State Rep. R.D. “Bobby” Guerra, D-McAllen, announced this week the filing of five new bills.
“The bills are part of my robust legislative package intended to advance the priorities and improve the lives of my constituents in the Rio Grande Valley and the residents of our great state of Texas,” Guerra said in a Thursday news release.
“These bills are especially aimed to support and improve our energy infrastructure, help small businesses and consumers, and increase price transparency.”
Guerra also said in the release that supporting geothermal energy production in Texas will be one of his top priorities during this legislative session, adding that he believes it is time to think outside the box, which is why he filed a resolution supporting geothermal energy production.
“Geothermal energy creates diversity in our energy production portfolio; it will maintain and create new jobs in the energy production sector; and once tapped, this source of energy is truly reliable and uninterruptible,” he said. “It is carbon-free, renewable, and sustainable.”
He also said he filed two bills requiring price transparency regarding the purchase of art performance tickets and short-term rental properties to ensure consumers don’t pay more than 10% of the base ticket price in additional fees.
“Consumers find it necessary to tighten their belts more and more every day because of rising costs and falling wages,” Guerra said, explaining his reasoning for filing the bills.
After finding that two of his elderly constituents learned that a life insurance policy they purchased had an automatic loan provision clause that drained their $10,000 plan to practically nothing, Guerra said he filed a bill to increase transparency in life insurance policy contracts and to protect elderly members of the community.
“As our musicians, actors and artists know, it is getting harder and harder to rent space for performances and rehearsals because property costs are skyrocketing,” Guerra said. “At the same time, the state owns property with spaces, like the auditorium at the State Capitol, that could be used for performances.”
In response, Guerra said he filed a bill asking the state to evaluate the feasibility of leasing state-owned spaces to artists to use for performances and rehearsals.
“It’s a win-win; the state could potentially bring in additional revenue, and our communities would experience more art,” he said.
To close, Guerra said he remains committed to improving the lives of his constituents.
“My commitment to make Texas the best place to live never ends, and these newly filed bills provide Texans the opportunity for their deserved success,” Guerra said.
To find a comprehensive list of bills filed — and the status of those bills — visit MyRGV.com and click the 88th Texas Legislative Session tab, which has an interactive spreadsheet and a comprehensive list of AIM Media Texas’ legislative coverage.
