Rachel Glaser, Nexstar

AUSTIN (NEXSTAR) — State lawmakers face a big question mark during the 85th Legislative Session as legislators can only wonder how changes at the federal level might impact Texas.

“We watch Washington here very, very carefully because we need to know where they are going to mess things up next,” said State Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo.

President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States in Washington D.C. Friday.

“President-elect Trump campaigned heavily on border security, so hopefully we’ll get indications from that administration and D.C. that they are going to take it over,” said State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock.

Facing a tight budget, the state could save hundreds of millions of dollars if it relied on the federal government to secure the border. “That would be everyone’s fondest wish,” said Sen. Seliger. “Because are we going to have to put $1 billion of state money on the border, or is the federal government going to do what’s their job?”

The Director of the Texas Politics Project, Jim Henson, said state legislators “either have to trust the federal government or they’re going to have to play a waiting game.”

Henson added, “But certainly, they’re not going to get clear signals in the Texas legislature from Washington D.C. in time for a lot of these decisions to be made, unless we see unusually fast movement from Washington.”

Another key campaign promise, Trump repeatedly vowed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly called Obamacare.

Trump told the Washington Post Sunday that his Obamacare replacement plan includes “insurance for everybody.”

While the president-elect did not go into details about his plan, the comment suggests Trump could be moving toward universal healthcare. Republican leaders have outlined replacement plans that aim for “universal access,” not necessarily “universal coverage.”

Paul Ryan and other GOP leaders in Washington have suggested rolling back Medicaid expansions made under Obamacare, cutting the federal subsidies and sending the burden back to the states.

“I don’t want to wait on Washington,” Rep. Burrows said. The Republican out of Lubbock said he has some ideas that would allow the state to build its own path toward better healthcare with lower costs.

“And we don’t need D.C’s approval to do anything on that,” Rep. Burrows said.

Texas, which has the highest number of people without health insurance in the country, is one of a handful of states that did not expand Medicaid to help low-income Americans pay for health insurance.

Read more here:

On January 13th, 2017, Representative Dustin Burrows of Lubbock proudly announced his legislative staff for the upcoming legislative session.

Jeramy Kitchen will continue to serve as Representative Burrows Chief of Staff. He is a graduate of Texas Tech University with a B.A. in Political Science. A veteran, Jeramy served as a Military Intelligence Analyst for the U.S. Army and Texas Army National Guard and served two full tours of duty in Iraq. He has previously worked as a District Director for another area legislator. He has long been involved as a Conservative activist in local and state politics. Jeramy is a proud husband to his wife Joanna Kitchen and two beautiful daughters Kylie and Alexis.

“Though not originally from West Texas, I fell in love with the place when I first attended Texas Tech and I find it a privilege to be able to fight for the West Texas values I have such an adoration for down here in Austin”, said Jeramy.

Serving in the House District 83 District Office is Matt Crow. He will continue to serve as Representative Burrows Communications Director. Matt has worked in political communications his entire career to include serving in the Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush administrations. On Capitol Hill, Matt worked for Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour and Texas Congressman Randy Neugebauer.

“Texans — especially West Texans — are a special type of people and I am eager to help Rep. Burrows do the best job he can on their behalf. I am right where I want to be in politics – on the ground, among constituents who have new and helpful ideas to share.”

Representative Burrows has also named Richard Murad as his Legislative Director. A 5-year veteran of the United states Marine Corps, Richard Murad hails from Sugar Land, Texas.  He has served in uniform, studied in, or supported U.S. national security programs in Norway, Turkmenistan, Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan.  Richard is a recently-licensed Texas attorney and obtained his J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law; Richard speaks Russian, and enjoys history, politics, hunting and the outdoors.

“I hail from Sugar Land, Texas and have lived in six different countries over the course of almost a decade.  Having spent the better part of the last four years in Lubbock as a student–and now a proud graduate–of Tech Law, I am humbled, honored, and excited to play a part in representing the good people of West Texas’ House District 83 in the 86th Legislature of The Great State of Texas.”

