Video & Transcript Research : 'Texas state employees'
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TX
Texas 89th Regular
Press Conference: Texas State Employees Pay Raise Jan 27th, 2025 at 11:01 am
Transcript Highlights:
- employee, and from Joan Barish, who's a retiree with Texas State Employees Union.
- the Texas State Employees Union.
- John Gangler: Now, the TSEU, the Texas State Employees Union, has put out a survey concerning turnover
- I'm honored to stand with my colleague, Senator Sarah Eckhardt, and Texas State Employees Union.
- State Employees Union.
Keywords:
Texas state employees, retirees, compensation, House Bill 343, House Bill 247, Senator Sarah Eckhardt, Representative John Busey, cost of living, workforce, legislative session
Summary:
The committee meeting focused on critical issues facing Texas state employees and retirees, highlighting the need for increased compensation and improved benefits. Senator Sarah Eckhardt and Representative John Busey presented new legislation aimed at addressing these longstanding problems, including proposed House Bills 343 and 247, which seek a $10,000 across-the-board pay increase for state employees. Senator Eckhardt emphasized the growing wage gap between public sector jobs and private sector offerings, which has led to high turnover rates and the loss of institutional knowledge. Public testimonies underscored the urgency of the issue as retirees shared their struggles with stagnant pensions amidst rising living costs.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- If you'll state your name.
- , Texas A&M, and Texas Tech University.
- The Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA) is a test designed to help guide Texas public institutions
- Due to an oversight in Senate Bill 215, Texas State Technical College was not relieved from this requirement
- , which occurred because Texas State... is included in a different part of the Education Code than the
Keywords:
sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, higher education, student safety, orientation policies, health physics, workforce development, nuclear energy, radiological safety, scholarship, education, Texas Leadership Scholars Program, student funding, transparency, degree requirements, certificate programs, student transfer, foreign language
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Apr 23rd, 2025
Pensions, Investments & Financial Services
Transcript Highlights:
- In 2007, we were all sent across the state during the Texas Juvenile Justice Division conservatorship
- The lowest liability layers in the state of Texas for any pension fund that has... assets totaling over
- For an 8%, we are not only competing against each other for officers across the state of Texas, but we
- We are the third-largest school district in the state of Texas, serving approximately 118,000 students
- A lot of those officers are state employees; however, they are in TRS and not ERS.
Bills:
HB886, HB1514, HB2434, HB2688, HB2802, HB3161, HB3221, HB4029, HB4339, HB4591, HB4774, HB4802, HB4853, HB5627, SB1737
Keywords:
retirement, supplemental payment, benefits, Employees Retirement System, eligible annuitants, legislation, annuity, service credit, Employees Retirement System of Texas, employee benefits, pension reform, public retirement systems, municipality pensions, firefighters, police officers, retirement age, DROP program, actuarial studies, pension benefits, municipal retirement
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Apr 23rd, 2025
Pensions, Investments & Financial Services
Transcript Highlights:
- We show you registered as Jerome Wald on behalf of the Texas State Employees Union, and you're testifying
- Chair, perhaps we can help state employees. ...state retirees recoup that loss.
- I represent the Texas Public Employees Association, which represents state employees and retirees throughout
- I'm also a former state employee, a retired state employee with over 35 years of service, and I retired
- from the Employees Retirement System of Texas.
Bills:
HB886, HB1514, HB2434, HB2688, HB2802, HB3161, HB3221, HB4029, HB4339, HB4591, HB4774, HB4802, HB4853, HB5627, SB1737
Keywords:
retirement, supplemental payment, benefits, Employees Retirement System, eligible annuitants, legislation, annuity, service credit, Employees Retirement System of Texas, employee benefits, pension reform, public retirement systems, municipality pensions, firefighters, police officers, retirement age, DROP program, actuarial studies, pension benefits, municipal retirement
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs May 14th, 2025
Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- Texas DPS.
- we implement the Texas gang database.
- Do you have a Texas office? No, sir, we do not. Are there any employees here? I'm sorry, sir.
