Town Talk Radio
March 14, 2017

On Thursday’s edition of The Chad Hasty Show, Texas District 83 Representative Dustin Burrows joined the show to discuss the bill he has introduced into the 85th Texas Legislature, that will require transparency in health care and health care insurance costs.

HB-307 encourages price shopping by health care consumers, and incentivizes competition between providers as well as insurers.

Burrows said of his bill,

I think this is the key to success and bringing down the costs of of health care and health insurance, with something that’s reasonable and affordable.

Burrows also gave a quick run-down on other issues, including progress on CPS, property tax and weapons carry licensing reform.

Listen to the entire interview with Dustin Burrows in the video above.

The Chad Hasty Show airs weekday mornings live, from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM on News/Talk 95.1 FM and 790 AM KFYO, online at KFYO.com, and on the free RadioPup app. Follow Chad on Twitter via @ChadHastyRadio & KFYO Radio at @KFYO!

Read More: Dustin Burrows Pursuing Transparency In Health Care Costs | http://kfyo.com/representative-dustin-burrows-pursuing-transparency-in-health-care-costs-interview/?trackback=tsmclip

 85TH SESSION OF THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE

The 85th Session of the Texas Legislature is well underway. During the first week of February, Governor Abbott delivered his “State of the State Address”, in which he outlined his four emergency legislative priorities: reform of the State’s Child Protective Services (CPS) system; an end to “Sanctuary Cities” that harbor and protect illegal immigrants; support of a Convention of the States to address the strengthening of the 10th Amendment to combat Federal overreach; and ethics reform among state agencies, employee unions and members of the Legislature. I am completely supportive of the Governor’s priorities and I look forward to working on each of these important issues.

Committee and Caucus Assignments

Committee assignments were announced in mid-February, and Speaker Joe Straus has asked that I serve on the Agriculture and Livestock Committee and the Investments and Financial Services Committee. I am honored to serve on these committees on behalf of House District 83, where agriculture and our rural banks and financial institutions are of critical importance. Additionally, my House colleagues have chosen me to serve as a member of the Texas House Republican Caucus Policy Committee. The Caucus Policy Committee is tasked with making sound policy recommendations throughout the session to assist my colleagues as they consider their votes.

Legislative Spotlight

I’m excited to begin work on the Ag and Financial Services Committees, and also ready to push for support of my legislative bills. Of particular note is House Bill 2082 , focusing on our First Responders and their difficulties contending with a complex and unwieldy bureaucracy when they seek help after being injured on the job. Texas First responders put their lives on the line every day and many are injured — some quite severely. These men and women are then left to their own devices as they navigate a complex and confusing workers compensation process. Bill 2082 will create an ombudsman position within the worker’s compensation agency to help these injured police and fireman as they file their claims.

Stay Up to Date

As Session progresses, please visit both my Official House of Representatives web site to learn more about the bills I have filed (and their progress through the Senate and the House) as well as Burrows4Texas.com, where you can keep up with the latest news releases, district news, and events in the District. “Like” my Facebook page and also follow me on Twitter for the latest breaking news from your state capitol. I’m grateful for your support and input, and encourage you to contact my office with your views and concerns. You can email me at [email protected] or call my office at (512) 463-0542.

God bless you and your families, and God bless Texas.

Dustin

By: Natalie Martinez

ABILENE, Texas – Advocates for wounded officers are traveling across Texas to share their battles with workers’ compensation and lobby for two bills currently in the Texas Legislature.

House bills 1688 and 1689 were filed earlier this month by Texas Rep. Dustin Burrows—H.B. 1688 would provide law enforcement with a liaison within the Texas Department of Workers’ Compensation agency and H.B. 1689 would allow law enforcement to take legal action, if necessary, against TDWC.

Mary Duncan, a wife of a wounded officer, has had several meetings with Rep. Burrows and local law enforcement agencies to help get the bills off the ground. She said one of the difficulties with workers’ compensation is the wait.

Her husband, Tommy Duncan, was injured in the line of duty in 1977 while serving the Olney Police Department. She said he was shot in the face with a shotgun and nearly lost his vision.

She said officers need to wait till the agency gave them approval to see the doctor she said or whether or not they can have a procedure.

“It not only hurts that officer, it hurts the family, it hurts their children, it hurts everyone,” Duncan said.