Matthew Griego will also be a part of Representative Burrows legislative team and work as a Legislative Aide. Matthew is a graduate from Texas Tech University with a B.A. in Political Science. He worked as an intern in the legislature during his time at Texas Tech. He is an Austin native and is fluent in Spanish.

” As a Texas Tech Alumnus, I am looking forward to work my first legislative session with Representative Dustin Burrows. I am eager to learn many new things during the 85th Legislative Session.”

The final addition to Representative Burrows team is Joanna Kitchen who will serve as an Administrative Aide in the Capitol office. Joanna attended Texas Tech University. She is wife to Jeramy Kitchen and the proud mother of their two daughters to which she has been the caretaker of since they last lived in Lubbock where she worked as the front desk manager for a local women’s gym.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to serve the community which was so great to my young family.” Said Joanna.

On his staff hiring, Rep. Burrows stated, “I campaigned on fighting for West Texas values down in Austin and I believe I have selected the best team to do just that.  I believe my staff brings varying perspectives to issues that are never black and white and will give any legislation I vote on the diligence it deserves in making the best decision for West Texas.”

Dustin Burrows is the State Representative for House District 83. He will be a sophomore legislator and currently represents 6 and a half counties in the West Texas region.

Lubbock Avalanche – Journal

More than 15 years ago, a coalition was formed to initiate a movement to extend Interstate 27 beyond its current route from Lubbock to Amarillo. That coalition became known as the Ports to Plains Alliance and it is comprised of civic, government and business people from across West Texas.

The alliance’s goal was, and still is, to extend I-27 from Lubbock to Laredo on the border with Mexico as an effort to enhance trade in the West Texas region, giving the state and nation another connection as a trade route to Mexico. It is also envisioned as a means of alleviating traffic on Interstate 35 in the eastern and central parts of Texas, one of the busiest thoroughfares in the state.

But despite all the efforts of the alliance, there has been little actual movement in achieving that goal, until now. On Monday, state Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock filed a bill in the Texas House of Representatives to direct the Texas Department of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study on extending I-27 along the Ports to Plains route.

We applaud Burrows’ action to address this issue and hope it will reignite the alliance’s efforts to see this project come to fruition. Almost two years ago, then-Lubbock Mayor Glen Robertson spearheaded an effort to get TxDOT to conduct the feasibilty study, holding several meetings with that agency’s officials. Robertson was also involved in a series of meetings between West Texas officials and businessmen and TxDOT to get feedback on the interstate expansion. TxDOT agreed to conduct the study. But what is the status of that study today?

Burrows’ bill, if it passes through the Legislature, would direct TxDOT to make good on its promise to complete the study. It is not known how much the study would cost. The fact that the state is facing a budget shortfall this legislative session could complicate the issue as the state may not have the funds to forge ahead on this effort. We hope that will not be the case.

And don’t expect the study to be completed right away. When approached about the study two years ago, TxDOT acknowleged it could take several years to complete. Also, TxDOT spokesman Nick Wade said at the time that a study was conducted in the late 1990s, which determined extension of I-27 would cost more than it would be worth.

But things have changed since then. For one thing, I-35 gets more and more congested. Michael Reeves, executive director of the Ports to Plains Alliance, has pointed out that trade with bordering countries has increased and there has been an uptick in energy activities in West Texas. A second trade route to the border would help not only the state, but would give an economic boost to communities along the proposed I-27 extension.

However, even if the study is conducted in a timely manner and it is determined the project makes financial sense, the actual completion of the trade route could take years, even decades. And, who knows what the cost will be? Two years ago, TxDOT said its initial assessment of the project would cost $5.2 billion. That’s billion with a big B. With costs increasing every year for just about everything, that price tag will most likely be even higher if the project becomes a reality.

