SD 11 SREC: District 129 Newsletter

Governor Abbott Extends Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners via Executive Order

Thursday evening, Governor Greg Abbott used the executive authority granted to him during times of a disaster, to prevent the abolition of the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners and the expiration of the Plumbing License Law on September 1, 2019. This temporary action will last until the 87th Legislature convenes in January of 2021. You can read Gov. Abbott's executive order by clicking here.

District Events

It has been a busy week for me as I have attended many and events throughout the district.

Monday I attended the Space City Rotary Club where they elected new officers. Congratulations to Mike Porterfield on being elected club President.

Monday Evening I attended the Texas Asian Republican Club where we heard an excellent presentation from Child Proof America on human trafficking of suburban children.

Tuesday I was honored to attend a taping of the BBC Podcast "13 Minutes" at Rice University. "13 Minutes" is a 12 part podcast series on the Apollo era. The taping that I attended is the final episode and will be released on July 20th to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing.

State Representative Dennis Paul, State Senator Larry Taylor, and Gerald Griffin Former Flight Director of the Apollo Program and Former Director of the Johnson Space Center.

Wednesday I attended the Bay Area Kiwanis club where we heard from Holocaust survivor Alexander Pollack on his life journey from the Jasenovac Concentration Camp in Croatia to working in our area as a chemical engineer. It was an honor to hear his life story.

You can learn more and listen to his story by clicking here .

Mr. Pollack's speech was especially relevant this week as Governor Abbott Signed SB 1828 into law. SB 1828 requires all Texas public schools to establish a Holocaust Remembrance Week.

State Representative Dennis Paul, Holocaust Survivor Alexander Pollack, and State Senator Larry Taylor.

Wednesday Evening I attended the grand opening of Chevron's Pasadena Refinery. Chevron recently purchased the refinery from Petrobas and this is Chevron's first major investment in Texas in years!

Thursday I attended the Bay area A&M Cub where we heard from the Commandant of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Brigadier General Joe E. Ramirez, Jr.

HB 304

HB 304, which passed the Legislature last month, was signed by Governor Abbott earlier this week. This legislation, which I have worked to pass for the last three sessions, makes several changes to the statute governing municipal management districts to improve transparency and property owner involvement.

While the legislation made many changes to the management of these districts, there are two main highlights:

Allows property owners to have a voice in who serves on the boards of directors for these districts
Lowers the voter threshold to dissolve a district that is no longer needed

Texas Armed Service Scholarship Program

I am now accepting applications from eligible high school and college students for the Texas Armed Service Scholarship Program. This program was created to encourage students to participate in Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programs at civilian colleges and universities across Texas.

To be eligible, a student must meet academic criteria including:

Be on track to graduate high school in a Distinguished Achievement Program or International Baccalaureate program.
A GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Ranked in the top third of the graduating class.
SAT score of 1590 or ACT score of 23.
Be appointed by one of the following elected officials:
State Representative
State Senator
Lieutenant Governor
Governor
Enroll in the ROTC program of an eligible Texas institution of higher education.
Sign a contract to:
Remain in ROTC for four years.
Graduate within five years.
Enter National Guard service or accept a commission with the armed services within six months of graduation from college.
Meet program physical fitness requirements.

Interested students that live in House District 129 and who meet the criteria should apply by submitting a resume, cover letter and proof of academic eligibility to District129.Paul@house.texas.gov by July 31st.

Distinguished Alumni

It was a profound honor for me to be named a Distinguished Alumnus of the Cullen College of Engineering at the University of Houston. This video was played during the EAA Awards Gala held earlier this month.