Dear Fellow BikeTexas Members,
The Complete Streets legislative initiative has run out of time.
BikeTexas made great strides in fighting for Complete Streets this legislative session. Thanks for the many key calls and emails made by YOU, our members. We will try again in 2013.
The bill passed through the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, and it also passed through the House of Representatives’ Transportation Committee. Unfortunately, it did not pass through the House or Senate before the session ended, so Complete Streets will not become law this session.
The Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee was sharply divided, with the bill passing on a 5-4 vote. This means BikeTexas will have its hands full for the next two years educating legislators, local officials and communities throughout Texas on the benefits of Complete Streets.
While we are disappointed, we know that it often takes more than one session to pass a bill, and this session was especially tough. If you would like to join our cause by volunteering your time and resources to our Complete Streets campaign, please contact BikeTexas at advocacy@biketexas.org.
Below is a list of which senators and representatives voted for and against Complete Streets. If you are a constituent of a senator or rep listed, please thank them for supporting the bill, or ask them to give you a reason in writing why they voted against it. (Click here to find out who your senator and representative are.)
Please be courteous in your communications with your legislators. With some education, it is possible to change a NO vote to a YES vote. Let us know what their responses are. This information is crucial for BikeTexas to formulate a plan of attack for the next legislative session. We need to know which legislators are on our side!
Senate Transportation Committee, voted FOR:
Kirk Watson, Dist. 14 (D-Austin)
(512) 463-0114. kirk.watson@senate.state.tx.us
Rodney Ellis, Dist. 13 (D-Houston), bill author.
(512) 463-0113. rodney.ellis@senate.state.tx.us
Wendy Davis, Dist. 10 (D-Fort Worth), bill author.
(512) 463-0110. wendy.davis@senate.state.tx.us
Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, Dist. 20 (D-McAllen)
(512) 463-0120. juan.hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us
Jeff Wentworth, Dist. 25 (R-San Antonio)
(512) 463-0125. jeff.wentworth@senate.state.tx.us
Senate Transportation Committee, voted AGAINST:
Tommy Williams, Dist. 4 (R-The Woodlands)
(512) 463-0104. tommy.williams@senate.state.tx.us
Chris Harris, Dist. 9 (R-Arlington)
(512) 463-0109. chris.harris@senate.state.tx.us
Robert Nichols, Dist. 3 (R-Jacksonville)
(512) 463-0103. robert.nichols@senate.state.tx.us
Florence Shapiro, Dist. 8 (R-Plano)
(512) 463-0108. florence.shapiro@senate.state.tx.us
House Transportation Committee, voted FOR:
Larry Phillips, Dist. 62 (R-Sherman)
(512) 463-0297. larry.phillips@house.state.tx.us
Yvonne Davis, Dist. 111 (D-Dallas)
(512) 463-0598. yvonne.davis@house.state.tx.us
Linda Harper-Brown, Dist. 105 (R-Irving), bill author.
(512) 463-0641. linda.harper_brown@house.state.tx.us
Armando Martinez, Dist. 39 (D-Weslaco)
(512) 463-0530. armando.martinez@house.state.tx.us
Ruth Jones McClendon, Dist. 120 (D-San Antonio)
(512) 463-0708. ruth.mcclendon@house.state.tx.us
Eddie Rodriguez, Dist. 51 (D-Austin)
(512) 463-0674. eddie.rodriguez@house.state.tx.us
House Transportation Committee, voted AGAINST:
George Lavender, District. 1 (R-Texarkana)
(512) 463-0692. george.lavender@house.state.tx.us
House Transportation Committee, PRESENT NOT VOTING:
Drew Darby, Dist. 72 (R-San Angelo)
(512) 463-0331. drew.darby@house.state.tx.us
Dennis Bonnen, Dist. 25 (R-Angleton)
(512) 463-0564. dennis.bonnen@house.state.tx.us
Allen Fletcher, Dist. 130 (R-Houston)
(512) 463-0661. allen.fletcher@house.state.tx.us
House Transportation Committee, ABSENT:
Joe Pickett, Dist. 79 (D-El Paso)
(512) 463-0596. joe.pickett@house.state.tx.us
For information on the Complete Streets bill such as bill language, supporting organizations and bill authors, go to the BikeTexas website.
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Before writing or calling, please review our general guidelines for writing your representatives. Some specific points we suggest you make for a letter or phone call regarding SB 513 are:
- Properly address your representative (see our general guidelines) Identify yourself as a constituent (e.g. “I’m a voter in District 4”, or “I live in your district.”)
- Briefly state your background and any relevant affiliations (e.g., I’m a city official/engineer/PTA member/parent and a member of BikeTexas)
- State that SB 513 (the Complete Streets Bill) is important to you and why in a short sentence or two. Make it personal to your experience. See our FAQ’s for ideas.
- Ask that your representative vote Yes on SB 513. Making a specific request is key. You might ask it as a question, e.g. “Will you support SB 513?”
- Be polite. You might thank them for their public service.
For more information, contact BikeTexas at 512-476-7433.
