Nicole Collier

This bill establishes the Texas Technology and Innovation Program to provide matching or supplemental funds to businesses that already receive federal funds through the federal small business innovation research and small business technology transfer programs. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as the free market - not central planning by government bureaucrats - is best equipped to drive economic growth. The state must pursue every available avenue to reign in its out-of-control spending, which, when coupled with the over $185 trillion federal liabilities, represents the greatest existential threat facing this country.

Worsening Cronyism by Forcing Taxpayers to Provide Additional Subsidies to Companies Already Receiving Federal Grants through the Texas Technology and Innovation Trust Fund.

This bill prohibits any state agency from assisting in the enforcement of any federal law or regulation on oil and gas operations unless such action is aligned with state regulation. Support is the Limited Government Position as this bill helps protect the oil and gas industry from overreaching and politicized new mandates being proposed by the Biden Administration. Such draconian regulations result in much higher consumer costs and choke economic growth.

Protecting the Oil and Gas Industry from Overreaching Federal Climate Change and Environmental Regulations.

This bill allows individuals who are not alcohol permit or license holders to sell wine to restaurants, provided the wine is at least 20 years old and still sealed. The restaurant may then sell the wine for on-premises consumption. Support is the Limited Government Position as this bill expands consumer choice and individual liberties while also removing an unnecessary restriction on alcohol sales.

Expanding Individual Liberties by Allowing Individuals to Sell Sealed 20+ Year Old Wine to Restaurants.

The Raney amendment #2 to the education omnibus bill. This amendment removes the school choice provision from the bill which provides voucher-like educational savings accounts (ESAs). Each qualifying student would receive an ESA with $10,500 towards private or parochial school tuition. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this amendment worsens educational outcomes for all students by blocking competition and a market in education, which encourages schools to provide the best education so they can attract parents to enroll their child and receive the associated funding.

Blocking School Choice by Removing the Provision Creating Educational Savings Accounts from the Education Bill.

This bill allows courts to remove district attorneys for misconduct if they refuse to prosecute certain types of crime. The bill is largely in response to cases of "reform-minded" prosecutors that have refused to prosecute crime or uphold the state's abortion laws. Support is the Limited Government Position as ensuring public safety and protecting property rights serve as essential components of government. Unfortunately, this bill is necessary to combat many of the so-called criminal justice "reforms" which have led to skyrocketing crime rates and are being advanced in state legislatures by George Soros and other radical-left billionaires through their funding of advocacy organizations on both sides of the political aisle.

Strengthening Public Safety by Allowing Courts to Remove Rogue DAs which Refuse to Prosecute Crime.

This bill creates the Texas Energy Efficiency Council within the Public Utilities Commission to, among other purposes, "provide a statewide collaborative approach to promoting energy efficiency" and "make recommendations for improving energy efficiency programs." Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this further expands the size and scope of government in order to promote a politized environmental agenda. The bill also has the potential to advance future mandates on property owners, like those passed under SB 2453 this session.

Expanding Government and Paving the Way for Additional Energy Efficiency Mandates through the Creation of a Texas Energy Efficiency Council.

This bill requires anyone who provides sewage disposal system pumping services in the state to become licensed and empowers the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to determine the qualifications. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as the state already has certain licensing and regulatory protections in place surrounding septic tanks and this measure represents an excessive employment barrier. Ultimately, the private sector, via certifications, rating systems, and the free market, is much better equipped to provide consumer protection while also ensuring competition and low consumer costs.

Increasing Employment Barriers and Reducing Competition by Forcing Sewage Disposal Pump Technicians to Obtain a License.

This motion tables (defeats) the Tinderholt amendment #1 to a property tax relief bill. The Tinderholt amendment would provide $20 billion in property tax relief through a reduction applied equally across all school districts. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this this motion denies Texans a significant broadly applied property tax cut which would make housing more affordable and help spur economic growth.

Denying Texans Significant Property Tax Relief by Blocking a $20 Billion Tax Cut.

This bill creates the "Prekindergarten Community-Based Child-Care Partnership Grant Program" to provide grants to school districts for pre-K and childcare services delivered through community providers. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this measure further grows government dependency. Instead of forcing taxpayers to pay for the childcare costs of other individuals, lawmakers should advance de-regulatory policies across the childcare industry to lower costs and expand competition. This free-market approach is the best way to make childcare more affordable.

