THE LITTLE DOG REPORT

A True Fight for the Little Dogs!

2009-03-11T16:29:00.001-05:00

In response to the alarming number of unlicensed and unregulated large-scale commercial dog breeding facilities operating in Texas, I have introduced House Bill 3180 which will require these operations, commonly known as puppy mills, to meet minimum standards of care and housing for their animals.

I just want to ensure that there is a guaranteed minimum standard of care and a level of humaneness for all these animals.

Puppy mills are commercial dog breeding facilities that confine adult dogs in small, cramped cages and keep them in perpetual cycles of breeding. A female dog will often spend her entire life confined in a cage, producing puppies every heat cycle. When she can no longer reproduce, she is usually destroyed or abandoned.

Puppy mills are flooding the pet market with inbred, unhealthy puppies being sold to unsuspecting buyers in pet stores and through Internet ads. Many of these puppies die soon after being purchased or require the owner to spend thousands of dollars in veterinary care to try to save them.

Puppy mill operators often use misleading ads claiming to be small breeders providing humane conditions and proper care when, in fact, they are confining hundreds of dogs in cruel, filthy conditions without veterinary care and proper nutrition.

Now that we know the shockingly cruel conditions in which these animals are being kept and the tragedies that many pet buyers are enduring after unknowingly purchasing puppies that were bred in puppy mills, it’s time to take action to clean up this industry.

The Texas Humane Legislation Network and hundreds of animal welfare agencies, rescue groups and law enforcement officials throughout the state support this bill.

House Bill 1152 Press Conference

2009-03-09T12:04:00.001-05:00

The 81st Legislature will have another opportunity to hear the controversial issue of whether mentally retarded offenders should be executed in Texas. In 2001 state lawmakers passed legislation that would ban the execution of capital offenders with mental retardation. The bill was later vetoed by the Governor. Since that time, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Atkins v. Virginia, that executions of mentally retarded criminals were "cruel and unusual punishments", prohibited by the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Currently, Texas does not provide a provision that would set the foundation for determining the guidelines necessary to implement the federal law and the US Supreme Court's decision in Atkins.

Because of this, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to file House Bill 1152. This bill would allow the defendant in a capital case, before the trial begins, to request a hearing to determine whether or not the defendant was a person with mental retardation at the time of the offense. In addition, House Bill 1152 prohibits the court from sentencing a person with mental retardation to death. Senate Bill 167, is an identical bill filed by Senator Ellis.

Prior to the Atkins decision, Congress adopted legislation to ban the execution of individuals with mental retardation and eighteen states passed laws in compliance with federal law. Since the 2002 judgment, eight states have changed their statutes to comply with the Supreme Court's decision. Texas leads in the number of executions. However, regardless of your position on the death penalty, I would like to think that Texans from all backgrounds would discourage a potential record where we lead in the number of executions of individuals who are mentally retarded.

On March 10, 2009 I will be holding a press conference in the Speaker's Committee Room (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM). Experts from various backgrounds will provide information on the importance of passing HB 1152 and will be available to answer questions.

Bills to look out for

2009-03-08T20:13:00.002-05:00

Bill filing deadline is quickly approaching. (March 13, 2009 at 6:00 pm) This coming Friday will be the last day for all legislators to file bills for this session. Currently, I have filed a total of 49 pieces of legislation, and anticipate filing several more before the deadline. I invite you all to visit the Texas Legislature Online website to keep track of issues that are important to you.

Below you will find a handful of the legislation that I have filed this session which I think are important for all my constituents to keep track of:

House Bill 639- Human Trafficking
House Bill 788- Innocence Commission
House Bill 1152- The applicability of the death penalty to persons with mental retardation.
House Bill 1378- Electricity expenses relating to weather related events or natural disasters.
House Bill 1489- Nurse-to-patient ratios
House Bill 1572- Improper Debt Collection
House Bill 1574- Creation of a statewide autism spectrum disorders resource center.
House Bills 1760 & 2595- Foreclosures

Please check back often for updates.

Welcome Back!

2009-03-06T14:59:00.002-06:00

I would first like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I trust that everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday season. 2009 is officially here and in full swing with our 81st Texas Legislative Session well underway. This session has been very eventful so far and I am hopeful that it will continue in this exciting positive manner.

