Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Legislation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Deputy county administrator briefs Collin County commissioners on House and Senate bills; commissioners voice concern about judge pay authority
Summary
Deputy County Administrator Russell Schauffner summarized several bills moving through the 80th Texas Legislature, including HB 2085 (inmate pickup window), HB 1031 (judge authority over coordinator pay) and upcoming Senate bail-bond reform hearings; a commissioner voiced strong opposition to HB 1031.
Russell Schauffner, Deputy County Administrator, updated the Collin County Commissioners on several bills and committee changes in the 80th Texas Legislature and flagged items the county is watching.
Schauffner said the House will release committee assignments soon and described a consolidation of panels that will increase the purview of the committee handling county affairs. He highlighted HB 2085, which would shorten the time the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has to pick up an inmate from county jails following disposition, and HB 1031 by Morales, which would allow judges to set compensation for their court coordinators.
"HB 2085 would change the 45 days…to 1 day," Schauffner said, and he noted that the bill would also provide compensation if the state misses the new shorter pickup window. On HB 1031, Schauffner said the bill would carve out an authority for judges over certain compensation decisions that have historically been under the county's purview.
A commissioner identified in the record as Commissioner Webb said he opposed HB 1031. "We're already subject to a cap…If now the judges get to set the salaries also, we're also subject to whatever…and yet we are capped on what we can raise in terms of revenue," Webb said. "I am vehemently opposed to this, and I think this is really gonna come back to bite us if we're not careful."
Schauffner also noted the Senate will hold hearings on bail-bond reform bills, including SB 9 and SB 1047, and that that debate is expected to be vigorous and to start earlier than in the prior session.
The presentation was informational; the court did not take formal action on the bills at this meeting.
