Austin & Conroe, May 29 – What’s the opposite of “furniture”? “Anti-furniture”? “Perpetual motion machine”? “Fusion reactor”?

Texas Senator Brandon Creighton is the “Policy Rocket” of the Texas Senate. His productivity during the 86th Texas Legislature has been off the charts and in the stratosphere. All Texans should feel gratitude for Senator Creighton’s remarkable work during the 140 days of the session.

Creighton seemed to be everywhere. When major reforms such as property tax reform, school safety reforms, ending government funding for abortion providers, and the effort to protect historic monuments including the Alamo, Creighton was at the forefront. When Senators sought to pass their own bills, one could see from the Senate Gallery that they consulted with Creighton. Several House members, including all of Montgomery County’s legislators, Steve Toth, Will Metcalf, and Cecil Bell, regularly consulted and worked with Creighton on passing legislation essential to Creighton’s Senatorial District 4 as well as reforms which benefit all Texans.

Happy that Texans received some substantial protections in the property tax appraisal and property tax assessment process they’ve never had? Creighton was one of the authors of the giant Senate Bill 2. Relieved that Texans are finally receiving the property tax relief funds which the federal government has appropriated but waited for State agencies to distribute? Creighton was a lead Author and primary negotiator of the Harvey Relief Fund legislation. Proud that Republican leaders in the Texas Legislature have outlawed state agencies and subdivisions of the State from providing funds to abortion providers? Creighton was an original Author of Senate Bill 22. Happy that Representative Steve Toth got his major ethics reform legislation, the JD Lambright Local Government Ethics Reform Act, passed which contained major disclosure requirements for cities and counties to disclose their taxpayer-funded lobbying? Creighton was the Senate Sponsor and provided wisdom and advice as well as acting as Chairman of the Senate Conference Committee on the legislation.

Creighton was the primary or a major author of 166 bills during the 86th Legislature. Nine of the bills of which Creighton was the primary author passed and have gone to the Governor for signature. Eight other bills where Creighton was a major co-author also went to the Governor. Creighton worked closely with members of the Texas House of Representatives literally on hundreds of bills. Creighton’s service on 25 Conference Committees – the committees which work out differences between House and Senate versions of legislation which has passed each respective chamber – reflects how deeply other Senators and Representatives depended upon Creighton’s hard and outstanding work and the depth of Creighton’s personal integrity. Creighton served as the Chairman of five (5) Conference Committees, including House Bill 1495, the JD Lambright Local Government Ethics Reform Act, which passed as a major bill out of both the House and the Senate on Sunday, May 26.

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick appointed Creighton as Chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee and Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ports, as well as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Water and Rural Affairs. Creighton was also a member of the Property Tax, State Affairs, and Business & Commerce Committees.

Creighton was an author of the following other major legislation which passed both Houses of the Legislature and went to Governor Greg Abbott for signature, among many other bills:

• Major guardianship abuse and fraud prevention;
• Creating greater transparency in the operation of the Texas Ethics Commission, which regulates campaign contributions;
• Law to reduce deceptive legal advertising;
• Preserving the W.G. Jones State Forest in Montgomery County in perpetuity;
• Broadening the jurisdiction of the Justice of the Peace and County Courts at Law throughout Texas.

Creighton was the Senate sponsor of this legislation which originated in the House of Representatives, passed the Senate, and has gone on to the Governor, among many other bills:

• Game room regulation reform;
• Increasing the number of school marshals public schools may appoint for child safety;
• Legalizing Constitutional Carry in the event of natural disasters in counties where the Governor has issued a declaration;
• Allowing members of the United States Armed Forces to defer payment of ad valorem taxes while in combat;
• Authorizing Houston Ship Channel improvements and the issuance of revenue bonds to pay for them;
• H.B. 1495, which prohibits lobbyists from entering into contracts with governmental entities unless they submit a form, under penalty of perjury, to the Texas Ethics Commission disclosing the names of interested parties who have a controlling interest in their business. The bill also requires counties, cities, and other political subdivisions to clearly indicate in their budgets the amount each entity spends each year on tax-payer funded lobbying.

Creighton authored and sponsored so much legislation that listing all of his activity would make this article look more like the Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Senator Brandon Creighton has come into his own in the 86th Texas Legislature as a highly-respected member of the Senate and a great resource for citizens and the elected servants who serve them.

Creighton is particularly effective among members of the Texas Legislature for two reasons. First, he’s a brilliant man who has personally mastered the legislative process. Second, he has checked his ego at the door and shown enormous willingness to work with citizen-activists who seek policy reform. The combination of those two attributes has made Creighton one of the great resources in Texas for all 28 million Texans to accomplish reform.

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