The Texas House of Representatives has a new Speaker, Representative Joe Straus R- San Antonio. To be honest, when I first heard that Representative Straus had been chosen by a group of his peers to run for the Speaker of the Texas House, I was surprised and even a little shocked. Yet, as I reflected on this decision, the more this choice seemed like the correct choice. I am excited about working with our new speaker and I know that together we will make this state, even greater.

In addition, I have been appointed as the new Chair of Local and Consent Calendars Committee. (Click for news article.) The Local and Consent Calendars Committee is a procedural committee that is responsible for bills and resolutions that affect only local issues and are uncontested. Working on this important procedural committee is a challenge that I welcome and look forward to tackling.

Please continue to check back for updates on the 81st Legislative Session.

Summer 2008

2008-04-15T15:19:00.001-05:00

Bush Vetoes SCHIP

2007-10-04T13:50:00.000-05:00

Community Day and Tax Free Weekend

2007-08-13T16:32:00.000-05:00

Please come out and join myself as well as your fellow community members for this exciting event! Don't forget that this coming weekend is also Tax-Free weekend.

Summer Update Newsletter

2007-07-19T15:54:00.000-05:00

Salvage Work

2007-05-23T11:59:00.000-05:00

It is the time in session when members are working together to save legislation that was placed late on the calendar by amending bills those that are still eligible. Last night we were able to salvage two of Sen. Ellis's bills dealing with compensation of wrongfully imprisoned persons, by amending them to S.B. 1719. Appropriations Chairman Chisum accepted the amendments and for that I think he deserves some credit. One removed the added obstacle of requiring a letter from the District Attorney that states a wrongfully convicted claimant is innocent before he can receive the compensation to which he is entitled. Many D.A.s have been reluctant to sign such certification due to various political pressures and the potential for increased exposure to litigation. This requirement has made it hard for many of these persons to get the money they are owed so they can get on with their lives.

The second amendment would increase the compensation for the wrongfully convicted from $25k/year to $50k/year, and removes the current cap of $500k. This would bring Texas compensation statute up to par with Federal Justice For All Act of 2004.

When an Innocent person is sent to prison, they are robbed not only of their freedom; they are robbed of their future. These individuals are forced to endure a living nightmare; years of their lives are stolen, opportunities are lost, and dreams are crushed.

Unfortunately, the nightmare doesn't always end after they are exonerated and released from prison. The victims of wrongful incarceration face numerous obstacles in the effort to put their lives back together. Ironically, the wrongfully convicted actually have access to fewer resources for readjusting to society than guilty prisoners when they are released--no access to job placement services, readjustment services, etc. They have resume' gaps from spending years in prison, and are released with little more than an overcoat and bus money.

As a result, a recent study of how exonorees faired upon release from prison found that a third were unemployed, 43% were earning less money than before they entered prison, 44% lacked adequate housing, and 54% did not have health insurance.
Texas has a responsibility to restore these innocents’ lives to the best of our ability. We can't give them back the years they were forced to suffer behind bars, but the least we can do is give them the support they need to rebuild the life we helped to destroy.

Good Help for Health Benefits

2007-05-23T11:32:00.000-05:00

Hemophilia has been a health issue that I have had particular interest in this session. Hemophilia is a chronic bleeding disorder that currently has no cure. But, with all the medical advancements that we have made, hemophiliac have been able to live long and health lives. These medicines though, come at a very high price. The cost annually can be anywhere from $150.000 to $450.000.

The number of Texans affected by hemophilia is a very small percentage of the population. I authored House Bill 1600 that was a study on the lifetime benefits for hemophilia-related services, supplies, pharmaceuticals, and biologics. Representative Coleman authored House Bill 1437 which actually increased the lifetime benefits for all acute or chronic diseases. Unable to bring either of our bills to the floor for debate I felt that this issue was important, and affected so few people in our state, there was a strong need to search for a possible vehicle to amend either HB 1600 or HB 1437 to.

