The 81st Texas Legislative Session is underway and numerous issues will be addressed that affect us and our families.  In an effort to communicate with you on issues important to our District, I will be writing a periodic “dispatch” of the goings-on at your State Capitol.

 It is my hope that these dispatches will be informative for you, but I also want to hear what is on your mind.  I have also worked on modernizing my website.  I encourage you to take a look.  The address is the same, www.davidfarabee.com, but the look is new and improved.  Knowing your views on issues and hearing your ideas makes me a better Representative.  By working together, we can ensure a positive difference for Wichita and Archer Counties.  

As with every Session, I start out with an aggressive legislative agenda.  With a constant focus on improving public education and economic development for our area, I am also reviewing initiatives to address our energy needs for Texas.  Of course, I am looking at ways to maximize production for our local producers, but I am also looking at technological initiatives that can utilize advances made in the energy industry to become more energy efficient and address energy conservation measures. 

One of the areas I am following closely is Carbon Dioxide (CO2) enhanced oil recovery and storage.  CO2 enhanced recovery is basically a technique where a CO2 injection increases the amount of oil that can be extracted from an oil field.  CO2 storage is an idea that has merit in Texas because of our geology and the number of wells in Texas that could be used to store the gas underground rather than released into the atmosphere.  It’s a win-win both for production and for clean air.

Other measures I am working on this session include initiatives to assist MSU with their university mission, working with local governments to enable funding for water infrastructure programs, and legislation that will provide for a discounted rate for electricity provided to school districts.  I hope you will take a look at the full list of legislation I have filed.

Committee Assignments

The anticipated day recently arrived when we all received Committee assignments.  It was an honor to hear my name called for the most powerful policy committee in the Texas House, the Committee on State Affairs.  The State Affairs Committee has jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to state policy and the administration of state government.  The Committee oversees the regulation of public lands and state buildings as well as the regulation and deregulation of the electric industry and telecommunications industry.  The committee will also hear legislation relating to immigration policy and legislation on the operation of state government and its agencies and departments. 

Another appointment I am honored to receive was to the House Committee on Energy Resources.  It is the fourth time I have been appointed to this committee and I look forward to using my experience in order to address the energy needs of Texas.  The Energy Resources Committee deals with issues relating to oil and gas production, mining development, pipeline regulation and electric utility regulation as it relates to energy production and consumption.  The committee received a new charge this Session of identifying and developing alternative energy sources, such as renewables, and increasing energy efficiency throughout the state.   

The Budget and the Federal Stimulus

As you may have heard in the news, Texas stands to receive about $17 Billion from the Federal government in economic development and stimulus money.  We must ensure that this money is spent responsibly and that we can get the most bang for our buck without increasing government.  Over the next few months, the Legislature and state agencies are going to make big decisions regarding this money and we must ensure that priorities are set.  In my opinion, the most important aspect is to spend it for what is designed for; to protect and stimulate our economy.  We have to address the real issues such as saving jobs and investing in solutions and projects that will pay big dividends for the future.  The spending of the funds must be transparent to the tax payer and contain a tracking system on the effectiveness of every dollar.   

In an effort to achieve this, your Texas House created the Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding.  This Committee will monitor the stimulus money and other financial initiatives that could come down from the Federal government over the next two years.  In my view, the Legislature must work with the committee to ensure tax payer accountability before we start spending.  By doing this, we will be in a better position to determine which projects can promote job growth and which ones should be struck from consideration.   

District Days at Your State Capitol

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It is a sincere honor for me to welcome you to your State Capitol.  Already this Session, I have had the pleasure of greeting several of you and discussing issues importance to you, your job environment and your families.  I hope if you are ever in Austin, you will stop by and visit with our office.