- How many instances have state or federal employees been caught in smuggling? Good morning, sir.
- There will also be a mandatory integration into cybersecurity for state employees.
Keywords:
smuggling, human trafficking, criminal penalties, felony offenses, law enforcement, foreign adversary, foreign-owned company, scrutinized company, China, national security, cybersecurity, information technology, communications technology, ICT, critical infrastructure, state contracts, government procurement, vendor certification, debarment, civil penalty
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- support coordinators in our state.
- So we're grateful for what the state of Texas... well, the team you see in this state has done a lot
- And members, House Bill 2513 fine-tunes the statute that governs military leave for state employees,
- The military leave statute for Texas government employees grants 15 workdays of military leave.
- House Bill 39 requires the Texas Department of State Health Services to provide the Texas Veterans Commission
Keywords:
veterans, mental health, Texas Veterans Commission, peer support, suicide prevention, community mental health, grant program, cemetery, General Land Office, burial plot, remembrance, monthly designation, honoring military, Texas legislation, rural services, paid leave, fire protection personnel, military service, public employees, employment benefits
TX
Keywords:
public school finance, property values, homestead exemptions, funding allocation, education policy, public school bonds, school funding, guarantee prohibition, education finance, state law change, veterans, mental health, Texas Veterans Commission, peer support, suicide prevention, community mental health, grant program, cemetery, General Land Office, burial plot
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Delivery of Government Efficiency Apr 2nd, 2025
Delivery of Government Efficiency
Transcript Highlights:
- Cortez wants to thank the Texas State Employees Union for bringing this to his attention and other homeowners
- the Texas State Employees Union, and that you will be testifying for the bill, is that correct?
- I'm the Legislative and Political Director for the Texas State Employees Union. union.
- Prior to that, I graduated from East Texas State University.
- Airstone compared to a very large state and a great state of Texas.
Bills:
HB512, HB2248, HB2679, HB2832, HB3112, HB3368, HB3490, HB3512, HB3623, HB3666, HB3700, HB3711, HB3770, HB3963
Keywords:
grievance procedures, state agency, employee rights, workplace regulations, employment law, employees, employment actions, appeal, state employees, workplace rights, disciplinary actions, employment conditions, employment disputes, job protections, public information, transparency, government accountability, information access, notification requirements, federal funding
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Recently, some wholesalers in our state are delinquent in their payments to Texas distillers. Mr.
- Wholesalers of Texas, and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
- wine and Texas farmers.
- You cannot, at the same time, hold a G permit in the state of Texas.
- Can't do that in Texas. It's put a hard cap on how far Texas wine can go.
Keywords:
immigration enforcement, ICE agreements, sheriff grants, law enforcement, county jail, federal immigration law, China, Chinese-affiliated entities, Chinese military companies, People's Republic of China, Chinese Communist Party, divestment, state pension funds, public retirement systems, Teacher Retirement System, Employees Retirement System, Permanent School Fund, Texas Comptroller, foreign investment, national security
Summary:
The Senate Committee on State Affairs resumed consideration of several pending bills, first taking up Senate Bills 667, 1349, 1585, and 2312. After inviting testimony had already been heard, no members of the public came forward to testify on any of those measures, and the committee closed public testimony and left all four bills pending.
The committee then heard Senate Bill 1355, which Senator Parker explained as a committee substitute aimed at helping Texas distillers recover unpaid invoices from wholesalers. The substitute would require distillers to invoice at the time of purchase, send a demand letter if payment terms are violated, and allow complaints to be filed with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which could determine an appropriate penalty based on the facts. Natasha Dehart of Bent Distilling Company testified in support, describing serious cash-flow problems and unpaid invoices from a Texas wholesaler that had forced layoffs, late vendor payments, and operational strain. No one testified against the bill, and it was left pending.