I worked with Coleman as well as Representative Smithee to a amend Senate Bill 23. With some reasoning I as able to persuade Representative Smithee to agree to the language of Representative Coleman's bill as an amendment. I explained that there were so few people in our state affected by these acute and chronic diseases like hemophilia and how great the cost of caring for these illnesses can strain, not only the person affected, but the family.

I was also able to work with Representative Olivera in amending the language of HB 1438 to SB 23. This amendment would provide health benefit plan coverage for men between the ages of 45 and 75 and women between 55 and 75 who are diabetic or are at intermediate or higher risk of a heart attack according to their Framingham Risk Score. The coverage provides for either computed tomography (CT) scanning or ultrasonography and covers up to $200 per test. This amendment is a way to help people detect early on if they are at high risk for cardiovascular diseases.

I am pleased that we were able to work together and successfully amend SB 23 to help out those who are afflicted with these diseases and their families.

Innocence

2007-05-22T16:14:00.000-05:00

One of my main concerns this session has been working towards establishing a Texas Innocence Commission. I feel this is an important issue because Texas leads the nation in persons exonerated after being wrongfully convicted. I worked very closely with Senator Ellis to develop legislation that would establish a commission that would be in charge of investigating the errors in our criminal justice system that may have resulted in wrongful convictions. I carried the companion to Senate Bill 263, House bill 3996, which never received a hearing from Criminal Jurisprudence despite being referred and requested very early on in this session.

The Senate companion was heard and voted out of committee unanimously and then passed by the Senate by a 21-10 majority vote. I requested sponsorship and a hearing for SB 263 at the end of April and did not receive a hearing until the 15th of May where it was then left pending in committee until the 18th. After speaking with my colleagues I was assured that I had 6 affirmative votes. During the Friday meeting, the number of members present to pass this legislation out of committee was present at varying times, yet the bill was never brought up. Instead it was left to the end of the meeting when some members had already left. SB 263 is an excellent piece of legislation that might not received the chance for debate that it deserves.

Somewhere along the lines I feel that some of the members of the Criminal Jurisprudence committee have lost sight of the importance of this issue. Despite its current status I have not lost faith or hope in the movement of this legislation just yet.

Summer Programs

2007-05-14T15:47:00.000-05:00

Here is a suggestion for some summer fun. The deadlines are quickly approaching, so I suggest you look into these programs as soon as possible. I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day and be on the look out for more end of session updates.

Dear High Achieving High School Student,

You have been identified as a high achieving high school student with the potential to participate in college Honors courses and compete for national and university based academic scholarships. It is for this reason that we are inviting you to attend our annual Summer Honors Invitational Program (SHIP). The program is free of charge and if you are not able to obtain transportation to campus we will provide it for you. Please download and print the invitation brochure found at:
https://financialaid.tamu.edu/asi/forms/SHIP_App.pdf. Fill it out and mail or fax it to our office.

This FREE program is designed for students like yourself who will be high school Seniors next year (2007-2008 school year) to encourage and prepare you to attend college. We are partnering with different organizations and individuals from Texas A&M and your community to provide this program.
Participants will learn about: majors and careers, time management, personality profiles, good study habits, applying for college, applying for financial aid, and much more. While in College Station the seniors will tour Texas A&M University and visit with various colleges and departments.

We also have other summer enrichment camp opportunities available for high achieving students 7th - 12th grade. We ask that you spread the word and inform students in your communities, schools and family about these opportunities. Please visit the following websites for more information:
https://financialaid.tamu.edu/asi/ ASI (Aggie Summer Institute - 7th-12th graders)
https://financialaid.tamu.edu/summercamp SEI (Summer Enrichment Initiative - 10th-12th graders)

If you have any questions, please contact me at (979) 862-3926 or mallenromero@tamu.edu for more information about ASI or Narietha Carter at (979) 845-1336 or nariethac@tamu.edu for more information about SEI or SHIP. We look forward to providing the students in your community an opportunity to learn about applying for college, financial aid and much more.

