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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWS Item 01 - Legislative AgendaMEMO TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: BRUNO RUMBELOW, CITY MANAGER 15 (Z MEETING DATE: DECEMBER 4, 2012 SUBJECT: LEGISLATIVE AGENDA BACKGROUND: Fred Hill will be present to discuss the upcoming Legislative Session and the proposed Legislative Agenda. Formal approval of the Legislative Agenda will take place at the December 18 City Council Meeting. Upon adoption, this agenda will be distributed to Grapevine's legislative delegation prior to the start of the Session and will allow Mr. Hill the ability to quickly advocate on our behalf in Austin. The issues are fairly consistent with past agendas with the exception of a few additional issues, including advocating for the ability for the City to participate in a Tourism Public Improvement District, DNA testing of arrestees for a Class B misdemeanor or above to use for matching in crimes, and supporting Failure to Stop and Render Aid as a 3rd degree felony. Currently, Intoxication Manslaughter is a 2nd degree felony. Failure to Stop and Render Aid, involving a death, is a 3rd degree felony. If a person is intoxicated and is involved in a major accident, they are better off if they flee the scene and surrender or get caught once they are no longer intoxicated. We are asking that the penalty be the same for both charges if they involve a death. It also makes it easier to prosecute someone who left the scene, for a 2nd degree felony, without having to prove they were intoxicated at the time of the accident. JCH November 29, 2012 (10:05AM) 83rd Texas Legislative Session City of Grapevine Legislative Agenda General Legislation • Oppose sales tax initiatives that change taxing situs from point of sale to point of delivery • Oppose property appraisal caps and revenue caps • Oppose unfunded mandates • Support a statewide smoking ban that would provide a level economic playing field between cities with a ban and those without • Oppose legislation that would restrict eminent domain authority of local governments • Support City's continued right to fund legislative advocacy • Monitor changes to 4B and CCPD legislation • Monitor legislation that would impact economic development Elections • Oppose any legislation that would further restrict a municipality's rights to hold election Human Resources • Oppose legislative changes that would expand the meet and confer law • Oppose higher assessments regarding the State Medical Risk Pool • Support legislation that would allow cities in TMRS to opt out of Cost of Living increases for one or more years without a "catch up" penalty when COLA's are reinstated Library • Oppose further cuts to State funding of local libraries Parks and Recreation Support legislation that would increase funding for State Parks and the Texas Recreation & Parks Account and insure that all funded projects be subject to the established Texas Parks & Wildlife Department scoring system Oppose the continued diversion of the sporting goods sales tax away from Texas Parks & Wildlife to other uses Police • Support making burglary of a motor vehicle a state jail felony • Support legislation that would require electronic reporting of pawn shop data to law enforcement • Support requiring DNA testing of arrestees • Support making a failure to stop and render aid charge a 3rd degree felony Planning, Zoning and Code Enforcement • Support legislation to give municipalities authority over the location of gas pipelines • Oppose any legislation weakening the ability of a City to enforce nuisance ordinances Tourism • Oppose efforts to shorten summer vacation of school children, which has a direct effect on the local and statewide tourism industry • Oppose cuts to the State tourism fund • Oppose legislation that would redirect hotel/ motel tax to any other entity or earmark its use for any particular purpose • Support legislation expanding the areas of the State where a tourism Public Improvement District may be formed Fire • Support the repeal of legislation that limits a city's ability to require sprinkler systems in residential dwellings Transportation and Public Works The two items below were requested for inclusion by the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition: Support a statewide education campaign to inform Texans of Transportation needs and the development of a consensus agenda to improve Texas transportation and that encourages Texans to participate in the transportation conversation Support efforts to urge the Legislature to enact revenue measures to fun investment needed to improve Texas transportation. Support Statewide efforts to address water supply issues