Lt. Governor David Dewhurst announced on January 29 interim charges for the Senate Committees on Intergovernmental Relations, Economic Development, and Government Organization.
Lt. Governor Dewhurst instructed the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations to focus on the following issues:
TRANSPARENCY. Lt. Governor Dewhurst asked the committee to study and make recommendations to increase transparency of debt at the local level and make recommendations that will increase citizen awareness and understanding of a local government's fiscal state. The Lt. Governor also requested that the committee analyze reforms such as requiring local governments to move bond elections to a uniform date coinciding with state general elections, and requiring local governments to publicly post their annual budgets, annual financial reports, and check registers online.
BONDS & BALLOTS. Lt. Governor Dewhurst instructed the committee to examine the immediate and long-term fiscal impact that bonds and other types of obligations issued by local governments have on current and future generations of taxpayers. He also asked that the committee analyze whether local governments should be required to use ballot language that includes their current outstanding debt, existing per capita debt, current debt service, and any increase the ballot measure would have on property taxes and make recommendations on additional ballot language that will better inform voters of their local governments' current and future fiscal states.
Lt. Governor Dewhurst instructed the Senate Committee on Economic Development to focus on the following issue:
ECONOMIC REVIEW. Lt. Governor Dewhurst asked the committee to study and make recommendations to develop a biennial state review process for economic development programs to determine their effectiveness in keeping Texas economically competitive while ensuring taxpayer dollars are used wisely. As a part of this study, the committee should review processes used in other states related to the analysis and reporting requirements for economic development programs.
Lt. Governor Dewhurst instructed the Senate Committee on Government Organization to focus on the following issues:
EFFICIENCY. Lt. Governor Dewhurst asked the committee to examine state agencies' mandated reporting practices, the necessity and utility of these reports, and reporting processes to the legislature and to the public. Dewhurst also requested that the committee make recommendations on eliminating unnecessary and duplicative reports, reducing state costs through the use of technology, and improving transparency to the legislature and citizens.
TRAINING. Lt. Governor Dewhurst also asked the committee to review and recommend improvements to state agency training, policies, and procedures for monitoring and reporting performance of state contracts, including a review of exemptions to state contracting oversight.
SECURITY. Additionally, Lt. Governor Dewhurst asked the committee to monitor the implementation of SB 1597, relating to the development of state agency information security plans to improve the security of agency information systems and to proactively protect the state against cybercrime and similar security threats.
Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst will continue to release his interim charges in the coming weeks.