This week was a cold one in House District 68. As we all experienced the winter storm throughout Texas, I hope you and your family were safe and warm.

While many events were rescheduled at the Capitol, my staff and I were able to attend the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) Midwinter Conference on Monday and Tuesday in Austin. Each January, all Regional Education Service Centers meet in Austin for their Midwinter Conference. This event provides superintendents and educators the opportunity to network with other school districts and meet with their elected officials in Austin. It was a pleasure to be able to visit with some of our superintendents to discuss what action items they would like to see passed this legislative session.

As your State Representative, I remain committed to funding our public education system and ensuring the safety of our students and teachers. I am pleased with our proposed House Budget which allocates $600 million for school safety equipment and safety measures for students and administrators.  Additionally, there are things in the woodwork that my staff and I are working on accomplishing for public education.

Legislative Spotlight
Each week, I will outline a new Legislative Spotlight Item. This week, we will be discussing the importance of border security.

To date, Texas Leadership and Operation Lone Star are using every tool at their disposal to secure our border, but we need more authority to pursue legal action for criminal trespass and other similar charges.

While the State of Texas has limited authority to enforce federal immigration law, we are able to arrest individuals who commit state crimes such as criminal trespass and other charges. This is why I have filed House Bill 65.

House Bill 65 would provide prosecutors with additional legal tools by increasing the level of punishment for these charges from a misdemeanor to a third-degree felony. By increasing the level of punishment for these crimes, prosecutors will be allowed additional time to prepare for trial, reducing the number of Defendants who are released on these charges. Most importantly, the increased penalty will qualify as an automatically deportable offense under 8 U.S.C. § 1227.

As State Representative for House District 68, I am proud to be your rural voice in Austin. Throughout the 88th Legislative Session, my staff and I will provide weekly updates on the happenings of the Legislative process. These regular updates may be viewed through your local newspaper, our electronic newsletter, or my official Facebook page.

To stay up-to-date on the happenings at the Texas State Capitol, subscribe to the House District 68 newsletter by emailing [email protected] or calling 512-463-0526.  For daily updates, I welcome you to follow my official State Representative Facebook page.

David Spiller is the State Representative for House District 68, which includes 12 rural counties: Brown, Comanche, Cooke, Eastland, Jack, Lampasas, Mills, Montague, San Saba, Shackelford, Throckmorton, and Young.