Growing Government Dependency and Wealth Redistribution through the Creation of a New "Free" Pre-K and Childcare Program Delivered through Community Providers.

This bill establishes a series of new regulations which prohibit all insurance companies operating in the state from establishing their own policies concerning Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). The new mandate and price control apply to both the coverage decisions of insurers as well as their rate setting practices. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this government intrusion into the marketplace infringes the right of private insurance companies to set their own policies and coverage decisions. Instead of weaponizing government, lawmakers should instead work to reduce regulations and expand competition so the free marketplace can better reward and punish insurers based on the policies they enact.

Imposing Overreaching New Regulations on the Insurance Industry by Banning Private Companies from Setting their own Policies Surrounding ESG.

This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to hire an additional government employee to establish the Texas food system security and resiliency planning council. The bill also requires the establishment of a state food system security plan for purposes such as to "provide for the orderly development and management of food system security" and recommend legislation "needed or desirable to facilitate the resilience and availability of food." Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill further grows government bureaucracy and spending and will likely lead to additional government intervention in future years. The federal government already spends billions on stockpiling food and planning for natural disasters. Additionally, the free market and private sector is far more effective in solving all other non-emergency related supply-chain issues as opposed to central planning by government bureaucrats.

Growing Government Bureaucracy by Establishing the Texas Food System Security and Resiliency Planning Council.

This bill authorizes El Paso County to issue bonds (debt) to be repaid by higher sales or property taxes in order to finance the construction of recreational facilities, if approved by voters. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as constructing "recreational facilities" is not a core role nor duty for any level of government. The private sector is much better equipped to determine the need and level of investment required for initiatives surrounding recreation.

Authorizing El Paso County to Indebt Taxpayers to Construct Recreational Facilities.

This bill makes it easier for movie production companies to receive a grant under the moving image industry incentive program by reducing the percentage of production crew, actors, and extras who must be Texas residents from 70% to 55%. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as it is not the proper role of government to subsidize the film production costs of private companies - especially considering this measure enriches woke Hollywood production companies that are antagonistic to limited government principles. Lawmakers should eliminate this grant program entirely, much less expand the ability of movie production companies to receive taxpayer funds.

Worsening Cronyism by Making it Even Easier for Woke Hollywood Production Companies to become Enriched through Taxpayer Subsidies.

This bill provides additional state subsidies ($25 million) to builders and purchasers of housing under the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. The LIHTC program subsidizes the acquisition, new construction, and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing for low- and moderate-income tenants. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as all state and local tax codes should be constructed in a broadly applied manner with as low of rates as possible for everyone. This and other central planning and tax cronyism schemes merely dilute the tax base which results in higher taxes on all other individuals and businesses to make up for the lost revenue. Instead, lawmakers should make housing truly "affordable" by working to eliminate excessive building and zoning mandates as well as work to cut property taxes by reducing spending.

Expanding Cronyism and Diluting the Tax Base Through Additional Subsidies under the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program.

This bill authorizes Angelina County to impose a new hotel tax, with the revenue to be used to promote tourism, conventions, and hotels. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as all state and local tax codes should be constructed in a broadly applied manner with as low of rates as possible for everyone. Additionally, it is not the proper role of government to fund tourism promotion and taxpayer funds should not be utilized to advance government-favored industries.

Increasing Taxation and the Growth of Government by Allowing Angelina County to Impose New Taxes on Hotels for Wasteful Tourism Promotion Initiatives.

This bill exempts multiple products from the state's sales and use tax, including diapers, feminine hygiene products, maternity clothing, breast milk pumping products, and baby bottles. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as all state and local tax codes should be constructed in a broadly applied manner with as low of rates as possible for everyone. While well intentioned, this measure ultimately dilutes the tax base and shifts tax burdens onto other products and individuals not favored by government. Instead of merely engaging in tax cronyism, lawmakers should work to make all products more affordable for consumers by significantly cutting government spending.

Diluting the Tax Base and Shifting Tax Burdens onto other Products and Individuals through Special Sales Tax Exemptions for Tampons, Menstrual Products and Baby Items.

