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Capitol Watch: Interim charges for House committees
By State Representative Larry Phillips
Mar 23, 2008

This week I will continue discussing the interim charges for House committees.  The charges are good indicators of what legislation the legislature will take up during the next session. Interim charges are the issues that the Speaker asks committees to study during the time between regular legislative sessions in order to make recommendations for legislation for the following legislative session.   

Legislators rely on public input when crafting legislation, and it is important that they hear from citizens during the interim.  This week, I will discuss the Committee on Land and Resource Management, which oversees issues pertaining to the management of public lands; eminent domain; and annexation, zoning, and other governmental regulation of land use.  

House Committee on Land and Resource Management

·         Examine the authority of the General Land Office, the School Land Board, and similar state agencies to engage in various types of real estate transactions, and determine the appropriateness of this authority.

·         Observe and study ongoing litigation and actions by condemning authorities in light of the Kelo decision, in which the Supreme Court ruled on the use of eminent domain for economic development purposes.  Make recommendations for changes in eminent domain law needed to protect private property rights. Specifically, examine the body of law used to determine the amount of compensation property owners receive when their land is condemned, in whole or part, and determine the appropriateness of this scheme as compared to others.

·         Research annexation practices in the state to determine whether municipalities are abiding by both the spirit and the letter of the state's annexation laws, thereby maintaining a proper balance between municipal governments and individual residents.

·         Examine the effectiveness of the Private Real Property Rights Preservation Act, which was passed by the legislature in 1995 in an effort to establish and clarify the rights of private property owners.

·         Study and evaluate policies held by other states in relation to how they treat wind resources as a property right.

·         Examine recent attempts by municipalities to exert regulatory authority beyond city limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction. Evaluate the current relationship between and possible conflicts related to regulatory authority expressly given to state agencies by the legislature and regulatory authority delegated to home-rule municipalities. (Joint Interim Charge with the House Committee on County Affairs)

·         Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction: the School Land Board; the Board for Lease of University Lands; the Coastal Coordination Council; and the General Land Office.

The Committee on Land and Resource Management can be reached at 512-463-1623.  For more information on these charges or any other matter of state government, please contact my office by writing to P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768-2910 or by emailing me at larry.phillips@house.state.tx.us.   

My district office phone number is (903) 891-7297. 

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