YOUR HELP is needed to make Texas a more beautiful state! 

Five bills have been introduced in the Texas legislator that will pass with your support.  HB 994 and SB 512 are bills that will ban the construction of any new billboards in Texas and HB 1039 and SB 511 are bills to include our state in the National Scenic Byways Program. HB 678 has also been introduced to add roads in our region to the protected road list established in the last legislative session.  These bills have been assigned to the three committees shown on the following page. Telephone, mail and email information for each committee member (16 representatives and 5 senators) is included.  These committees will hear the bills within the next 2 to 4 weeks so the timing is critical.   Please write or call these legislators asking for their support for this important legislation. Communicating to these committee members is important even if you are not a constituent.  Please put a letter in your own words (suggested inclusions appear on the last page), print, and mail a separate letter by regular mail to each committee member.  This is preferable to email, but if your time does not permit asking for support by regular mail, please email and also call.  The billboard lobby is very strong and active in Austin, but you can make the difference.  If you think 30,000 billboards are enough, take action TODAY so that it does not get worse.  Please also write your own Senator and Representative.

One Bill is assigned to Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations:

1. No new billboards. SB 512 authored by Sen. Jane Nelson of Ft. Worth will ban the construction of all new billboards in Texas.  While 200 cities in Texas have stopped the construction of new billboards, authority does not exist outside of the city’s ETJ.  This bill will protect those who live in rural areas and all of us who travel the highways have a right to be protected from visual pollution on our public roads.  Billboard prohibition is legal because they gain their value from the taxpayer-funded public road.  This bill does not impact the property rights of the 30,000 billboard owners; it only stops new billboards. Billboard construction has been stopped in five states and there is no evidence of a negative economic impact.  In fact, many cities have found an increase in tourism spending.

2. (Pending assignment to committee) Join the scenic byways program. SB 511 authored by Sen. Jane Nelson of Ft. Worth will allow Texas to finally be able to access Federal funds for roads that are aesthetically, culturally, and historically significant as part of the National Scenic Byway Program. 20% of the funds will come from the communities and landowners who wish to participate, and 80% from the Federal government.  Unless it wants to participate, there is no cost to the state. The State of Texas only has to give permission for communities to act positively to not only impact the beauty and quality of life in Texas, but also to provide a major economic boost that such roads receive from tourism growth.

Senators                                                         Party        District                               Phone

Frank Madla, San Antonio, Chair                     D                   19                       512-463-0119                                   

Kim Brimer, Ft. Worth, V. Chair                      R                    10                       512-463-0110

Bob Deuell, M.D., Greenville                            R                     2                        512-463-0102

Mario Gallegos, Houston                                  D                    6                        512-463-0106

Jeff Wentworth, San Antonio                            R                    25                       512-463-0125

TO WRITE SENATORS:  P.O. BOX 12068, AUSTIN, TEXAS   78711-2068

TO EMAIL SENATORS:   first.last@senate.state.tx.us

                                      Example:   frank.madla@senate.state.tx.us

One Bill assigned to House Committee on State Cultural and Recreational Resources:

HB 994 co-authored by Joe Nixon of Houston and Mike Villarreal of San Antonio is the House companion to and is identical in content to SB 511 (ban the construction of all new billboards). 

Representatives                                             Party         District                                Phone                       

Kevin Bailey, Houston                                      D                  140                      512-463-0924

Byron Cook, Corsicana                                    R                     8                        512-463-0730

Dawnna Dukes, Austin, B&O Chair                  D                   46                       512-463-0506

Charlie Geren, Ft.Worth, V.Chair                     R                    99                       512-463-0610

Harvey Hilderbran, Kerrville, Chair        R                   53                     512-463-0536                       

Edmund Kuempel, Seguin                                 R                    44                       512-463-0602

Larry Phillips, Sherman                                     R                    62                       512-463-0297

TO WRITE REPRESENTATIVES:  P.O. BOX 2910, AUSTIN, TEXAS   78768-2910

TO EMAIL REPRESENTATIVES:  first.last@house@state.tx.us

                                          Example:  harvey.hilderbran@house.state.tx.us

Two Bills assigned to House Committee on Transportation:

1.  HB1039 authored by Rep Mike Krusee will allow Texas to participate in the National Scenic Byways Program (48 other states participate now!).  This is the House companion to SB511.

2.  HB 678 is authored by Rep Rob Eissler of The Woodlands, and is an amendment to the current law that designates portions of 13 Texas roads to be protected from new billboard construction.  Rep Eissler has added 4 roadways to this list.  We need to ban all new billboards throughout Texas, but must urge the passage of this bill to make certain we make progress controlling billboards.

Representatives                                             Party         District                                Phone

Mike Krusee, Round Rock, Chair                     R                    52                       512-463-0670

Larry Phillips, Sherman, V.Chair                       R                    62                       512-463-0297

Peggy Hamric, Houston, B&O Chair                R                   126                      512-463-0496

Al Edwards, Houston                                       D                  146                      512-463-0518

Timoteo Garza, Eagle Pass                               D                   80                       512-463-0194

Linda Harper-Brown, Irving                              R                   105                      512-463-0641

Fred Hill, Richardson                                        R                   112                      512-463-0486                       

Pete Laney, Hale Center                                   R                    85                       512-463-0604

Ken Mercer, San Antonio                                 R                   117                      512-463-0269

Correspondence Suggestions

Dear Senator ______________________:

Dear Representative ________________:

(SB_____ or HB_____) has been referred to your committee. 

I urge you to VOTE YES for no new billboards--please protect our precious Texas views. As a taxpayer, I have had enough.  Over the past 50 years, the state has systematically given away our roadway views to the billboard and outdoor advertising industries. In exchange we have at least 30,000 billboards with the expectation that there will be 550 more each year. This is from an industry that pays no sales taxes on its advertising revenues, pays very little property taxes, and nothing in highway construction or maintenance costs.  And the Texas outdoor advertising industry employs no more than 1500 persons.  Let the natural beauty of Texas present a better image, which will be economically beneficial. Our grandchildren deserve it!

And I urge you to VOTE YES to allow Texas to opt into the National Scenic Byways program. We should designate and market our scenic and historic roads and be able to get back some of our federal tax dollars to preserve them. This is a win-win. 

Thank you for taking a leadership role in passing legislation that will make all Texans proud.