It’s never been satisfactory that I-27 only runs from Lubbock to Amarillo. Extending the highway southward would allow it to tie in with interstates 20 and 10, which run mostly east to west, giving Lubbock and West Texas even more access to other cities and trade opportunities. The possible economic benefits could be enormous.

We hope the Legislature sees fit to complete this stuck-in-the-mud feasibility study so we can stop guessing at the price tag and the worthiness of the entire project.

Read more here: http://lubbockonline.com/opinion/2017-01-13/our-view-burrows-bill-brings-plan-extending-i-27-back-spotlight

KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

By: Shaley Sanders

LUBBOCK COUNTY, TX (KCBD) – On Tuesday, 181 Texas lawmakers convened at the capital for the 85th legislative session.

This just a day after Comptroller Glenn Hagar announced a significantly smaller budget this session.

KCBD sat down with lawmakers representing West Texans to find out what they hope to accomplish despite the challenges facing them this session.

Over the next three nights, we will take a look at what our area representatives consider top priorities.

District 83 Representative Dustin Burrows’ district includes part of Lubbock County, along with Terry, Lynn, Gaines, Borden, Scurry and Mitchell counties.

Representative John Frullo represents a portion of Lubbock County.

Senator Charles Perry represents Lubbock and 50 other counties stretching from I-10 in the south all way to Childress.

On Monday, Representative Burrows filed a bill to conduct a feasibility study of extending interstate highway I-27 from Lubbock to Laredo.

“At the end of the day, this project, the Ports-to-Plains, has been talked about for many years. We have seen new administration; Trump has said we need big infrastructure packages, big spending, big ideas,” said Representative Burrows.

He said he wants Texas to be ready for this project.

“It gives us an opportunity to have more trucking, more products, more things coming up through the region. I want to get TxDot ready and thinking about what we need to do to be ready if this is in fact one of the big projects that gets designated,” Representative Burrows said.

Representative Burrows said he believes this bill will receive a lot of support.

“It goes to Laredo, so we’ve got south Texas that is going to be interested in it. you’ve got a lot of other representatives that go through that area. Also, you think about I-35 that is horribly congested right now. Hopefully, my I-35 representatives up and down that corridor will see this as an alternative, a relief route to maybe free up some of that congestion, which we are talking about each and every single session,” said Representative Burrows.

Representative Burrows said the legislative budget board is working to determine how much a project like this will cost.

As far as timing, he thinks if they can get this study approved, it should take one to two years, maybe a little longer.

“It just depends on how quickly they can get their arms around what actually needs to be looked at,” he said.

Representative Burrows is also working to do away with all licensed to carry fees.

“Right now, we pay some of the highest in the entire country for a new CHL license. So, DPS is making money off of these fees. I think that is fundamentally wrong. At the end of the day, I think that we need to be as a state paying for it,” he said.

PDF: Burrows lays out plan to extend I-27

PDF: Full text of House Bill 869

San Antonio Express News
By Trevor Hawes

Just one day before the start of the 85th Legislature, efforts to improve transportation in West Texas got a small shot in the arm.

Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock filed a bill Monday seeking to direct the Texas Department of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study that would see Interstate 27 extend south of Lubbock to Laredo.

The bill supports the activities of the Ports-to-Plains Alliance, a Lubbock-based organization that seeks the conversion of the congressionally recognized ports-to-plains corridor into interstate-grade highway and designated as I-27.

The project is a long time coming. “The ports-to-plains highway has been talked about for as long as I can remember,” Burrows told the Reporter-Telegram.

I-27 is unique among interstates in that its southern terminus does not connect to another interstate. Now is the right time to pursue a feasibility study to get it connected, Burrows said, because pro-infrastructure president-elect Donald Trump will soon take over as the nation’s executive.

“Ideally, once we have a new president, who called for a large infrastructure package to be delivered from the federal government, I want Texas to be in the best place to potentially highlight this project as one of the opportunities to do infrastructure expansion,” Burrows said.