This bill, the Property Tax Relief Act, contains a couple key provisions designed to limit increases in property taxes. Most notably, the bill lowers the appraisal cap from 10% to 5% and would expand the cap to also include business property owners, such as restaurants and apartment complexes, rather than just residential. Support is the Limited Government Position as this bill helps protect homeowners and businesses from even greater levels of taxation. While this bill serves as a step in the right direction, lawmakers should advance additional reforms to provide broad-based property tax relief, which will help spur economic growth.

Protecting Homeowners and Businesses from Spiking Property Taxes by Limiting Annual Property Assessment Increases.

This resolution amends the state constitution to prohibit the legislature from imposing any tax based on the wealth or net worth of an individual or family. Support is the Limited Government Position as a "wealth tax" represents one of the most destructive forms of taxation which discourages investment and would result in most high-net-worth individuals fleeing the state - devastating economic growth.

Protecting Economic Growth through a Constitutional Amendment Prohibiting Implementation of any "Wealth Tax".

This bill allows localities to implement a property tax credit equal to at least 50% of the value of property used for childcare services. Only facilities in which at least 20% of the children receive subsidized childcare services are eligible. Additionally, if the property owner leases the property to a childcare facility, the rent charged must be reduced to reflect the tax credit received. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill further dilutes the tax bases resulting in higher property tax burdens on other property owners to make up for the lost revenue. Instead of attempting to socialize childcare costs, lawmakers should instead empower the free market to make childcare more affordable and accessible by reducing regulations and other anti-competitive measures.

Hiking Property Taxes through a New Tax Exemption Scheme which Socializes Childcare Facility Costs.

This bill extends the duration of postpartum coverage provided under Medicaid (government-provided healthcare) from 60 days to 1 year, which is estimated to cost an additional $381 million over the next five years. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill further grows government dependency under the state's Medicaid welfare program. The state must pursue every available avenue to reign in its out-of-control spending, which, when coupled with the over $185 trillion federal liabilities, represents the greatest existential threat facing this country.

Increasing Government Dependency and Ballooning Medicaid Welfare Spending by an Additional $381 Million by Hiking Postpartum Benefits from 60 Days to 12 Months.

This bill allows public higher education institutions (state colleges and universities) to adopt policies which allow for the termination of tenured faculty for reasons such as "professional incompetence" or "conduct involving moral turpitude". Support is the Limited Government Position as all individuals holding positions funded by taxpayers should be held accountable and perform their duties to the standards set by the state. This bill serves as a step in the right direction at restoring some accountability at the state's institutions of higher education, which have largely turned into stages promoting radical social and political agendas.

Ensuring Colleges and Universities can Remove Poor-Performing Professors by Restricting the Use of Tenure.

This bill, the Texas Sports and Entertainment Recovery Act, legalizes online sports betting. Under the bill, Texas would join neighboring states Arkansas and Louisiana which have legalized sports gambling. The bill imposes a 15% tax on adjusted gross wagering revenue, with some of the revenue utilized for addiction treatment and all remaining funds dedicated to property tax relief. Support is the Limited Government Position as individuals - not bureaucrats - should have decision rights over how to utilize the fruits of their labor - even when it comes to risky endeavors such as betting. Not only does this measure provide desperately needed property tax relief which will make housing more affordable, but it also helps eliminate the financial fraud and other significant societal harms that the current black market in gambling presents to Texans.

Strengthening Individual Liberties and Lowering Property Taxes by Legalizing Online Sports Betting.

This bill generally raises the bar to prosecute organized retail theft by now requiring a person to steal at least $100 of merchandise and be found to have "intent for the redistribution of that merchandise into the supply chain" to be guilty. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as ensuring public safety and protecting property rights serve as essential components of government. Unfortunately, this bill represents one of many so-called criminal justice "reforms" which have led to skyrocketing crime rates and are being advanced in state legislatures by George Soros and other radical-left billionaires through their funding of advocacy organizations on both sides of the political aisle.

Fueling Lawlessness and Business Closures by Making it Harder to Prosecute and Punish Cases of Organized Retail Theft.