For Jacob Flores, a medically retired Lubbock police officer, TDWC wouldn’t cover his medication. He was injured in the line of duty three years ago during what became his last foot chase.

“You just want to go out there and do what’s good for the community, and being injured is in the back of the mind,” Flores said.

His department was notified of an Amber Alert — Flores encountered the suspect’s vehicle when he got off work and started chasing. Flores broke his tibia after taking a wrong step while running.

Flores’ injury was so severe he almost lost his foot and his body began to form blood clots. He needed blood thinners, but workers’ compensation wouldn’t cover the expense of $800 per month.

“I kept thinking, why was this medication being denied?” he said. “Why was the cost of it of any importance to my health?”

Flores also had to undergo physical therapy, and he needed more than the amount of sessions covered by workers’ comp. So he paid out of pocket, and he still pays for items related to his injury out of pocket to this day. Flores said if it wasn’t for physicians helping walk him through the process of working with workers compensation, he wouldn’t be where he is today.

Duncan said the Peace Officers Angels Foundation helps officers in situations like Flores’ but they are the only group in the state that does so.

Read more here: http://www.ktxs.com/news/first-responder-advocates-push-for-house-bill/366635897

LUBBOCK, TX (NEWS RELEASE) – A new campaign is set to launch at the South Plains Food Bank. The “Feed Our Kids. Fuel Our Future.” campaign will initiate a new strategy to combat childhood hunger across the South Plains.  Through fundraising for the campaign, the Food Bank hopes to establish 10 new Kids Cafe sites, distribute 500 more snack packs for school holidays, and prepare 500 more Kids Cafe meals each day. They hope to accomplish these goals over the next five years.

The campaign also seeks to raise $500,000  for Children’s Feeding Programs, and inspire 200 people across the area to commit to become “Child Hunger Advocates” through monthly donations of $30 or more.

According to Feeding America, almost 30,000 children are food-insecure across the South Plains Food Bank’s 20 county service area. That means 1 in 4 children across the South Plains are at risk of going to bed hungry, and that number moves up to 1 in 3 across their rural communities.

State Representative Dustin Burrows understands the need for children to receive adequate nutrition and hopes the community will rally to help the Food Bank achieve their goals with this campaign.
“Children are our most vulnerable population,” Burrows says. “If they don’t have proper and adequate nutrition, they cannot focus and learn and often act out and are disruptive. Children are our future, and while providing adequate nutrition won’t solve all of the world’s problems, it’s a great start to set our children up for success in society.”

Burrows will be advocating for the community to support the Food Bank to ensure children across his district receive proper nutrition.

Someone else who knows the importance of nutrition is Avery McDonald, a student at Kingdom Prep Academy who has raised funds for the Food Bank in the past. She is hoping to motivate students to become more involved in their community.

“I like to sell some of my extra toys and clothes and donate the money to the Food Bank to help kids who might be hungry,” Avery says. “I’m excited because we thought up this idea to get more kids involved by dedicating their birthdays to the Food Bank.”

Individuals can sign up online at spfb.org to dedicate their birthday to the Food Bank. Both money and food donations will be counted towards the goal of the campaign.

With help from the Food Bank’s supporters, like Dustin Burrows and Avery, CEO David Weaver hopes to generate greater awareness about the issue of childhood hunger across the South Plains.
“We are excited for the potential results the success of this campaign will yield,” Weaver says. “We are also thrilled to provide ways for children to take an active role to help their peers in need. Through this campaign, we are fueling the future by helping children realize they can make a difference in our community and by making sure more children receive the nutrition they need to succeed.”

Donations towards the “Feed Our Children. Fuel Our Future.” campaign can be made online at spfb.org.

(News release from the South Plains Food Bank)

AUSTIN, TX (KCBD) –The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce is in Austin for Lubbock Day at the State Capitol, giving the Lubbock community a spotlight at the State Capitol and the opportunity to meet legislators and discuss issues important to the Lubbock area economy.

Every two years the Chamber plans a trip for the Lubbock community and business leaders to go to Austin to meet with legislators. This year, approximately 130 people are expected to attend, including the Chamber’s Leadership Lubbock participants as well as many Chamber members.

