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Committee advances multiple local memorial highway designations and an adopt-a-county-road proposal
Summary
Senate Transportation advanced several measures designating portions of state highways as memorials and voted to report an adopt-a-county-road program to the full Senate; actions were largely uncontested and carried local support letters or resolutions.
The Senate Committee on Transportation advanced a slate of local bills Thursday that would designate portions of state highways as memorials to fallen service members and others, and it reported a local adopt-a-county-road program to the full Senate.
House Bill 20 26, sponsored by Senator Hagenboo, would designate a portion of State Highway 25 between Archer City and the Windsor area as the US Army Staff Sergeant Gary C. Johnston and US Marine Corps Sergeant Gary S. Johnson Memorial Highways. Senator Hagenboo told the committee the two service members were from the same family and that the measure memorializes their service. The committee left public testimony closed and later reported the bill favorably to the Senate on a voice vote.
Other memorial designations laid out in committee included House Bill 44 29, which would name a portion of U.S. Highway 281 in Blanco and Burnet counties as the McLoroy Family Memorial Highway; Senate Bill 3062, which would designate a portion of Highway 315 in Panola County as the Hamby Webb Memorial Highway; House Bill 35 10, which would name a portion of State Highway 6 in Brazos County the Sergeant Mark Butler Memorial Highway; and House Bill 39 86, which would designate part of U.S. Highway 83 in Mission as the Corporal Jose Luis “Speedy” Espariqueta Memorial Highway. Committee files include local resolutions or letters of support for the local-designation bills.
Senator Nichols also moved that House Bill 25 60, creating an adopt-a-county-road program that lets county commissioners’ courts accept donated funds for repair and maintenance and permit recognition signage, be reported favorably; the committee recorded a roll-call vote and reported the measure 7–0. Senator Nichols described the program as optional for counties and said funds and repairs would be administered through the county commissioners’ court and county road district highway funds.
Most memorial bills were reported to the full Senate with recommendations that they pass and be printed; several were submitted to the local uncontested calendar. The committee closed public testimony on each item and left some pending matters for final floor scheduling.