This bill allows counties and municipalities which have established a "reinvestment zone" (i.e. tax increment financing) the ability to also utilize the funds to subsidize "legacy homeowners". As a result, individuals who have owned their property for at least 7 years and experienced a significant increase in their property taxes (due to a rise in their home value) would be eligible to have a portion of their property taxes subsidized. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as government central planning schemes such as tax increment financing should not be deployed in the first place. This measure merely worsens the cronyism by further distorting the tax code and providing advantages to select homeowners. Government should instead ensure property taxation is conducted in a broadly applied manner without carveouts and as low of rates as possible for all property owners.

Worsening Tax Cronyism by Providing Subsidies for Certain "Legacy Homeowners" in Government-Created Reinvestment Zones.

This bill allows professional sports team charitable foundations to sell raffle tickets at their home venue or rodeo venue through a website or mobile application, provided the person is physically located at the venue. The bill also requires the use of a third-party vendor to ensure nobody under 18 purchases tickets. Support is the Limited Government Position as this measure strengthens individual liberties and helps expand charitable giving. While the bill should expand the raffle ticket offerings to individuals beyond just the physical location, the bill still serves as a strong step in the right direction.

Strengthening Individual Liberties and Charitable Giving by Authorizing Professional Sports Team Charitable Foundations to Offer Raffle Tickets Online.

This bill updates the Residential Construction Liability Act to provide additional liability protections for contractors. Under the bill, contractors are not liable for residential construction defects unless actual physical damage occurs, part of a building is unable to be used for its intended purpose, or there is a verifiable danger to the residents. Contractors are also not liable for damages that result from a failure to provide timely notice of a defect. The bill also amends various provisions related to lawsuits arising from construction defects, such as allowing contractors additional time to make a settlement offer. Support is the Limited Government Position as this measure helps maintain housing affordability by reducing frivolous construction related litigation which drives up costs for developers and consumers.

Reducing Frivolous Litigation by Updating the Residential Construction Liability Act to Limit Liability and Provide Clarifications.

This resolution would amend the state Constitution to enshrine the right to utilize multiple currencies, if the involved parties agree, in private transactions. This includes cash, coin, silver and gold bullion, digital currency, and privately issued scrip. The resolution prohibits the state and local governments from prohibiting or restricting holding such currencies. Support is the Limited Government Position as this bill helps ensure these currencies can serve as alternative competitive currencies to the dollar. This is especially critical considering the reckless policies of the Federal Reserve, such as quantitative easing.

Ensuring the Free Competition of Currency and U.S. Monetary System Protection by Enshrining Right to Utilize Multiple Currencies.

This bill requires public information that is stored in a searchable or sortable electronic spreadsheet or database to be made available upon public request and provided in a format which is easily searchable or sortable. Additionally, public requests for this information may not be denied on the basis that the request would require searching, sorting, or filtering electronic information. Finally, the bill requires government contracts for electronic public information to use reasonable efforts to ensure that public access to the information is not restricted or more difficult to access than other government records. Support is the Limited Government Position as this bill strengthens transparency and makes it easier for individuals, the press and government watchdog organizations to hold officials accountable and report on government operations.

Strengthening Government Transparency and Accountability by Requiring Government Data Be Provided in an Easily Searchable Database to the Public.

This bill primarily targets a business model within the optometry industry which has been deployed by Visionworks of America, which is owned by an insurance company called Vision Services Plan (VSP) Insurance Co. The bill prevents VSP from incentivizing its enrollees to utilize the optometry company it owns (Visionworks) through the offering of discounts or other value-added benefits. Other optometry companies have alleged that since VSP owns its own optometry company and can "steer patients" it is provided an unfair competitive advantage in the industry. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this measure represents one of the worst examples of cronyism and utilization of government power to stifle competition. This protectionism merely enriches select businesses and prevents the free market from expanding competition and lowering costs for consumers.

Expanding Government Power to Shutdown Competition within the Optometry Industry.

This bill, the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation Act, provides select businesses which meet certain investment thresholds and job requirements with property tax exemptions. Under the bill, businesses will receive tax exemptions ranging between 50% and 75% for a period of 10 years, and a 100% tax exemption during the construction phase. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as all state and local tax codes should be constructed in a broadly applied manner with as low of rates as possible for everyone. This and other tax cronyism schemes merely dilute the tax base which results in higher taxes on all other individuals and products to make up for the lost revenue. The free market (by lowering taxes for all businesses) can provide much greater returns on investment than this central planning by politicians.