The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce represents more than 2,000 businesses and over 79,000 employees on the South Plains which account for more than $2 billion in annual household earnings in Lubbock and West Texas.

The Chamber has twice earned the distinguished 5-Star Accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is a two-time Chamber of the Year recognized by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

Read more here: http://www.kcbd.com/story/34574818/lubbock-chamber-in-austin-for-lubbock-day-at-the-state-capitol

By: Rachel Glaser

AUSTIN, TX – The City of Lubbock stepped into the state’s spotlight in honor of ‘Lubbock Day’ at the Texas Capitol Monday.

More than 100 people made the nearly 400-mile trip from Lubbock to Austin for ‘Lubbock Day,’ a time for business and community leaders to bring local issues and concerns to the attention of lawmakers.

The opportunity comes once every two years, when Texas lawmakers go into session, to ensure the city and the people who call Lubbock home, have voice at the Capitol, now and in the future.

Three state lawmakers who represent Lubbock met with business and community leaders Wednesday morning.

Many business and community leaders from Lubbock voiced concerns about the same “major issue,” the need for state funding to help pay for the new Texas Tech veterinary school.

State Rep. John Frullo, R-Lubbock, asked the crowd how many believe state support for the veterinary school school is important and every hand in the room went up in the air.

“We are working on that,” Frullo said, “and there is a real need that’s not being met by other vet schools.”

Frullo, along with State Rep. Dustin Burrows and State Sen. Charles Perry, vowed to carve out a place for Lubbock in the State Capitol, to address the issues that are most important to the city and the people who call Lubbock home.

“The High Plains of Texas is different, our situation is different,” said Steve Verett, Executive Vice President for Plains Cotton Growers, Inc.

“Certainly there’s always concerns about education and healthcare, all the things that are important to all Texans but may have a unique application to the rural areas and places like Lubbock,” Verett said.

While pushing local issues onto the statewide stage, ‘Lubbock Day’ is also about selling state government to the city’s next generation.

“Citizens have to understand the role that they play because so often people complain about government and the decisions that are made but they are not part of the process,” said Cory Powell, Chairman Elect of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s a good way to remind the citizens of our communities, the important role they play in government,” Powell said.

Rep. Burrows, R-Lubbock, first visited the Capitol with his Leadership Lubbock class more than a decade ago.

Former State Sen. Robert Duncan inspired Burrows to get involved in policy decision making. Now in his second term in the Texas House, Rep. Burrows hopes to encourage others to get involved in state politics.

“Whether it’s serving on boards or running for state office, it’s just important for good people from Lubbock to be active in their community and have their voice heard,” Burrows said.

Burrows declared Wednesday ‘Lubbock Day’ in the Texas House. “It’s an honor to introduce my neighbors, friends and proud citizens of my hometown, the City of Lubbock,” said Burrows.

Sen. Perry read the proclamation in the State Senate to recognize Lubbock, the city he’s called home for the past 35 years.

Lubbock Avalanche Journal

State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, recently filed legislation designed to provide assistance to law enforcement officers in the state who are injured in the line of duty. Burrows’ two bills are designed to provide injured lawmen with a liaison to help them negotiate medical coverage with the state’s workers’ compensation program.

It’s not that injured law enforcement officers aren’t covered by workers’ comp, but dealing with the program without some knowledgeable assistance can leave them and their families with the arduous task of obtaining needed medical care and medications. Many people have experienced difficulties in dealing with insurance companies, and negotiating with a government agency can make it even tougher. Burrows’ bills are aimed at alleviating the stress of wading through what can be a mountain of red tape and paperwork.

Some local and area law enforcement officers and their families have described the problems they have encountered in trying to get their medical claims accepted. The process has often left them with more questions than answers as to why in some cases medical care and medications have been denied. That has heaped even more stress upon them as they continue to deal with their physical problems.

One of the more disheartening cases involved Amarillo police officer Justin Scherlen, who was severely injured in a traffic accident while on duty in 2015. Scherlen underwent multiple surgeries and procedures, then developed an infection that required a specific medication that cost $15,000 for a 30-day supply. Workers’ comp would not approve the high-priced drug, and Scherlen eventually died from complications of his injuries.

