Northwest Austin Republican Women

Education is Our Focus October 2011 Austin, TX

NWARW Adopts Bastrop Republican Women

For our October meeting, please bring gift cards in any denomination for HEB, Wal-Mart, Lowes, or Best Buy to be given to our friends in the Bastrop Republican Women. Many of their members and neighbors were affected by the recent wildfires that destroyed over 1550 homes and over 34,000 acres in Bastrop County. We will also offer members of the Bastrop Republican Women the chance to attend our October luncheon at half price. Any donations towards this effort will be appreciated.

October Lunch Menu & RSVP Our September meeting is on Monday, October 3 at Dave & Buster's, 9333 Research Blvd; check-in is 11:15, meeting at 11:45. Speaker: Christi Craddick, candidate for Texas Railroad Commission Menu: Honey Mustard Chicken Salad Cost: $16 RSVP: Contact Cherri Spradling at cherrispradling@austintitle.com by Thursday, September 29 Bring: Gift cards for HEB, Wal-Mart, Lowes, or Best Buy for our friends in the Bastrop Republican Women

Dates to Remember in October

Oct. 3 - NWARW October Meeting Oct. 4 - Travis County Deputy Voter Registrar Training Oct. 7 - NWARW Executive Cmte. Meeting at Chris Sales home Oct. 11 - Deadline to Register to Vote for November Election Oct. 17 - Travis County Republican Party Executive Committee Meeting Oct. 24 - Early Voting Begins

Inside This Issue

Dates to Remember Christi Craddick at October 3 Meeting Whats on the November ballot? Help Register Voters in Your County Letter from the President 2012 Membership Drive NWARW Officers 2011-2012

Coming in November

Christi Craddick, Candidate for Texas Railroad Commission, to address NWARW in October
Christi Craddick is a Republican candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission. Christi knows the importance of an energy policy that promotes growth in the industry, the need for continued development of new energy sources, and the significance of controlling government spending to ensure the Texas economy remains prosperous. A native of Midland, Christi is a small business owner and attorney specializing in oil and gas, water, tax issues, electric deregulation and environmental policy. Craddick also currently serves as president of a grassroots advocacy firm specializing in coalition building in the public policy arena and development and implementation of issue strategies. Craddick served as the chief political and legal advisor to the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Tom Craddick from 2002-2011. He was the first Republican Speaker in over 100 years. A longtime conservative activist, Christi worked to elect the first Republican majority in the Texas House of Representatives since Reconstruction. In 1994-95, Craddick clerked at the law firm of Jackson Walker, formerly Small, Craig & Werkinthin, where she specialized in agricultural, electric deregulation, environmental and tax issues. In 1994, she worked in the legal department of the Railroad Commission of Texas and at the Third Court of Appeals. Craddick also clerked at the law firms of Scott Douglas & McConnico in Austin and Cotton, Bledsoe, Tighe & Dawson in Midland in 1993. In 1991, she served on the staff of U.S. Congressman Joe Barton. A lifelong Republican, Christi has been selected as a Delegate for several Republican Party of Texas state conventions. Christi is a member of the State Bar of Texas and earned her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a member of St. Austins Catholic Church and resides in Austin. Christi will stand against Washingtons misguided energy policies that threaten Texas jobs and our nation's energy security. She believes that producing more of the energy we need here at home with the right government policies will turn out more jobs that can help us grow our economy and produce substantial new revenues for Texas.

Whats on the November ballot?

In November of odd-numbered years, Texans get the chance to vote on propositions for amendments to the Texas Constitution, in addition to a variety of local issues placed on the ballot by local governments. Sample ballots for Travis, Williamson, and Bastrop counties were not available in time for publication in this newsletter, so the information that follows may be incomplete for your precinct.

Travis County Bond Propositions 1 and 2 - $214.9 million (total)

Proposition 1: Roadway, Drainage, Bridge, Bike/Pedestrian Projects Projects in Proposition 1 are intended to improve mobility, decrease congestion and improve safety for vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian users on Travis County roads. Proposition 2: Parks and Land Conservation Projects Projects in Proposition 2 are intended to add to the quality of life of Travis County residents and visitors by providing recreational infrastructure in County metro and greenway parks.

Lake Travis ISD Bond Proposal - $158.4 million

Texas Constitutional Amendment Propositions

Ten measures are certified for the for the November 8, 2011 ballot in the state of Texas. All measures are legislatively-referred constitutional amendments. Topics considered: education, administration of government and taxes. For pros and cons on each amendment, please visit this link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/66451658/2011-Constitutional-Amendments (copies will be provided at October meeting)