Expanding Cronyism and Enriching Government-Favored Corporations through a New Property Tax Exemption Scheme.

This bill reduces regulatory barriers to now allow health insurance companies to incentivize their enrollees to utilize select healthcare providers based on quality and cost. This includes offering enrollees lower deductibles, co-payments or coinsurance. Support is the Limited Government Position this bill reduces regulatory burdens to drive greater market forces within the healthcare industry. The state's current draconian regulations within the healthcare industry prevent insurers from offering additional options and limit the ability for enrollees to select the plans that best fit their specific needs.

Lowering Healthcare Costs by Allowing Insurers to Offer Incentives which Steer their Enrollees towards Providers based on Quality and Cost.

This bill changes the way the "no-new-revenue tax rate" is calculated by referencing the Texas Education Code. This new calculation will result in a higher rate (ultimately higher taxes) by including other funding within the formula. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill places even greater tax burdens on property owners and further grows government. Instead of gaming property tax calculations, lawmakers should work to make housing more affordable by lowering property taxes and cutting the out-of-control spending at all levels of government.

Hiking Property Taxes by Gaming the Calculation of the "No-New Revenue" Property Tax Rate.

This bill allows most businesses subject to state licensing requirements to sue localities to prevent the enforcement of local regulations that are more stringent than state regulations or that can be shown to "result in an adverse economic impact." Support is the Limited Government Position as this bill helps protect against overreaching local regulations that most often restrict competition and drive-up business costs.

Protecting Against Overreaching Local Regulations by Allowing Businesses to Sue to Block Enforcement.

This bill, the Property Tax Relief Act, contains several provisions related to property taxes. Most notably, the bill increases the homestead property tax exemption from $40,000 to $100,000. Additionally, the bill enacts a "circuit breaker" provision on the appraised value of real property other than a residence homestead. As a result, the appraised market value of a property is limited to a 1-year increase of 20% plus any new improvements. Support is the Limited Government Position as this bill provides broad property tax relief to homeowners. All state and local tax codes should be constructed in a broadly applied manner with as low of rates as possible for everyone.

Providing Property Tax Relief to Homeowners by Raising the Homestead Exemption to $100,000.

This bill allows retired judges who have a handgun license to carry a firearm into restricted places, such as courthouses, schools, and polling locations. Support is the Limited Government Position as disarming individuals through pointless "gun control" measures merely make law-abiding citizens targets to criminals who do not abide by the law. And while all law-abiding individuals should be permitted to exercise their Second Amendment rights and defend themselves in these locations, this bill serves as a step in the right direction in helping protect individuals who may be at elevated safety risks.

Strengthening Self-Defense and Public Safety by Authorizing Retired Judges to Carry a Firearm into Courthouses and Other Restricted Places.

The Harrison and Leo-Wilson amendment #1 to a public school funding bill. This amendment provides that a school district is only eligible to receive the basic allotment funding if more than 50% of the district's maintenance and operations expenditures the previous school year were spent on salaries and benefits for full-time teachers. Support is the Limited Government Position as this amendment is designed to ensure school districts are using taxpayer funds to provide the best education possible for students, rather than wasting funds on administrative and other unnecessary expenses.

Protecting Taxpayers and Promoting Student Success by Ensuring School Funding is Directed to Teachers Instead of Wasteful Administration.

This bill creates the Texas Hydrogen Infrastructure, Vehicle, and Equipment Grant Program within the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan. The bill allocates up to $8 million for the Hydrogen program while also making a few other funding reallocations within the bill. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as while the bill does make some reallocations to offset some of the spending for the new program, the bill still creates yet another avenue for new spending and government interference in the marketplace. The free market - not government central planning - is the best mechanism to advance energy development. The state should instead eliminate the entire grant fund as well as take additional actions to reign in its out-of-control spending, as, when coupled with the over $185 trillion federal liabilities, represents the greatest existential threat facing this country.

ILA

Nicole Collier