Area Texas Rep Ed Thompson authored 27 bills in the 84th session of the legislature

By my count, seven became laws.

- Click here to see the list.

From Recycling Today: Texas to study economic impacts of recycling

All due to a bill out area Texas House Rep Ed Thompson introduced to the 84th Session of the Texas Legislature.

- Click here for HB 2763.

- Click here for the article.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has retained the consulting and engineering firm Burns & McDonnell, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, to conduct a statewide survey that seeks to quantify the amount of recycling occurring throughout Texas and assess the economic state of the recycling industry in Texas.

The study is the result of House Bill 2763, sponsored by Rep. Ed Thompson (R-Pearland) and Sen. José Rodríguez (D-El Paso), which requires the development of the study. The bill’s authors say the results will build on the efforts of prior recycling studies, but will also include more robust economic information, such as current market conditions and associated job creation.

Burns & McDonnell will work in partnership with the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR) to complete and release the Texas Recycling Data Initiative (TRDI) in 2015. TRDI provided a benchmark recycling rate of 18.9 percent in Texas and established the methodology that the economic impact study will build on.

"As with TRDI, industry participation is paramount for this study to successfully provide updated information on recycling quantities, as well as important economic impact and market drivers," says Scott Pasternak, Burns & McDonnell senior project manager, and who is managing the study.

The survey, to launch Aug. 15, 2016, will focus on data from processors and end users of recyclables. Since the study will request recycling and economic data from private recycling companies, Burns & McDonnell say it will take every reasonable measure allowed by law to protect business-sensitive information and will have a confidentiality plan available for survey participants.

The study seeks to not only assess current recycling efforts but also identify methods to increase recycling, as well as funding methods to increase recycling and associated job creation and infrastructure needs that will result from a more robust materials recovery industry in Texas.

"This study will provide to policymakers the information they need to make educated decisions on recycling and materials management in Texas," says Sara Nichols, STAR executive director.

The survey will allow participants to report their recycling data for the 2015 calendar year in a confidential, online survey. The results will be included in the TCEQ report, Municipal Solid Waste in Texas: A Year in Review, 2016 Data Summary and Analysis.

Speaker Strauss makes committee assignments

Story in the Texas Tribune.

House Speaker Joe Straus announced committee assignments for the Legislature's lower chamber on Thursday, ending speculation over key chairmanships and giving lawmakers the go-ahead to start considering bills.

Of the standing committees, 32 are chaired by men, six by women. That's one more female chair than the 2011 session.

Among the committee chairs, 26 are white, five are black and seven are Hispanic, one more than last session.

They add this interesting nugget:

State Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock takes over the Public Education Committee as battle lines are already being drawn over accountability, student testing and school choice reforms. He is well-regarded in public education circles and has drawn support from advocacy groups that oppose private school vouchers — an indication that any legislation enacting such a policy — a priority for his counterpart in the Senate, Dan Patrick — might encounter a hurdle when it comes to the lower chamber.

So there will be a conflict later this year over vouchers, we can plan on it.

ACC Rep Ed Thompson is on the following committees:

- Environmental Regulations
- Special Purpose Districts

Meet Ed Thompson

ACC is in the 29th Texas House district, which now-Congressman Randy Weber held from 2008 - 2012. Ed Thompson won the seat in the 2012 election so we'll be following. He's one of the large number of freshman in the legislature. Committee assignments haven't been made yet, but we'll fill that in when we can.



For detail right now on Thompson:

- Official House page.
- Thompson's campaign page.
- Texas Tribune: Texas House District 29.
- Ballotpedia.

More to come.