Monday, June 1st was the last day of the 81st Legislative Session. Over the next several weeks I will talk about some of the bills that were passed during this session. This week I will focus on several bills that will affect our area. These local bills were a result of cooperation with many local officials, community leaders, and interested citizens in an effort to address the needs of the citizens of District 62.
The growth we have seen in Grayson and Fannin counties is just beginning, and as a result there is a need for legislation to help the counties and cities respond to the new needs of a growing population.
Legislation was passed this session which will create 3 new municipal utility districts, or MUD's, in the vicinities of Denison and Van Alstyne. These MUD's are in developing, unincorporated areas of the county, and will allow for the provision of water, sewage, and drainage to these districts. This legislation required involvement from local government officials, and I want to thank our county, city, and school leaders for their help.
House Bill 2232 creates a new County Court at Law for Fannin County. This new court will help to alleviate the backlog of cases that currently exist, as well as expedite future proceedings. This bill was filed and passed at the request of the Fannin county officials and the local bar association; I also appreciate all of their input on this legislation.
House Bill 1272 was also filed at the request of local governmental officials. This bill designates Highway 289 as the "Preston Trail Highway." Preston Trail, later known as Old Preston Road, was the north Texas part of an ancient Indian trail extending from Mexico through central Texas all the way to what is now Missouri. Preston Trail became part of the first official Texas military road in 1839. Today Preston Road and SH 289 have been paved near, but not on the original Preston Trail.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) designated Fannin and Grayson counties as part of the North-Central Texas Priority Groundwater Management Area (PGMA). Such a designation indicates that the counties are expected to experience critical groundwater declines within the next 25 years. With the PGMA designation, TCEQ was going to force Grayson and Fannin Counties to be a part of a groundwater conservation district; however, the counties were able to create a district through the legislative process, thereby having a greater say in the membership, powers, and control of the district. In response to the PGMA designation, Fannin and Grayson Counties formed a steering committee comprised of local officials and representatives of water suppliers from both counties to work together to create a groundwater conservation district through the legislative process. House Bill 4736 creates the Red River Groundwater Conservation District to include all of the territory within Fannin and Grayson Counties.
For more information on the legislative process, please visit the website www.capitol.state.tx.us. You can 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.