Regards,
Margaret Allen-Romero
Narietha Carter
Manager of Special Projects
Community Relations Coordinator

House Bill 1988

2007-05-02T15:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the House passed House Bill 1988 by Representative Mando Martinez to protect victims of sexual assault from their attackers. This bill would allow a protective order for victims of sexual assault to be effective for the duration of the lives of the offender and victim, or for a shorter amount of time if specified. The bill also allow for a parent or guardian to act on behalf of a person who is 17 or younger when applying or rescinding an order for protection. I feel that this is an important bill to protect all the victims of sexual assault, but felt it necessary to add a provision to specifically guard our children against further harm. Children who are sexual assaulted have trouble enough trying to live a normal life without worry of running into the person who sexual assaulted them. Current law requires that victims of sexual assault to prove that a threat of further harm exists to receive a protective order against their assaulter. Allowing minor victims of sexual assault to be granted protective orders without proving an ongoing threat would remove a burden from children who are sexually assaulted as well as their families. My amendment to House Bill 1988 authorizes the issuance of a protective order to victims of sexual assault who are younger than 18 years of age without proving that a threat of further harm exists.

UT host the African American Legislative Summit 2007

2007-05-01T14:57:00.000-05:00

This year the University of Texas at Austin and the Heman Sweatt Symposium on Civil Rights hosted the annual African American Legislative Summit. They invited many African American Legislators, both state and congressional, as well as many knowledgeable speakers to attend and participate in the summit. The whole event was a true success. I was very pleased to see so many of my constituents as well as many others make the trip to Austin. It means so much to us legislators to see our constituents show their support by participating.

Panel discussion were held on a wide variety of subjects from health and education to electricity and leadership. One of the highlight events of the summit was the discussion on TSU and Prairie View A&M. The dialogue that took place between the audience and us legislators was very productive. We were especially focused on the issue of a conservatorship over TSU. The ideas, concerns, and suggestion made during the panel discussion will not go unheard.

Thank you to UT, everyone who came to be a part of this wonderful event, and to all my fellow colleagues who took the time out of their busy schedules to show our constituent that we really do care.

Disenfranchisement in 2007

2007-04-24T19:27:00.001-05:00

House Bill 218 by Representative Betty Brown is nothing other than disenfranchisement in the year 2007. This bill would decrease the number of voter participation in the state of Texas. Voter participation and voter turnout have long been a predicament across this nation and this bill just perpetuates the problem. House Bill 218 would require voters to provide - in addition to their valid voter registration card - a photo identification card or some other form of ID as outlined in this bill, at the polls. This process would most directly affect the elderly and minority population in Texas. In 2006, the non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice found that 25% of African-Americans, 18% of seniors 65 years and older, and 15% of voters earning less than $35,000 a year DO NOT have a government issues photo ID. For many of these people, obtaining a government issued photo ID takes time, money, and mobility that they simply do not have. We have worked hard to get our communities and constituents more interested, involved and voting. Why are we now, so quick to make things all the more difficult?

Next week the House will hear House Bill 626 by Representative Phil King. This bill will further move to deny the people of our great state of their right to vote. I will again stand in opposition to any bill that seeks to deny people a voice and a way to contribute to the democratic process.

Update

2007-04-19T19:58:00.001-05:00

I also wanted to update you all on the movement of my legislation concerning human trafficking. This week we were able to hear House bills 3370, 3371, 3372, and 3374 in the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence. Two of these bills have already been voted out of committee and we are anticipating that the last of these bills be voted out favorably within the coming week. The proposed legislation approaches the problem from a broad perspective. It will give law enforcement the tools to find and prosecute people who traffic others in what is a modern day slave trade. It will help the victims of human trafficking and make sure that they get the help they need and are not mistakenly treated as criminals. They will also implement steps to prevent further occurrences of human trafficking. We can not afford to go on without addressing this problem fully. I am still waiting on one bill, House Bill 3377, to be set for public hearing in the Committee on Civil Practices. I again anticipate that this bill be heard and reported favorable within the next week.

TSU

2007-04-19T19:55:00.000-05:00

On Friday, April 13, 2007 Governor Perry recommended that Texas Southern University be placed under a conservatorship. Despite the many problems that currently surround TSU, this recommendations is not a step in the right direction. I immediately issued a letter to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Speaker of the House concerning the further damage a conservatorship might inflict on TSU. The following day I sent an urgent letter to the Governor, requesting that he set up a meeting immediately regarding his recommendation for TSU. I have participated in several meetings since that date and am pleased to say that we are working together towards a better solution.

