O’Day lands 3 committee assignments
O’Day lands 3 committee assignments
Published January 28, 2007
Newly sworn-in State Rep. Mike O’Day, R-Pearland, will be pretty busy in his first term as a member of the House of Representatives.
Committee assignments were issued late Friday by House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, and O’Day was given three appointments — culture, recreation and tourism, natural resources and redistricting.
O’Day has been scrambling to get his office and staff on its feet since being sworn in Wednesday. He has not had an opportunity to draft or consider legislation since taking office, he said.
“We just got a parking spot yesterday,” he said, laughing.
The Pearland businessman won a runoff special emergency election on Jan. 16 to replace the late Glenda Dawson, who died in September after a short illness.
State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, again will chair the environmental regulation committee and was appointed as a member of the ways and means committee.
As member of the ways and means committee, Bonnen said he hoped to generate some legislation that would give small business owners with gross revenue up to $15 million a $1 million deduction on their franchise tax.
A school finance bill passed during a special session of the 79th Legislature increased a franchise tax paid by businesses.
The environmental regulation committee will have to create legislation that strikes a balance between the federal Clean Air Act and facilitating industry, Bonnen said.
“We’re going to have to work with that without being a deterrent to business development in the region,” he said.
O’Day said The appointments to the culture and natural resources committees were expected. Though the appointment to the redistricting committee, which oversees legislation regarding congressional districts, had not been expected, it still will serve as a great opportunity, he said.
Redistricting for federal congressional districts is not expected until 2011, which would give O’Day plenty of time to learn the ropes about drawing district lines, he said.
“I think it’s a positive thing personally,” O’Day said. “You’re going to learn everything that’s going on in the state.”
John Tompkins is a reporter for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 849-8581.
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