AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s (TPPF) Center for Local Governance Senior Policy Analyst Jess Fields will testify before the Texas House Committee on Elections TODAY, Monday, March 30, at 2:00 p.m. CDT or upon final adjournment in room E1.026 of the Texas State Capitol. Mr. Fields will testify on House Bills 134, 1283, and 1380. HB 1283 would require local government debt propositions to be voted on in November when voter turnout is highest. House Bills 134 and 1380 would increase the amount of information available to voters on the ballot for debt proposals.
“November elections allow for the highest possible voter participation,” said Fields. “It is when the vast majority of voters turn out to the polls. What better time to give the public the chance to weigh in on massive new debt proposals? Texas’ school districts and other local government entities should hold bond elections in November, and HB 1283 would require that and include millions of Texans in the decision-making process for local debt. We should not hide bond proposals in low-turnout May elections.
“These ballot box transparency proposals are simply common sense, and all Texans should cheer having more information on the ballot when they are asked to make decisions on multi-million dollar bond packages. Voters should be told what it is they are voting on.”
| WHO: |
The Hon. Jess Fields, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Local Governance, TPPF |
| WHAT: |
Testimony before the Texas House Committee on Elections |
| WHEN:
|
TODAY, Monday, March 30, 2015 2:00 p.m. CDT or upon final adjournment |
| WHERE: | Texas State Capitol, Room E1.026 |
More information about the hearing can be found at: http://txpo.li/1bJILgt
To schedule an interview with Mr. Fields, please contact Caroline Espinosa at [email protected] or 512-472-2700.
The Hon. Jess Fields is the Senior Policy Analyst in the Center for Local Governance at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and a former College Station City Councilman.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin, Texas.