Proposition 1 (SJR 14): Property Tax Exemption for the Surviving Spouse of a Disabled Veteran The Ballot Reads: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran." Summary: In 2007, Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment to allow for totally disabled veterans to receive a complete exemption from property taxes on their primary residence. Proposition 1 extends the property tax exemption for the residential homestead of totally disabled veteran to their surviving spouse upon the death of the disabled veteran if the property the disabled veteran resided at received a complete exemption in the prior tax year, the surviving spouse is over 55 years old and has not remarried, and the property remains the residential homestead of the surviving spouse. Proposition 2 (SJR 4): Provide the Texas Water Development Board Additional Bonding Authority The Ballot Reads: "The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $6 billion at any time outstanding." Summary: Proposition 2 will allow for the Texas Water Development Board to issue $6 billion in bonds to provide for projects in the State Water Plan through the Texas Water Development Fund II. This constitutional amendment will "evergreen" the bonding authority instead of requiring constitutional authority for future bonds submitted to the voters when the bonds are paid off. As local governments repay their bond debts and retire the debt, the Texas Water Development Board may re-issue additional bonds for future water projects up to an aggregate principal of $6 billion. Proposition 3 (SJR 50): Authorize General Obligation Bonds to Finance Higher Education Loans to Students The Ballot Reads: "The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of general obligation bonds of the State of Texas to finance educational loans to students." Summary: Proposition 3 will allow for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to issue and sell general obligation bonds to finance student loans. The total amount of the bonds authorized must be less than or equal to the total aggregate principal of previously authorized higher education student loan bonds, which is calculated to be $400 million by the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Proposition 4 (HJR 63): Allow Counties to Develop Transportation Reinvestment Zones The Ballot Reads: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit a county to issue bonds or notes to finance the development or redevelopment of an unproductive, underdeveloped, or blighted area and to pledge for repayment of the bonds or notes increases in ad valorem taxes imposed by the county on property in the area. The amendment does not provide authority for increasing ad valorem tax rates." Summary: The Texas Constitution currently allows for a municipality to issue bonds to finance projects to develop transportation reinvestment zones which utilize a portion of existing property tax revenue to finance bonds for highway projects in conjunction with the Texas Department of Transportation, including pass-through toll projects. Proposition 4 will allow counties the same financing tools to create transportation reinvestment zones for transportation projects the county has jurisdiction over. This ballot proposition will allow for a portion of a county's property tax revenue, for a county that chooses to create a transportation reinvestment zone, to be used to finance the road construction and improvements. Proposition 5 (SJR 26): Allow for Counties and Cities to Enter into Interlocal Agreements without the Imposition of a Tax The Ballot Reads: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to allow cities or counties to enter into interlocal contracts with other cities or counties without the imposition of a tax or the provision of a sinking fund." Summary: Proposition 5 will allow for counties and municipalities to jointly administer programs, provide services, or develop long-term infrastructure without having to impose a new tax or enter into new debt. Under current law, an interlocal agreement that extends beyond one year constitutes a debt obligation which would require a tax to pay for the debt. Proposition 6 (HJR 109): Distribute a Portion of the Permanent School Fund Revenue to the Available School Fund The Ballot Reads: "The constitutional amendment clarifying references to the permanent school fund, allowing the General Land Office to distribute revenue from permanent school fund land or other properties to the available school fund to provide additional funding for public education, and providing for an increase in the market value of the permanent school fund for the purpose of allowing increased distributions from the available school fund." Summary: The Permanent School Fund is established as a state trust that holds the proceeds from state land and mineral rights and is constitutionally managed by the School Land Board, which is comprised of the Land Commissioner and two appointees. A portion of the investment returns from the Permanent School Fund are constitutionally transferred to the Available School Fund to be used by schools to purchase instructional materials. The School Land Board currently determines the amount of the revenues from state lands, minerals, real estate investments and royalty interests that are deposited into the Permanent School Fund and are available for the State Board of Education to transfer to the Available School Fund. Proposition 6 would allow for up to $300 million of the revenues derived from land and properties to be constitutionally transferred directly to the Available School Fund by the Land Commissioner annually. Proposition 7 (SJR 28): Allow El Paso County to issue Bonds for Parks and Recreational Facilities The Ballot Reads: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities." Summary: Proposition 7 would allow for El Paso County to issue bonds for the purpose of developing and maintaining parks and recreational facilities and levy taxes to repay the bond indebtedness. Currently, ten other counties in Texas have this authority. Proposition 8 (SJR 16): Provide a Special Property Tax Appraisal for Open-Space Land Dedicated for Water Stewardship The Ballot Reads: "The constitutional amendment providing for the appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes of open-space land devoted to water-stewardship purposes on the basis of its productive capacity." Summary: The Texas Constitution allows for special appraisals of open-space land for agriculture, wildlife management, and timber purposes based on the productive output of the property. Water stewardship would mean using open-space and timber land through at least three ways that promote erosion control, (cont on next page)