The question on many minds, however, is where I-27 will go. The bill does not lay out the route. “It would be improper for my bill to tell TxDOT what the route ought to be,” Burrows said. “TxDOT needs to determine the route.”

According to a map provided by Ports-to-Plains, the corridor has one of two options at Lamesa: continue south on U.S. Highway 87 through Big Spring or head into Midland via State Highway 349 and continue south on SH 158. Both options meet at Sterling City.

Burrows said he doesn’t have a preferred route but that he has heard the most talk about going through Big Spring with possibly a spur heading through Midland.

Ports-to-Plains President Michael Reeves said Monday that it’s possible both routes could be designated as I-27.

“When you look at what’s happening with I-69 in East Texas, they have a couple of different stretches designated. Same with I-35; you have I-35 east and west in Fort Worth and Dallas,” he said. “I don’t think it would be unprecedented to have both of those segments designated. But that’s why you have a feasibility study — to let the professionals and engineers look at it.”

What might work in Midland’s favor is the Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance’s push to re-designate the I-14 project’s western terminus. I-14 is the centerpiece of the congressionally approved Gulf Coast Strategic Highway project, known as “Ports to Forts.”

MOTRAN and other organizations support moving I-14’s western terminus from I-10 and U.S. 190 to a point in western Ector County along I-20, then heading south on what is currently SH 158 and U.S. 87 to Brady.

Reeves said having I-27 and I-14 on the same route would be beneficial. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to get two interstates for the price of one. Overlapping them would be a way to stretch that transportation dollar.”

Burrows and Reeves said having I-27 extend completely to Laredo will be important for several reasons, but namely because a large amount of freight transported between the U.S. and Mexico through Laredo along I-35 has created tremendous congestion on that interstate. Having an interstate corridor traveling north-south to the west would serve the entire western United States, particularly fast-growing areas such as Denver.

The potential economic benefits for West Texans can’t be underestimated, Reeves said. He cited a recent TxDOT freight mobility study that determined more than 73 percent of the Texas population and 82 percent of the state’s employment are projected to be located within 5 miles of an interstate by 2040. I-27 could give the whole region a boost, he said.

Burrows offered similar sentiments. “It’s a really good project for West Texas and our industries, including oil and gas. With a new president in place that wants to see new infrastructure come together, I want Texas to be in a position to show I-27 as a great opportunity for that investment.”

The bill is HB 869; to read it, visit www.capitol.state.tx.us.

Read more here: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/state/article/Is-I-27-in-Midland-s-future-10845936.php

Lubbock Avalanche – Journal

With dozens of pieces of legislation already filed, South Plains and Panhandle lawmakers arrived at the Capitol in Austin on Tuesday to convene the 85th Texas Legislature, where a West Texas senator was named president pro tempore of the Senate.

State Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, was elected by his peers to the largely honorary post. It places him second in line to the governorship and makes him acting governor when Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are out of the state.

“I would like to think it means I have their trust, that the work they have to do will get done even in the absence of the presiding officer,” Seliger said of his fellow legislators Tuesday in a phone interview.

The session enters just its second day Wednesday, but during a prefiling period Seliger and other area lawmakers submitted bills they hope to pass into law.

In perhaps some of the most noteworthy early work by an area legislator, Seliger co-authored a joint resolution in December calling for a convention of states to amend the U.S. Constitution in order to limit the power of the federal government.

The resolution has been a goal for Abbott, even with the GOP set to assume complete control of the federal government this year. In January, the governor laid out nine constitutional amendments he would like to see.

They included allowing a two-thirds majority of the states to override a federal law or regulation or a U.S. Supreme Court decision.

One proposed amendment, which Seliger said he saw as most important, required the federal government to pass a balanced budget, something the Texas government has to do under the state Constitution.

“$19 trillion dollars of debt is simply untenable,” he said, referring to the national debt.

