given of their time and

talents to help build and uplift the Greater

Dallas community.

District 23 Community Icons