The Good Gals and Guys Win One for a Change!

2007-04-13T11:35:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was small win for the little dogs. House Bill 855, by Representative Diane White Delisi, would allow prosecution for failing to identify oneself. This bill was quite simply a tool to provide the police of this state a means of harassment. I am not saying that we want to live in a state where there are no laws to protect us, and I am certainly not saying that we should deprive our police force of the tools they need to do their job. But, I am saying that it is imperative we provide our police force with the necessary and correct tools so that they may keep law and order.

There is NO DOUBT in my mind that the experiences that Representative Delisi's constituents have are contrary to the experiences of my constituents. My constituents are going to be harassed. Why? Because of their socio-economic status, the communities with which they live, and most obviously their ethnicity. I have seen all of this within my lifetime and want very much to make sure that my children, and my children's children, don't have to see what I have seen.

Representative Delisi never provided the members of the House with any statistics to validate her reason for bringing forth this particular piece of legislation. This bill took the Terry stop beyond what it was designed to do and is evidently unnecessary. We have a hard enough time trying to find enough policemen and policewomen in this state to take care of the SERIOUS crimes like domestic abuse, sexual assault, rape, robbery, and murder. Why are we wasting their time and our time with this?

It is evident by the final vote turnaround that many of the members of the House realized this very point. 23 YEAS - 116 NAYS

Thank you to all the members who stood up and helped educate some of the other members on the difference between our districts and theirs.

HB 3373

2007-04-11T21:13:00.000-05:00

Human trafficking is a grievous and widespread problem in our nation and state. The first of my six bills, House Bill 3373, concerning this heinous issue was heard yesterday in the Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures. H.B. 3373 simply requires certain establishments with alcoholic beverage permits to post notices regarding the offense of human trafficking. These notices include a phone number to the national human trafficking hotline. This is just one step in the right direction. For the victims of and witnesses to human trafficking these signs serve as informative opportunities that will provide for a better way to help our law enforcement officials find and prosecute traffickers.

The bill was well received by the committee and voted out of the Committee on Licensing and Administration unanimously and sent to the Local and Consent Calendar. I anticipate that it will pass out of the House with ease. I am pushing for a hearing on my remaining Human trafficking bills, which have been sent to the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence.

CHIPping away for the Little Dog...

2007-04-05T18:01:00.000-05:00

In 1999 the state created the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In 2003 severe restrictions on eligibility for CHIP were passed, making it harder for our children to qualify for care. The state cut back on the funding for this program, leaving our children with sub-standard care and sticking local taxpayers with a large indigent healthcare bill. The number of children in need of care has continued to rise. This Session House Bill 109, authored by Representative Sylvester Turner, aimed to change some of the problems that currently exist with CHIP. Although it is taking a step in the right direction, it still does not do enough for the children of our great state. House Bill 109, if it passes through the Senate, would extend the period of eligibility from six to twelve months. It also eliminates the 90-day waiting period for children wishing to enter into this program and relaxes the asset test rules. In 2003, before major changes to the program, CHIP enrollment was approximately 527,000. Currently the number of enrollees is about 325,000. As the number of uninsured children grows in this state, so will the amount of local taxes that we have to pay to take care of them.

Everybody have a safe and Happy Easter!

Human Trafficking Legislation

2007-04-02T17:03:00.000-05:00

The State of Texas has among the most incidents of human trafficking in the United States. Estimates of trafficking victims in the US range between 15,000 and 50,000 every year and it is known by experts that Texas accounts for many of these victims. Sadly, many of these trafficking victims are women and girls who are often brutally forced into prostitution. Countless others are also forced into manual labor, often through threats and violence.

Human trafficking is a widespread and horrible problem. The public must become aware of the grievous human rights violations that happen in our state. Law enforcement needs the proper tools to find and prosecute human traffickers. Victims of human trafficking need to be rescued and afforded the proper care that they so desperately need.

