Speaker Joe Straus Releases Interim Charges
AUSTIN – Speaker Joe Straus has issued interim charges to every standing committee in the Texas House of Representatives. The charges highlight some of the issues that the Texas House will study and investigate to prepare for the next legislative session, which will begin in January 2015. Speaker Straus’ charges are based on requests and suggestions made by House Members.
“Today’s interim charges, combined with the initiatives that I will announce in the weeks to come, will help Members prepare to tackle serious challenges in the next session,” said Straus (R-San Antonio). “I am confident that we can continue to address these issues in a responsible, bipartisan way.”
On the agenda for International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs (ITIGA), one of Representative Poncho Nevárez’s (D-Eagle Pass) committee appointments in addition to the Culture, Recreation, and Tourism (CRT) Committee, is to examine ways to increase international trade in Texas, review state and federal regulations to maximize trade flow, and to review the impact of commercial shipping solutions that will allow all Texans access to the Gulf of Mexico. As for the CRT Committee, they will focus on seven target issues that will examine the economic impact and effectiveness of different grants and collaborative efforts of major tourism and cultural entities within the state.
“These interim charges are very important to demonstrate how we can maximize trade flow and create an economic impact along the boarder,” Representative Poncho Nevárez states. “I am pleased Speaker Straus agrees that these items need to be assessed so that we can tackle them next session.”
The House is coming off an extremely successful year. In 2013, Members balanced the state budget, cut taxes, made a historic commitment to address long-neglected water needs, reduced excessive testing in public schools and made the use of taxpayer dollars more transparent and accountable. Each of those achievements passed the House with overwhelming support.