“Its a shame that future generations cannot come back some day and sue us for financial mismanagement when we saddled them with debt or don’t try to make the situation better,” Seliger said.

Patrick, the powerful leader of the Texas Senate, included a convention of states in his list of Senate priorities in November.

But for it to happen, 34 state legislatures must pass applications. So far, only eight states have done so.

Other area lawmakers, including Reps. Dustin Burrows, John Frullo, Ken King and Drew Springer, as well as Sen. Charles Perry, have already prefiled an assortment of bills.

Burrows, the Lubbock Republican whose House District 83 covers much of the southern South Plains, had filed eight bills as of Tuesday on topics ranging from education to agriculture and food assistance. He filed a bill Monday that would direct the Texas Department of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study on extending Interstate 27 from Lubbock to Laredo along the Ports- to-Plains map.

The bill calls for a study analyzing the cost and the impact to be complete by 2019.

Frullo, a Republican whose House District 84 is contained within Lubbock County, had filed one bill by Tuesday — HB 491 “relating to requiring registration as a sex offender of certain defendants convicted of the offense of continuous trafficking of persons.”

King , a Republican from Canadian whose district covers a rural swath of the Texas Panhandle that runs diagonally from the northeast corner southwest into the South Plains, filed eight bills Monday to bring his total to 12.

Most of them are education related.

House Bill 880 allows school districts to assign certified English as a Second Language teachers to bilingual education programs if there is a shortage of teachers certified for bilingual education and none are available.

Rural districts where English is not the primary language for students sometimes struggle to hire and retain enough bilingual instructors.

King, a member of the House Public Education Committee since he joined the Legislature in 2012, also introduced a handful of bills related to school finance.

How the state pays for public schools looks to be a hot topic again this year after the Texas Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that the method used was constitutional but “undeniably imperfect, with immense room for improvement.”

House Bill 883 calls for boosting state funding for career and technical education programs. House Bill 881 would provide additional funds to help small- and midsized school districts under an existing aid program.

House Bill 881 extends a school funding provision that was created in 2006 and set to expire this year. Under the bill, it won’t expire until the 2020-21 school year.

Called Additional State Aid for Tax Reduction, it was designed to plug funding gaps after state lawmakers reduced allowable property tax rates for school districts.

Locally, funds from the provision last year made up about 7 percent of Bushland school district’s $14.2 million operating budget. The looming end of the funding has worried administrators there.

Perry, R-Lubbock, had authored 19 bills by Tuesday, including one filed in November that would require local governments and law enforcement to “uphold the rule of law and enforce the immigration laws currently on the book.”

The aim is to eliminate sanctuary cities in the state.

“By electing a Republican president and Republican majorities in Congress, the American people made it clear that solving our illegal immigration crisis must be a priority,” Perry said at the time. “That starts by eliminating sanctuary cities, securing our border and enforcing the immigration laws we currently have on the books.

Springer, R-Muenster, has filed 19 bills and resolutions.

He represents Wheeler, Collingsworth, Hall and Childress counties in the southwest part of the Panhandle.

Joining a movement that has been making headlines around the state, Springer filed House Bill 410, which would allow for tax-free feminine hygiene products.

“It was driven by constituents that contacted me because they’d heard it passed in other states recently,” he said. “Some even said, ‘I didn’t realize I was paying tax on it. I thought it was treated like medicine and a medical necessity and not a luxury item.’ ”

Springer’s House Bill 365 calls for the secretary of state to conduct a study about implementing a single election date in November.

Currently, municipal elections in Texas are generally held in May.

Supporters say holding those elections in November, alongside state and national contests, could improve voter turnout.

Also filed by Springer, House Bill 207 would allow general-law municipalities, which typically have fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, to increase the distance sex offenders can be made to stay away from places like schools and playgrounds.

The current limit for these small towns is 500 feet, Springer said.