The committee also heard Senate Bill 1378, a narrowly tailored local bill for a Carrollton facility recently acquired by Sazerac that employs more than 1,000 Texans. Senator Parker said the bill would create a limited exemption to avoid forcing the company to shut down or move because of current permit restrictions, while preserving the three-tier system and preventing the company from selling wine to itself. A Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission resource witness said the bill was drafted so it would not open the door to broader industry changes. Mason Moreland testified against the bill as filed, arguing it gave special treatment to one company and failed to address broader problems in the wine industry, including direct-to-consumer sales and permit issues. After questions from senators, public testimony closed and SB 1378 was left pending. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Delivery of Government Efficiency Apr 16th, 2025
Delivery of Government Efficiency
Transcript Highlights:
- students across the whole state of Texas.
- Executive Director of Texas Public Employees Association and a former Executive Director of two state
- Yes ma'am you were a longtime state employee I assume.
- I want to go be a state employee. Were you a supervisor?
- And that is widely known with state employees.
Bills:
HB3146, HB3719, HB3895, HB3923, HB4748, HB4751, HB4936, HB4952, HB4990, HB4991, HB5061, HB5196, HB5238, HB5246, HB5487
Keywords:
State Office of Administrative Hearings, SOAH, administrative hearings, contested case, contested case hearing, administrative law judge, ALJ, final decision, proposed decision, agency hearing, hearing continuance, rescheduling, Texas administrative law, Government Code Chapter 2001, workers' compensation, Department of Human Resources, Texas Labor Code, Transportation Code, Agriculture Code, Insurance Code
TX
Texas 89th Regular
S/C on Defense & Veterans' Affairs Apr 7th, 2025
S/C on Defense & Veterans' Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- So I think it's a fairly a small population in the state of Texas, and these are folks that are wounded
- Thank you for your service to the state of Texas. House Bill 2513.
- Director of the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation, and you're here as a resource witness?
- So, we have the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation. Yes, ma'am. Okay.
- I would say, arguably, we are one of the largest veteran providers in the state of Texas.
Keywords:
Veterans of Foreign Wars, veterans, commemoration, military service, recognition, September 29, waiver programs, toll roads, discount programs, transportation, affordable housing, land bank program, low-income households, Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation, HB 2061, Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 225, State Highway 242, Interstate Highway 69, Montgomery County
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Recently, some wholesalers in our state are delinquent in their payments to Texas distillers. Mr.
- So, and I haven't looked at those sections, but so if some other out-of-state buyer of a Texas winery
- permit, and you cannot at the same time hold a G permit in the state of Texas.
- Can't do that in Texas. It's put a hard cap on how far Texas wine can go.
- into Texas. liquor.
Keywords:
immigration enforcement, ICE agreements, sheriff grants, law enforcement, county jail, federal immigration law, China, Chinese-affiliated entities, Chinese military companies, People's Republic of China, Chinese Communist Party, divestment, state pension funds, public retirement systems, Teacher Retirement System, Employees Retirement System, Permanent School Fund, Texas Comptroller, foreign investment, national security
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Foreign adversaries exploit state pension funds, including those in Texas, by investing in companies
- Um, you're here on behalf of Texas State Employee Union itself, and you're against the bill.
- My name is Maggie DeSanza, and I'm here representing both myself and the Texas State Employees Union
- Texas is an incredibly diverse state, yet our public institutions still reflect the legacy of policies
- Despite these costs, Texas currently lacks a formal ongoing state-directed study to quantify these specific
Keywords:
temporary emergency electric energy facility, temporary generation, emergency power, backup generation, mobile generator, portable generator, grid resilience, power outage restoration, transmission and distribution utility, TDU, Public Utility Commission of Texas, PUCT, Utilities Code Section 39.918, competitive bidding, lease authorization, emergency procurement, bulk power system, locational marginal pricing, reliability model, black start
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- State pension funds, including those in Texas, are affected by investing in companies with direct ties
- My name is Maggie DeSanza, and I am here representing both myself and the Texas State Employees Union
- Texas is an incredibly diverse state, yet our public institutions still reflect the legacy of policies
- and other border states.
