May 11, 2018 TEXAS HOUSE DISTRICT 129 NEWSLETTER | | Governor Abbott Authorizes Harris County Emergency Special Election For Flood-Control Projects
AUSTIN - Governor Greg Abbott today sent a letter approving a request by the Harris County Commissioners Court to hold an emergency special election for a bond referendum on Saturday, August 25th. "As you know, I consider responding to matters concerning Hurricane Harvey to qualify as an emergency,” writes Governor Abbott. “As this request for an emergency special election was duly passed by a unanimous vote of the Harris County Commissioners Court, I hereby grant approval as Governor of Texas for this emergency special election to be called for bonds to fund flood-related mitigation projects that respond to Hurricane Harvey.” The Governor’s letter details the billions in federal funding sources currently available to Harris County for flood and hazard mitigation projects, including: funds for buyouts and elevations of flood prone properties; drainage and reservoir projects that reduce future flooding; other projects that lessen the frequency or severity of flooding; flood risk reduction projects such as dams, retention basins, levees, floodwalls, seawalls, jetties, sand dunes, and large-scale channeling of waterways; and countless other projects. Importantly, the Governor points out that Congress “purposefully provided much of those matching dollars through Community Development Block Grant funds so that local governments would not need to match the federal grants.” For example, funds are available today for Harris County to draw from the $500 million in FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP); and Harris County may choose to use Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG–DR) funds for the HMGP cost-share match for eligible projects. Additionally, Harris County and the City of Houston, together, have already been allocated $2.27 billion in CDBG–DR funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
| | DPS Reminds Texans to Prepare for Hurricane Season Now | | AUSTIN – With the hurricane season less than one month away, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) urges all Texans to use Hurricane Preparedness Week to learn how to protect themselves and their families from hurricanes and tropical storms. Hurricane season starts June 1 and continues through Nov. 30.
“Hurricane season is unpredictable, and as we saw last year with Hurricane Harvey, these powerful storms can cause dangerous conditions and leave behind major devastation,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who proclaimed this week as Hurricane Preparedness Week in Texas. “By preparing ahead of time, we can help ensure our state is ready when natural disasters strike. I encourage all of my fellow Texans to plan now in advance of hurricane season, and to closely monitor any weather warnings and evacuation orders in the coming months.”
All Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastal areas are subject to hurricanes and tropical storms. It is possible for a storm to severely impact our state, even prior to or without making direct landfall in Texas. Hurricanes can cause catastrophic damage to coastlines, and winds can vary from 74 to 157 miles per hour (or higher). In addition, hurricanes and tropical storms can also spawn tornadoes, create dangerous coastal water conditions, including storm surges, and cause extensive flooding damage. Also, the rainfall associated with a tropical system can have an extremely wide reach, so monitoring changing weather conditions during hurricane season is critically important for all Texans.
“As Texans know all too well, the damage caused by a hurricane can be catastrophic, and the impact these storms have on our lives does not go away when the storm warning expires,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “Our neighbors along the coast are still recovering from Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Preparedness Week offers an important reminder for everyone to be diligent, and by taking a few simple steps — like developing a hurricane plan and assembling an emergency disaster kit — we can ensure we are ready when a storm hits. It can mean the difference between life and death.”
Here are several measures residents can take now to prepare for potential storms: - Assemble an emergency kit that includes essential documents, supplies and provisions.
- Review hurricane evacuation maps, and select a route for you and your family.
- Plan how all family members and pets will evacuate safely.
- Consider any special needs for individuals with disabilities or the elderly.
- Stay informed about changing weather conditions in and around your area.
- Follow the instructions of local officials if a storm develops.
Residents are also encouraged to review their property’s flood risk and current insurance coverage, and to consider whether a separate flood policy should be part of their home protection plan. (Remember most flood policies have a 30-day waiting period before taking effect.) For more information, visit the Texas Department of Insurance website.
If you or someone you know might need assistance during a disaster, register now with the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR) — a free registry that provides local emergency planners and responders with additional information about the needs in their communities. To register, contact 2-1-1 Texas, the state’s free 24-hour helpline. No matter where you live in Texas, you can dial 2-1-1 or 877-541-7905 for community resources.
| | The Select Committee on Texas Ports, Innovation & Infrastructure Meets in Corpus Christi | | Recently, the Ports committee which Representative Paul is the Vice Chair met in Corpus Christi to discuss the funding of Port Security, Projects, and Studies. Additionally, presentations were made on the maintenance and dredging to ensure navigable waters by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and Texas Waterway Operations Association. | |
Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program
My office will begin accepting applications for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program for the 2018-2019 school year. In order to be considered for the TASSP, a student enrolling in college straight from high school must meet two of the following four academic criteria at the time of application: Be on track to graduate, or has graduated high school with the Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP) or the International Baccalaureate Program (IB); Have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale; Achieve a college readiness score on the SAT (1070) or ACT (23); Be ranked in the top one-third of the prospective high school graduating class. Additionally, students must be enrolled in a college or university in the Fall 2018/Spring 2019 academic year in order to be nominated for the TASSP during the current nomination cycle. Click here for more information on specific requirements, then click on the “Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program (TASSP)” link.
TASSP encourages students to participate in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs at civilian colleges. Students are required to agree to a four-year commitment as a member of the Texas Army National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard, the Texas State Guard, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Merchant Marine, or commissioned officers in any branch of the armed services of the United States.
These annual awards can make a significant difference in the life of high achieving students. A student may receive up to $4,000 for the 2018-2019 school year and, dependent on available funding, may receive up to four years of awards. If you live in House District 129 and would like to be considered for nomination by Rep. Paul for the TASSP, please email your cover letter and resume to District129.Paul@house.texas.gov no later than June 30, 2018. You may also contact my District Director, Dawn McDonald, at 281-488-8900 with any questions. Each member of the Legislature is authorized to nominate one student. | | | | Rep. Paul was happy to attend the Grand Opening of Exploration Green with Commissioner Jack Morman in Clear Lake | | Rep. & Mrs. Paul attended the Exploration Green grand opening | | Rep. Paul was honored to be the guest speaker at the Bay Area A&M Club | | | | | | |
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