Tag: Texas

Burnam files House Bill 1000 to create sales tax holiday for energy efficient products

(Austin, TX) – Representative Lon Burnam, D – Fort Worth, has filed HB 1000 that will establish sales tax exemptions on certain energy efficient appliances for three weekends each year. These exemptions would apply to those products designated as “Energy Star qualified” as defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy.
“These products use less energy which protects the environment and saves consumers money,” said Burnam. “Our state should recognize the benefit of these products to our communities and should reward consumers who invest in Energy Star appliances with a chance to purchase the products tax-free.”
The bill will grant tax exemptions on clothes washers, ceiling fans, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs, and programmable thermostats, as well as refrigerators priced at less than $2,000 and air conditioners costing less than $6,000.
The sales tax holidays would correspond with three high-energy consumption weekends in the summer months. Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and the sales tax holiday on clothing and footwear will be Energy Star tax-free weekends under this bill.
“We no longer have room for the ignorant assumption that there is energy to waste,” said Burnam. “Part of being a responsible citizen is realizing that each of us must do what we can to conserve the energy we have. This legislation will provide an incentive to do the right thing.”

Burnam Files House Bill 936 To Adjust the Minimum Wage for Inflation

Burnam Files House Bill 936 To Adjust the Minimum Wage for Inflation

(Austin, TX) – Rep. Lon Burnam (D – Fort Worth) filed HB 936 that will adjust the Texas minimum wage for inflation based on the consumer price index today. This legislation follows on the heals of the U.S. House of Representatives, which passed legislation increasing the federal minimum wage to $7.25 over the next two years.

“The federal government made the important first step in raising the minimum wage,ʺ said Rep. Burnam. ʺThe Texas Legislature needs to take the next step by linking the wage floor to inflation. The workers in this state cannot afford to wait years for lawmakers to raise the minimum wage. We need an automatic increase of the minimum wage tied to the cost of living.ʺ

Burnamʹs legislation would cause the minimum wage floor to automatically adjust each year based on the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers as computed by the United States Department of Labor.

Major opponents to the federal minimum wage increase cited the potential damage to businesses that are faced with a sudden wage hike. Because Representative Burnamʹs bill adjusts the wage floor each year based on inflation, this legislation will ensure that businesses are protected from sudden wage hikes in the future.
“This bill will eliminate the time spent legislating the minimum wage in the future,ʺ said Burnam. “It gives Texas workers the dignity of a living wage without having to fight for increases during every legislative session. This is a practical and necessary solution to a problem that affects the working poor all across the state of Texas.ʺ

Currently only the states of Oregon, Vermont, and Washington have laws that adjust the minimum wage annually according to measures of inflation.

Why I love Texas

Where else in the world can you find a pond in someone’s backyard that’s built in the shape of their state/country?

A county commissioner told me about this pond on Friday. Pretty cool if you ask me.
It’s in Ellis County south of Midlothian near the intersection of Matthews Rd and Armstrong Rd.
I’m going to try and find out more about it later this week. I’ll let you know if I do.

Bill filed to study potential impact of global warming on Texas

(Austin, TX)–Representative Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, filed legislation today to establish a global warming task force which will assess the economic and public health impacts of global warming on Texas. The bill was filed on the day when President Bush is expected to address global warming in his State of the Union address.

“For too long, there has been a bogus debate on global warming fueled by junk science,” said Rep. Burnam.

“Now, that ‘debate’ is over. Just last week ExxonMobil admitted that global warming is a real threat and that greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide contribute to the problem. It’s time the state of Texas begins to make preparations to deal with the potential fallout from this very real crisis.”

2006 was the hottest year on record in the United States. The scientific community agrees that global warming poses significant risks and dangers yet the United States continues to be the number one emitter of carbon dioxide and Texas is the number one emitting state.

“We have 600 miles of coastline in Texas. If temperatures rise enough that sea levels rise a foot or more, there could be a serious economic and health impact on the state,” said Burnam. “The state is like the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand. We need a plan to deal with this challenge.