I find this issue to be of great importance and have proposed legislation that will address the problem in many ways. I have filed House Bills 3370, 3371, 3372, 3373, 3374, and 3377 which will implement a broad approach to the problem. These bills propose laws that will help law enforcement combat human trafficking and will also help in finding and helping trafficking victims. I know that with responsible policy and the right amount of focus, human trafficking can be effectively fought in Texas.

Jessica's Law: Protecting Children?

2007-03-08T13:46:00.000-06:00

The Texas House recently approved H.B. 8 or "Jessica’s Law," which would make the death penalty a possible punishment for repeat sexual predators who commit offenses against children under 14. The proposed legislation, H.B. 8, passed through the House with a strong majority despite glaring flaws in its approach to a very serious problem.
I voted against H.B. 8 because of its reckless and likely unconstitutional expansion of the death penalty. Given recent Supreme Court decisions that have limited the use of the death penalty, this law would not likely past the test of constitutionality. Moreover, recent studies have opened all of our eyes to the grave consequences of our imperfect usage of the death penalty. Given the amount of people who have been exonerated after being placed on death row and the amount of people who have actually been put to death in Texas, I have little doubt that innocent people have died at the hands of our state.
Also at the heart of the matter is the fact that H.B. 8 will not likely deter child predators from threatening the wellbeing of our children. In some cases, the law may create an incentive for sex offenders to murder their victims instead of letting them go. This is because H.B. 8 allows for the death penalty to be used against sex offenders who do not kill their victim. Since the victim is often the only witness to the crime, a sex offender could plausibly better his chances of not getting caught by killing his victim. This horrible scenario is created by this bad piece of legislation.
Another problem with punishing sex offenders with death is the likelihood that the knowledge of such a penalty would deter victims of child sex crimes from stepping forward and reporting their abusers. It is disturbing but true that a great percentage of child sexual abuse happens inside the family. Knowing that reporting a family member could lead to that relative's execution creates reason for victims to keep their abuse hidden from law enforcement.
We can keep our children safe from child predators. But, while effective punishments for sex offenders is part of the solution, H.B. 8 fails to approach the problem in a manner that would best protect our children and serve justice in Texas.

Welcome Back...it's the 80th Legislative Session

2007-02-27T16:57:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone, I would like to welcome you all back to the Little Dog Report. I am glad to be back online this session and I promise plenty of reporting in the coming months. I will be making weekly posts regarding the many important happenings during the Texas Legislature's 80th Regular Session. I am fighting hard this session to improve the lives of all Texans; from our youngest children to our wisest generation. I'd like to thank you all for your interest and remind you to please come back soon for updates.

Top 10 % Rule under attack!

2007-02-27T13:11:00.000-06:00

The "Top 10% Rule" has been in effect for the past 10 years. It allows students from Texas high schools who graduate in the T0p 10 % of their graduating class automatic admission to public universities in Texas. This rule has enabled minority students, students from rural and smaller school districts across the state to attend the University of Texas and Texas A&M in greater numbers than in previous years.

But this legislative session, the Top 10 % Rule has come under attack. HB 212 by Beverly Woolley would eliminate the "Top 10% Rule." It also does not provide any alternative for students who may benefit from this rule. So, minority students and students from smaller and rural school districts would be left out in the cold. In addition to Rep. Woolley's bill there are several other bills that limit or cap the number of students admitted to public universities under the Top 10% Rule.

Heart Beats

2006-05-09T17:16:00.000-05:00

May is Stroke and Heart Awareness month. Today, in conjunction with the American Stroke and Heart Association, I hosted a breakfast for the members of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and the Texas Senate Black Caucus. I wanted to provide a forum for my fellow colleagues to learn about the risk that African-Americans are at concerning Stroke and Heart Disease. African-Americans are twice as likely to be at risk for a stroke than other groups of Americans. If you would like to learn more about the "Power to End Stroke" campaign. Please call 888-4-STROKE or go to www.strokeassociation.org.

The First Post Of the Little Dog Report

2006-05-03T16:47:00.000-05:00

I have been following Rep. Pena's "A Capitol Blog" and am convinced that this new medium is a good way to communicate with the citizens of Texas. I have convinced him to show me the basics of blogging so that I can begin a communication with you the people of Texas. Please bear with me, as I learn the process of "blogging." In time, we will be up and running with the Big Dogs.