- Despite these costs, Texas currently lacks a form of more ongoing state-directed study to quantify the
Keywords:
temporary emergency electric energy facility, temporary generation, emergency power, backup generation, mobile generator, portable generator, grid resilience, power outage restoration, transmission and distribution utility, TDU, Public Utility Commission of Texas, PUCT, Utilities Code Section 39.918, competitive bidding, lease authorization, emergency procurement, bulk power system, locational marginal pricing, reliability model, black start
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- This bill is a response to a change in 2023 that our licensing board, the Texas State Board of Examiners
- In other words we must be consistent if we're going to fund the insurance for employees around the state
- In a state like Texas, that's invaluable because obviously east to west, north to south, rural to urban
- But we do try to serve the entire state. And we are in Central Texas, Del Valle.
- But again, I've been in the state of Texas for 15 years, video 15 times.
Bills:
HB 1178, HB1411, HB1441, HB1773, HB1813, HB2107, HB2598, HB2911, HB2967, HB3672, HB5263, HB3797
Keywords:
education, temporary certification, out-of-state educators, teacher shortage, military spouses, personal leave, school holidays, employee compensation, overtime provisions, school safety, peace officers, mental health, de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed care, student trustee, school board, student representation, education policy, nonvoting position, school governance
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- in terms of the estimates... are that we're talking about probably close to 200,000 students in the state
- of Texas.
- Jennifer Deacons, on behalf of the Texas Optometric Association, and you are testifying for the bill,
- More than one-third are considered at risk by the Texas Code of Education.
- Our optometrists in Texas are really at the forefront of diagnosing and addressing these issues.
Bills:
HB 1178, HB1411, HB1441, HB1773, HB1813, HB2107, HB2598, HB2911, HB2967, HB3672, HB5263, HB3797
Keywords:
education, temporary certification, out-of-state educators, teacher shortage, military spouses, personal leave, school holidays, employee compensation, overtime provisions, school safety, peace officers, mental health, de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed care, student trustee, school board, student representation, education policy, nonvoting position, school governance
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- We have our RSOCs all across the state of Texas.
- Who does it at this level in the state of Texas?
- and Texas and other state governments.
- it essential in order to move the state of Texas forward.
- I am associate state director for AARP Texas, and I'm here today representing AARP Texas and its 2.5
Bills:
HB146, HB150, HB1500, HB1545, HB1562, HB2067, HB2520, HB2818, HB3214, HB3250, HB3466, HB3512, HB3623, HB4063, HB4395, HB4464, HB4668, HB4690, HB5331, HB3833
Keywords:
HB 146, Texas Capitol, State Capitol, State Preservation Board, Congress Avenue, Travis County, traffic lanes, lane closure, road closure, municipal authority, local control, Capitol area, downtown Austin, special events, construction traffic plan, pedestrian safety, public works, transportation policy, government code chapter 443, cybersecurity
Summary:
The committee took up several pending business items and reported a series of House bills out of committee, including HB 2467, HB 2468, HB 2518, HB 4310, HB 4386, HB 4490, HB 5323, and HB 149. Most of these were advanced on committee substitute motions and sent to the local and uncontested calendar or reported favorably to the full Senate. HB 2467 drew one nay vote, while the others were approved without opposition. HB 4310 and HB 4386 were described as committee-substitute versions with changes narrowing disclosure requirements and preserving attorney-client privilege in certain circumstances.
A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 149, an AI governance bill. The substitute was explained as addressing biometric identifier capture and storage, exempting certain AI uses for security and fraud prevention, clarifying definitions, restricting AI systems that simulate explicit child sexual content, adjusting Attorney General investigative authority, refining sandbox program waivers, reducing Texas AI Council powers and membership, and adding DIR coordination provisions. The committee adopted the substitute and reported the bill favorably.
The committee then heard extensive testimony on HB 1500, the DIR sunset bill. The author said the bill would continue DIR for 12 years, restructure its board, update advisory committees, require regular cybersecurity assessments and penetration testing for state agencies, improve IT procurement training, and transfer the e-grants program to the Comptroller. A Texas 2036 witness supported the bill as a way to strengthen governance, procurement, and cybersecurity. Members asked detailed questions about the bill’s structure and then left HB 1500 pending.