Read more here: http://lubbockonline.com/news/2017-01-10/lubbock-area-lawmakers-enter-85th-session-dozens-bills

Lubbock Avalanche – Journal
By: Matt Dotray

State Rep. Dustin Burrows wants Texas to study the proposed extension of Interstate 27.

The day before the state’s 85th Legislature convenes, Burrows filed a bill that would direct the Texas Department of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study on extending Interstate 27 from Lubbock to Laredo along the Ports- to-Plains map.

The bill calls for a study analyzing the cost and the impact to be complete by 2019.

“The bill would direct TxDOT to examine a critically needed expansion of I-27, which currently ends in Lubbock,” Burrows said of the Amarillo to Lubbock highway. “Given the economic and population growth West Texas has experienced during the last 20 years, the continuation of the interstate to Laredo would allow for further industry and business expansion along the route.”

Going south from Lubbock in the proposed route, the interstate would go down to Lamesa, split in Lamesa with one route going to Midland and the other going to Big Spring; meet back in Sterling City where it continues through San Angelo and down to Del Rio. From there it would hug the border until it reaches Eagle Pass, then go east to Carrizo Springs and then south to Laredo.

The proposed route would cross I-20 in Midland and Big Spring, I-10 in Sonora and both I-35 and the future route of I-69 in Laredo.

Michael Reeves, executive director of the Ports to Plains Alliance, said in a news release that he supports the effort to facilitate the needed study. Lubbock Mayor Dan Pope said the same.

“From an economic development perspective, the extension of I-27 would be a huge boost, not only to Lubbock’s economy, but to virtually all the communities along the Interstate. A thorough TxDOT study would certainly prepare us for the next step in the process.”

Read more here: http://lubbockonline.com/local/2017-01-09/rep-burrows-files-bill-i-27-extension-study

(KCBD) – Texas State Representative Dustin R. Burrows (HD-83) filed House Bill 869 Monday morning, legislation directing the Texas Department of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study of extending Interstate Highway I-27 from Lubbock to Laredo.

“This bill would direct TXDOT to examine a critically needed expansion of I-27, which currently ends in Lubbock. Given the economic and population growth West Texas has experienced during the last 20-years, the continuation of the interstate to Laredo would allow for further industry and business expansion along the route,” said Burrows. “President-elect Trump has stated he will pursue substantial national infrastructure improvements and my bill positions West Texas to be ready with a solid plan for the I-27 expansion,” Burrows added.

Michael Reeves, Executive Director of the Ports to Plains Alliance, a group of over 275 communities and businesses who advocate for transportation infrastructure improvement, said “We wholeheartedly support Rep. Burrows’ bill which will facilitate a critical next step in our efforts to extend Interstate 27. Texas does not have a major north-south Interstate west of I-35. An extended I-27 will boost economic growth and opportunity in West Texas, while serving as a much-needed alternative to the congested I-35 corridor.”

Lubbock Mayor Dan Pope said “From an economic development perspective, the extension of I-27 would be a huge boost, not only to Lubbock’s economy but to virtually all of the communities along the interstate.

A thorough TXDOT study would certainly prepare us for the next step in this process.”

Read more here: http://www.kcbd.com/story/34216962/tx-rep-burrows-files-bill-to-authorize-txdot-study-of-extending-i-27-to-laredo

Texas State Representative Dustin R. Burrows (HD-83) filed House Bill 869 today, legislation directing the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to conduct a feasibility study of extending Interstate Highway I-27 from Lubbock to Laredo.

“This bill would direct TXDOT to examine a critically needed expansion of I-27, which currently ends in Lubbock. Given the economic and population growth West Texas has experienced during the last 20-years, the continuation of the interstate to Laredo would allow for further industry and business expansion along the route,” said Burrows. “President-elect Trump has stated he will pursue substantial national infrastructure improvements and my bill positions West Texas to be ready with a solid plan for the I-27 expansion,” Burrows added.

HB 869: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/85R/billtext/pdf/HB00869I.pdf#navpanes=0