“At the same time, the reality of global warming provides excellent opportunities for businesses that innovate and create solutions to these problems. My bill directs the global warming task force to investigate and prepare for the worst while seeking opportunities for businesses that do the right thing.

“I do hope, as it has been reported, that the President addresses global warming tonight. And I hope that the state of Texas will take the necessary steps to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for a carbon-constrained economy.”

Confederate Nugent

This morning we ran a story on Ted Nugent’s appearance at Gov. McDreamy’s inaugural ball early this week.
Nugent showed up wearing a cut-off T-Shirt with a Confederate flag on the back.
Gary Bledsoe, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People of Texas, said the Confederate battle flag is never appropriate.
“Whenever someone sports the Confederate battle flag, many Texans will be offended, and rightly so, because of what it symbolizes the enslavement of African-Americans and more recently the symbol of hate groups and terrorists,” Bledsoe said.
Perry’s spokesman Robert Black said the governor would never try to squelch anyone’s freedom of speech.
Locally, Ellis County Republican Chairman Rusty Ballard said he didn’t have a problem with Nugent playing.
“He believes in many of the conservative issues the Republican Party does,” Ballard said. “I thought it was a great deal having him play. Nugent is a great supporter of the governor.”
Ballard said he also had no issue with Nugent’s use of the Confederate battle flag.
“The flag is a part of Texas’ history and it doesn’t represent what a lot of people have come to believe that it does,” Ballard said. “You can’t try to restrict people’s freedom of expression – especially artists. I don’t think there was any political statement being made, it was just typical Ted Nugent.”
I don’t have a problem of granting free speech as long as you’re not going to harp on someone else’s right to free speech when it offends you.
Just this week I read about people getting up in arms when the F-word was shown on TV, or when Howard Stern says something offensive but if there are threats of the government censoring them they claim freedom of speech as well.
Where do you draw the line? Can you draw the line and still grant freedom of speech?

Perry looking for VPOTUS?

According to a very reliable source, Perry has said quite profanely that he is not interested in the VP job in 2008. The AP also ran a story last week confirming that.
But Vince over at Capital Annex is pretty certain Perry is thinking otherwise with his inauguration speech today.

Pop Quiz time!
Who said the following:
Our greatest threat is no longer a Cold War enemy that advances a Godless ideology, but fanatics that kill the innocent and themselves in the name of a Higher Power. Rogue states and terror cells have made nuclear proliferation a greater threat, and leaders in Europe and Latin America have risen to power and popularity based on anti-American appeals.
Was it: A. President Bush, B. Condoleeza Rice, C. Rick Perry, or D. John McCain?
If you answered “A” you’re wrong. If you answered any letter other than “C” you are wrong.
Yep, those words escaped the lips of Texas Governor Rick Perry today during his inauguration.

The governor also addressed Sudan and AIDS in Africa and Asia. For that I applaud him for thinking globally. Not sure what the Governor of Texas can do other than raise awareness – but I’m all for anyone that wants to help the cause. Maybe he’ll surprise us with a very bold initiative in the coming months.
Vince continues:

Even though he’s evidently actively campaigning for a Veep spot (wouldn’t Texas bloggers love that?), he evidently didn’t get the memo that Republicans don’t talk about the genocide in Sudan.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Republican say that we ought to do something about genocide in Sudan. It’s interesting, because it shows that Perry is trying to (a) show people that, in spite of being an Aggie and former Agriculture Commissioner, he can think globally; and (b) he’s evidently advocating a—hold onto your chairs for this one—less isolationist foreign policy!
You can bet Perry just got a big “check plus plus” on Rudy G’s “Possible Veep Candidates” scorecard, and a big red “x” on Senator McCain’s “Monitoring Sheet Of Conservative Tendencies Of Potential Vice Presidential Nominees.”

It will be interesting to see what happens over the next several months. I heard on NPR today that Barak Obama plans to officially announce his campaign for POTUS in mid-February and it’s almost a given that Hillary will announce very soon as well.