(Summary of Prop. 8 continued) habitat stewardship, management of groundwater resources, and other defined methods to promote water conservation and improve water quality. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Comptroller will develop the specific qualifications for the reduced property tax appraisals. Proposition 9 (SJR 9): Allow the Governor to Pardon a Person who has Completed Deferred Adjudication The Ballot Reads: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the governor to grant a pardon to a person who successfully completes a term of deferred adjudication community supervision." Summary: Proposition 9 will allow for the Governor to pardon a person who has successfully completed a term deferred adjudication community supervision as a punishment. A person who is granted a pardon after completing deferred adjudication would be able to apply to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to have their criminal record that resulted in deferred adjudication expunged after meeting certain requirements. Proposition 10 (SJR 37): Change the Length of the Unexpired Term of Elected Officials who Become Candidates for Another Office The Ballot Reads: "The constitutional amendment to change the length of the unexpired term that causes the automatic resignation of certain county or district officeholders if they become candidates for another office." Summary: The Texas Constitution currently requires for an automatic resignation of the current office held by an elected official if the elected official would announce to seek another office within one year of the end of the unexpired term. Proposition 10 extends the time limit from one year to one year and 30 days for the automatic resignation due to the passage of Senate Bill 100 which advances the official filing period for state and local offices to begin in mid-November to accommodate absentee and overseas ballots.

If you would like to help register voters for the November election, the March 2012 primary election, and other elections in 2012, please consider becoming a Deputy Voter Registrar.
Travis County Residents:
Drop by the main office of the Travis County Voter Registrar (5501 Airport Blvd.) weekdays from 7:30 - 5:30. Or plan to attend a scheduled training session.on the first Tuesday of the month (October 4) at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm or 6:30 pm. Training is conducted in the county clerk's training room at 5501 Airport Blvd. For further information contact Cheryl Reese at 854-9473 x33284.

Williamson County Residents:

Visit the Williamson County Elections Office (301 SE Inner Loop Ste 104, Georgetown, TX 78626) to complete an application. If you are eligible, a staff member will issue you a certificate of appointment and give you a registration packet with instructions and supplies.

Letter from the President

The Republican primary in Texas is scheduled for March 6, and as that date comes ever closer, a lot of us are being approached to help various campaigns. There are some things to keep in mind as you start looking at Republican candidates to support. Officers in Texas Federation of Republican Women clubs cannot endorse candidates in races with more than one Republican using their titles; current club presidents and club campaign activities chairmen cannot endorse. If you are asked to sign a petition for a candidate - you cannot sign more than one petition, and if you sign a petition for a Republican candidate, you cannot vote in another partys primary or participate in a convention for a party that does not hold a primary election (Libertarian, Green are examples). Current club presidents and campaign activities chairmen are not allowed to sign petitions. Republican Women clubs may not make endorsements in races with more than one Republican. If a club invites as a speaker one candidate in a race with multiple Republicans, a good faith effort must be made to invite all the candidates in that particular race. Be sure to do your research on candidates, and remember that your Republican friends may be supporting other candidates. Our ultimate goal as Republican Women is to help elect Republicans in general elections, and we must work together after the primary to support the candidates chosen by our party. Dont forget - every minute you spend helping a Republican candidate in any election, even the primary, counts as volunteer time that you can log on your Campaign Activities sheet. This means time you spend sending emails, making donations, helping gather signatures for a candidate, or any other time you spend helping a candidate and not getting paid to do so will help our club. Keep track of your time and be sure to turn it in quarterly to our Campaign Activities Chairman. Through the end of this year, that person is Joyce Melugin, and if you have questions, please get in touch with her (lmelugin@austin.rr.com) Cant wait to see you all at our October 3 meeting!

Michele Samuelson

2012 Membership Drive

It is time to RENEW your membership with the NW Austin Republican Women! But it is also time to INVITE new members to join us for 2012! Look for more information in your inbox about a special membership recruitment prize for the Active Member who brings in the most NEW Active Members for 2012. Dont just RENEW your membership for 2012 - help us BUILD the NW Austin Republican Women by INVITING someone new!

Interested in joining the Northwest Austin Republican Women? Women AND men are welcome!
Dues are: $24 for Active Membership $12 for Associate Membership $36 for Supporting Membership Your dues may be paid at the check-in table at one of our meetings, or by sending a check payable to NWARW PAC C/O Cherri Spradling, 12501 Phoebe Court, Austin TX 78727-5126.

NWARW Officers 2011 Michele Samuelson, President Carolyn Isbell, Vice President Susan Friedrich, 1st VP/Membership Melinda Field, 2nd VP/Programs Pat Dollar, Recording Secretary Tina Wheelock, Corresponding Secretary Cherri Spradling, Treasurer/PAC Treasurer NWARW Committee Chairmen 2011 Chris Sale, Chaplain Gloria Heyl & Virginia Heyl, Awards Murlene Johnston, By-Laws Joyce Melugin, Campaign Activities Kathie Holliman, Fundraising Billie Jean Zinter, Legislative Carolyn Isbell & Elaine Lehmann, Hospitality Carol Gontko, Telephone

Commissioner Greg Parker & State Representative Warren Chisum Candidates for Texas Railroad Commission November 7 at Dave & Busters INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!