The committee also heard a lengthy presentation on HB 150, which would create the Texas Cyber Command as a component of the University of Texas System, administratively attached to UTSA and located in San Antonio. The author argued the command would centralize cyber threat intelligence, incident response, and digital forensics, and would be able to support state and local entities, with optional services for local governments. Members raised concerns about university mission drift, governance, security, chain of command, procurement authority, gifts and donations, and civil liberties implications of proactive cyber monitoring. Witnesses from UTSA/NSCC and SecurityScorecard testified in support, emphasizing the security of the downtown San Antonio facility, the existing cyber ecosystem there, and the need for a dedicated cyber capability. The bill remained under discussion with no final committee action announced in the excerpt.
TX
Keywords:
veterans, mental health, Texas Veterans Commission, peer support, suicide prevention, community mental health, grant program, cemetery, General Land Office, burial plot, remembrance, monthly designation, honoring military, Texas legislation, rural services, paid leave, fire protection personnel, military service, public employees, employment benefits
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- And we've got to We've got to keep attacking the problem, so we're grateful for what the state of Texas
- The military leave statute for Texas government employees grants 15 work days of military leave.
- And members, House Bill 2513, fine-tunes the statute that governs military leave for state employees
- The military leave statute for the Texas government employees grants 15 work days of military leave.
- House Bill 39 requires the Texas Department of State Health Services to provide the Texas Veterans Commission
Keywords:
veterans, mental health, Texas Veterans Commission, peer support, suicide prevention, community mental health, grant program, cemetery, General Land Office, burial plot, remembrance, monthly designation, honoring military, Texas legislation, rural services, paid leave, fire protection personnel, military service, public employees, employment benefits
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs heard several House bills related to veterans’ services, mental health, military leave, burial access, suicide data, and Veterans Month. House Bill 114 would transfer administration of certain veterans’ mental health initiatives from HHSC to the Texas Veterans Commission, create a TVC grant program for community-based mental health services, require a statewide veteran suicide prevention action plan, and mandate annual reporting. A committee substitute was mentioned, but members said they were not prepared to adopt it yet. No one testified for or against the bill, and it was left pending.
House Bill 1965 would direct TVC to study ways to expand access to mental health services through the military veteran peer network, including increasing peer support coordinators, with emphasis on rural communities and broader use in veterans treatment courts. Support testimony came from the Texas VFW, which emphasized the value of peer-to-peer support and the network’s role in suicide prevention. The bill was left pending after testimony. House Bill 2513 would clarify military leave rules for state-employed firefighters by counting their 24-hour or 48-hour shifts appropriately so they do not have to use vacation time to fulfill military duty; a firefighters’ representative testified in support, and the bill was left pending.
The committee also heard House Bill 1875, which would require the General Land Office and TVC to study veterans’ burial needs, access to cemeteries, and cemetery operational needs, and House Bill 39, which would require DSHS to provide TVC de-identified death certificate data when a veteran dies by suicide or homicide to improve understanding of veteran deaths. The Texas VFW supported HB 39. House Bill 1894 would designate November as Veterans Month in Texas. All of these bills were left pending, and members indicated they were waiting on committee substitutes before voting, with possible action later on the floor or in committee.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The state of Texas is home to over one million veterans.
- By the state of Texas, by the state government. The technology is there. It's legally sound.
- If Texas is going to own gold, if the state of Texas is going to own gold, let's have it here.
- than 400 member banks across the state of Texas, I am here to testify in opposition to this bill.
- You have 269 banks and 167 credit unions that are licensed and regulated by the state of Texas.
Keywords:
SB 524, Texas franchise tax, veteran-owned business, new veteran-owned business, business tax exemption, filing fee exemption, Tax Code Chapter 171, Business Organizations Code, Comptroller, small business, veterans, entrepreneurship, tax repeal, privilege tax, beginning date, franchise tax exemption, severance tax, oil, gas, restimulation wells