The House of Representatives passed its first piece of legislation this week. The bill deals with one of the biggest issues facing our state right now: border security.

House Bill 11 will give law enforcement the tools they need to secure our borders. While I believe that the federal government should be responsible for border security, Texas will continue to carry the load as long as the government fails to do so. H.B. 11 will enhance the ability of local and state law enforcement agencies to share information and technology, which will help utilize our law enforcement resources more efficiently.  

We also passed H.B. 10, which will strengthen the penalties for human trafficking and smuggling. Many times, drugs are not the only things being smuggled across our border. By enhancing the laws against human trafficking, law enforcement will be able to punish those who continue to exploit people in desperate circumstances. Both of these measures are great steps towards securing our border in spite of the federal government's failure to do so.

We also passed a measure that would help our reserve troops regain their health insurance coverage more quickly when they return from active duty. This common sense measure is one of the ways that we can help our brave men and women transition back to civilian life when they return from serving our country. I am proud to have supported this measure. 

As the legislative session continues, I want to encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about legislation. I want to hear your opinion regarding the issues that are important to you. It is with your input that I am able to best represent you. My office number is 512-463-0556 or district9.paddie@house.state.tx.us.