Scherlen’s wife, Jessica, said the family had a caseworker helping them with the workers’ comp process and was appreciative of her efforts, but she was unable to wade through all the red tape. The news of Burrows’ bills gave Jessica Scherlen, as well as other injured officers and their families, hope that something could be put in place to help future victims.

We applaud Burrows for recognizing that something has to be done in this regard. After all, our law enforcement officers on all levels put their lives on the line every day in making the world in which we live a safer place. We owe them more than any sort of compensation that can be directed toward them.

Our question is why hasn’t something like Burrows’ legislation been addressed before. This legislation will go a long way toward easing the stress and concerns officers and their families encounter in dealing with government red tape. We regard Burrows’ bills as no-brainers and urge the Legislature to act on this immediately. After all, we owe it to our law enforcement community.

Read more here: http://lubbockonline.com/opinion/2017-02-17/our-view-burrows-bills-help-injured-officers-need-be-passed

KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) – A recent KCBD investigation has caught the attention of a state lawmaker.

Earlier this month, we requested the body-worn camera video of a Lubbock police officer attempting to stop a vehicle by shooting out its tires.

That request was denied due to a recent state law that places restrictions on the release of body-worn camera video.

Now, District 83 State Representative Dustin Burrows is looking into it.

“Did you see our recent story and our interview with Chief Stevens about the body-worn camera law?” we asked Burrows.

“I did, great story. Certainly the police chief raised some very legitimate concerns,” Burrows said.

Lubbock Police Chief Greg Stevens spoke at a news conference following an evening where officers fired their weapons in two separate incidents.

One of those was caught on camera.

When asked if the department would release that video, the chief said the body-worn camera law was precarious.

“I would rather put out video than not so let me do some research and make sure I don’t run afoul of state law,” he said.

As the KCBD Investigative Team reported earlier this month, Chief Stevens said he checked with the city attorney, and according to the recent state law, they would not be able to release the video.

“I think the public’s need to know is a very important consideration,” Burrows said.

“I think more times, probably most times, than not it’s going to show we have great law enforcement, really solid. We don’t need to have a cloud of doubt lingering because that video is being withheld,” Burrows said.

“It’s my goal to release video anytime we can. That is how you build transparency,” Stevens said.

Senator Charles Perry said this topic has come up recently in senate hearings.

“I think given enough time and enough vetting and enough discussion through the legislative process, you are going to see those windows of opportunity to have those body cams and that footage and stuff more available and more transparent,” Perry said.

He said it has really become an awareness item in the last 12 months.

While Perry believes the video might become more accessible, he has some concerns.

“I am a huge advocate of a criminal justice system that is fair and equitable for all and in that process, if you are starting to release stuff really before it was vetted or the narrative if you will, can be developed as to what really went down here, you may do a disservice to either side of that,” Perry said.

It is something Burrows said he is going to look into.

“I do want to talk to the district attorney’s office and the attorney general’s office about that. I heard pretty clearly on your story that more times than not, the police chief wants to release this ahead of time, and I think their interests need to be taken into consideration,” Burrows said.

Burrows said one of his main concerns is the privacy of the individuals captured in the video who are not law enforcement officers.

“We are seeing if there is a way their faces can be blurred out,” Burrows said.

Burrows said as it reads right now, the law appears to be pretty vague.

“We are taking a hard look at it and trying to think through some of the logistics of what needs to be done,” Burrows said.

Copyright 2017 KCBD. All rights reserved.

Read more here: http://www.kcbd.com/story/34512719/kcbd-investigates-burrows-considering-reform-to-body-worn-camera-law

Fiscal accountability and transparency in government is the goal of a trio of bills introduced by Lubbock State Rep. Dustin Burrows.

In a statement Burrows said, “legislators and state agencies ought to be judged by how well they meet legitimate objectives.”

One of the bills directs every state agency that makes legislative appropriations requests to prepare reports identifying contingency plans for 1 percent, 5 percent, and 10 percent spending cuts.

Another addresses transparency and accountability by state agencies and government leaders about their requests for universities to conduct studies for them.

The third calls for the legislative budget board to be subject to sunset review. and tasks the state comptroller with reviewing the accuracy of the board’s analysis of costs associated with proposed legislation.

Read more here: http://www.fox34.com/story/34512843/burrows-introduces-bills-aimed-to-increase-fiscal-accountability-transparency-in-government