http://impactnews.com/leander-cedar-park/340-government/13203-local-legislator-fights-for-education-votes-against-public-smoking-ban-bill

By Marcus Funk

Friday, 17 June 20

AUSTIN — The Legislature went into extra innings in early June when Gov. Rick Perry called an immediate special session to resolve school financing talks that collapsed at the end of the regular session.

A congressional redistricting map followed, as did a hyper-partisan bill on so-called “sanctuary cities.”

And local Rep. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, also became a lone opposition vote to a public smoking ban that may be considered as well.

Senate Democrats, and in particular Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth, provoked the special session by challenging and filibustering Senate Bill 1811, which outlined how public education funds would be distributed to individual school districts. Democrats widely opposed deep cuts to public education, and gambled that further negotiation in a special session would release more funding for Texas schools, one way or another. And since the budget itself was already passed and finalized, the discussion shifted to bills on funding mechanisms and distribution formulas for public education and health and human services.

As the special session continued through its second week, though, Schwertner said most of the funding techniques had not changed much. The most notable shift concerned public education, where Perry revived a school financing bill that allows school districts to adjust or lower salaries of their teachers and administrators, or administer furloughs—instead of simply laying staff off—which is currently their only option.

“I think it’s very important that those things pass,” Schwertner said. “It frees our school districts and superintendents to effectively operate their districts in a manner that is most cost effective for them, and that gives them some freedom from mandates.”

‘Sanctuary cities’

While funding methods for the state budget consumed the lion’s share of the Legislature’s time, Perry added two important side issues to the special session call. One is a bill on so-called “sanctuary cities,” or municipalities which instruct law enforcement not to inquire on the immigration status of anyone they arrest or detain during routine policework. Republicans say many cities, including Houston, have a de facto catch-and-release policy regarding undocumented immigrants; Democrats say every city in the state dutifully enforces immigration law, and the bill could lead to racial profiling and make law enforcement more difficult.

Schwerter said he, like many Republicans, is a “huge proponent” of the bill.

Congressional redistricting

A new congressional redistricting map was introduced on the first morning of the special session. Statewide, it adds four new congressional seats, and no small amount of controversy from Democrats who say urban and minority voters were unfairly targeted. Travis County, for example, has been divided into five seats, and the district held by Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, has been moved across town and into the Hill Country.

Locally, though, the map is much simpler. The seat held by Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, has been condensed into Williamson County and about 90 percent of Bell County, including Temple and most of Killeen. The new map is motivated by the same population growth that gave Leander and Cedar Park a new seat in the Texas House of Representatives.

Public smoking ban

One other item under consideration is a statewide public smoking ban, which has seen bipartisan support for several years. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Denton, has been pushing the issue since 2005, arguing it would save lives and potentially millions in health care costs. Her husband, Ronny, died of cancer in 2000.

The bill stalled during the regular session and hasn’t officially been added to the call. But the House Appropriations Committee did vote 19–1 to recommend the full House consider, and pass, the issue. Fifteen Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Schwertner was the sole dissenting vote. He said he is no fan of smoking—Schwertner is an orthopedic surgeon—but that a state law would enable redundant regulation that is better left in the hands of municipalities and business owners.

“I don’t smoke. It’s a terrible affliction for individuals, it’s a terrible health risk, and I never advise any of my patients to smoke, of course,” Schwertner said. “That said, municipalities can already put into effect those bans, and they can make them personalized to that geographic region. In addition, the free market is already kind of governing that—businesses are realizing that they probably do better, in some respects, if they have a smoking ban across their establishments.

“If we approve this, then how far does the government go in regulating consumer activity?”