Tuesday marked Brownwood Day in Austin as Brownwood and Brown County officials, community leaders, and business representatives traveled to the state Capitol to help ensure that the legislators are mindful of issues affecting Brown County. Officials met with Senator Troy Fraser and Representative Jim Keffer throughout the day and were briefed on many of the issues facing that state.
Education was one of the top issues discussed in Austin with a judge ruling earlier this week that state education funding was unconstitutional.
“Most of us suspected that it would go that route,” Keffer said. “What was surprising to me that they did not look at efficiency at all, and I thought that would be part of the conversation and part of the solution or part of the verdict, but he left that up to the legislature to work out.”
Keffer said that the education funding issue will be on the fastest track possible to get resolved.
Water is another big issue to be addressed by the state legislature this year with the ongoing West Texas drought and increasing population of the state. One solution to help extend water supplies is wastewater reuse which is being considered in not only Brownwood but in several other areas of the state.
“One of the things that the city of Brownwood is working on is the same thing now that is being implemented in Big Spring, Texas,” Frasier said. “They are taking their sewer water, cleaning it up, reinjecting it back into their water supply coming in, putting it into their purification system and they are going to drink it.”
Frasier said that many areas abroad already use similar type systems.
“If you go to England, the water you drink in London has already been drank 9 times,” Frasier said.
Other issues discussed by officials were road improvements and border security issues that have and will affect Texas businesses.
The Brownwood delegation was briefed by several other state officials. A reception was held at the Austin Club to end the day and gave those in attendance another chance to speak with state officials. Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus stopped by at the reception and met several from the Brown County delegation.
Pictured at top is part of the Brownwood delegation. From left to right, Daniel Hutson, West Central Texas Council of Governments; Ken Harris, Oncor; and Don Bostic, Ranger College.
Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus (far left) meets Brownwood Mayor Stephen Haynes and Daniel Hutson.
Part of the Brownwood delegation recognized in the Texas House of Representatives
Representative Jim Keffer offers a briefing to the Brown County delegation on education