Maldonado Bills Have Local Impact
Tuesday, May 12, was Drop Dead Day in the Capitol, a day where thousands of bills filed in the Texas House of Representatives met an unceremonial death because of time constraints.

The 81st House regular session ends June 1.

For Taylor’s freshman state representative Diana Maldonado, it meant the death of two bills designed to discourage some of the more volatile issues that have occurred in the city, but the passing of others.

“All in all you hear about 20 percent of bills get passed,” Spokesman Jon Niven said. “We got seven out of 17 (out of committee). You don’t pass everything, and being a freshman representative makes it even more difficult.”

Niven said Maldonado’s biggest success has been getting more localized legislation passed, so far, the most important being a bill designed to help finance the East Williamson County Higher Education Center. The learning center is to be built in Taylor with multiple partners, including Temple College and Texas Tech University; however, because of a complex funding structure, construction has been marred by banks unwilling to issue bonds.

Maldonado’s hotel-motel tax bill will also see a House vote. The legislation creates no new tax, but allows Taylor and cities its size to use hotel taxes directly related to sports events for those sports facilities.

Both Maldonado’s landfill bill and power lines bill affecting Hutto did not make it out of committee and will not be considered in this session.

The power lines bill, HB 4235, was designed to encourage power delivery companies to use existing right of way for their power lines while discouraging high-voltage transmission lines near schools.

The landfill location bill, HB 3311, would have given cities veto power on new landfill developments. A city council or mayor would have the power to deem a proposed waste disposal site in violation of zoning ordinances or future land-use models.

Despite those bills not making it to a House vote, Maldonado’s staff was encouraged by the volume of bills, especially local bills Maldonado did get passed.