In talking to the people of the district, the issue that I hear the most is the most is that the growing Texas economy is impacting the quiet enjoyment of our rural and small town quality of life.

Whether it is the attempt by Austin to dump its "compost" waste in Lee County, the draining of our aquifers, the stink from a chicken rendering plant, the noise from natural gas pumping stations, the conversion of beautiful country into solar farms, the construction of data centers, the construction of electric generation plants in rural areas, the continued expansion of suburban neighborhoods in the district, and the additional traffic, crime, and environmental stress that results, there is a sense of loss and angst on the part of many in the district.

There is an old prayer that says, "Lord, grant me the courage to change the things I can, the patience to accept those I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference."

State representatives can have an important role in managing the growth in Texas to make sure that it is done in a way that is respectful of neighbors, balancing the rights of neighbors to quiet enjoyment of their property, while protecting the property rights of landowners to develop it as they see fit.

There are some things a state rep cannot stop. Most of us recognize that economic growth is a key part of the well-being of future generations, and it should not be stopped.

My approach to representing the people of the district on these issues is to stop the truly damaging activities that cannot be mitigated like the dumping of "compost" on an industrial scale in the beautiful country, while making sure we have tools to insure that development is done in a way that respects the neighbors.

I testified to keep an important tool we need to "Stop the Slop," the industrial scale "composting" proposal coming from the City of Austin that will create a fire hazard, incredible stink, attraction of vermin and buzzards, and potential pollution of the Yequa Creek system and Lake Somerville. The tool in danger from Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) was public common law nuisance lawsuits to stop polluters. Given that the company trying to pollute is talking like it will ignore two laws designed to stop it, this type of lawsuit, which allows Lee County to sue on behalf of its suit to stop the nuisance is our ace in the hole.  Here is my testimony against the bill that would have taken away that tool from Lee County. Fortunately the bill died in the committee where I testified. One other thing to note is that TLR was the largest donor to Stan Gerdes in the 2024 cycle, donating over $250K to Gerdes.

One thing I think a state rep should do is to vote down all state level subsidies to corporations that turbocharge growth. Organic growth is one thing. Using our tax dollars to turbocharge it is something else.

Legislation is also needed to give more tools to county judges and commissioners to insure that growth is done in a way that does not degrade the quality of life of those already here.