WILCO FORWARD UPDATE Commissioner Covey Page 2
COUNTY COOPERATION Georgetown Is Doing It Right Page 4
STRAIGHT TALK • Q&A TX-20 Rep. Terry Wilson Page 10
YOUR DEDICATED WILLIAMSON COUNTY SHERIFF “I accept nothing but constant improvement and innovation. Our goal is to prevent crime before it happens, and when we can’t, we must find and arrest the culprit while guaranteeing that innocent citizens can live their lives as undisturbed and safely as possible.”
Priority Response Times Cut in Half Cracking Down on Domestic Abusers Breaking Human Trafficking Rings Expanding Wilco’s K9 Units Modernizing Wilco Sheriff’s Office with New Tech Created Cold Case & Joint-Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Teams Provided Self Defense & Active Shooter training to 30,000+ Wilco residents Developed the Jr. Deputies, Explorers, and Sheriff’s Citizens Academy to reach out and introduce citizens, and their families, to law enforcement in a positive way
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AUGUST 20 20 A D V O C AT E NE W SPol. Ad Paid for by Sheriff Chody Campaign
PUBLISHER’S CORNER
BAD GOVERNMENT IS ELECTED BY GOOD CITIZENS WHO DON’T VOTE
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by Mike Payne
emocracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people,” opined early 20th-century pastor Harry Emerson Fosdick. Nowhere is that more accurate than here in central Texas.
It is incumbent upon every citizen to not only register to vote, but to go to the polls to make your will known when it comes to those who will govern us, keeping in mind that you are choosing the people who will determine your quality of life with their decisions. We must be ever vigilant that we do not follow the lead of [The People’s Republic of] Travis County and invite the craziness that’s going on around the country into Williamson County. Up to this point, even throughout this pandemic, Williamson County has maintained its status as one of the strongest economic powers in the entire United States. That could easily be wiped away at the ballot box by electing candidates who would declare that, in order to be “fair”, we must become more like Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, or any one of the myriad cities that have allowed left wing ideology, and even anarchism to proliferate. Remember, Texas, and Williamson County specifically, is being flooded by expatriates from California, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and other
states that have literally placed their citizens in hundreds of billions of dollars in debt by attempting to offer a “cradle-tograve” government nanny-state. My admonition to my Republican friends, and especially those who hold positions of influence, is to remember what we are fighting against—and, it certainly should not be against each other. Let us rise to defeat this formidable challenge that is working to shred the very fabric of what makes Williamson County one of the most desirable places to live in the entire United States. Even if you have never voted before, do not stay home this November. Do not let what you’ve worked for your entire life be taken away from you in an instant. Make your voice heard—go vote!
Publisher Mike Payne Editor Cathy Payne Senior Writer Ann Marie Kennon Graphics & Design Zion Pistole Ann Marie Kennon
Address of Record: P.O. Box 213 Jarrell, Texas 76537 512-746-4545 info@fpgtx.com
AdvocateNewsTX.com
INSIDE 2
Wilco Forward Grant Program Turns Attention to Residents
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Regional COVID Cooperation in Williamson County and Georgetown
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WCSO Self-Defense Classes
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Woerners Celebrate 60 Years
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Sun City Grandmas Get Out The Vote
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CIVICS 101: Pros and Cons of Ballot-by-Mail
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Straight Talk With State Rep Terry Wilson
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ADVO-CATIE: Know Who You’re Voting For, America!
a publication of Fidelis Publishing Group, LLC Copyright © 2020 Fidelis Publishing Group, LLC- All Rights Reserved
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Advocate News TX, staff, administration or contributing writers. The views expressed in all Letters to the Editor and signed opinion articles are those of the authors. All letters to the editor must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Anonymous and unverified letters to the editor will not be printed. Advocate News TX reserves the right to edit letters for length and journalistic style, and has a recommended length of 300 words. Letters should be submitted electronically to: info@fpgtx.com "To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge, to find the will of God is the greatest discovery, and to do the will of God is the greatest achievement." ~Author Unknown
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COVID-19 Grant Program Turns Attention to Residents by Charlotte Kovalchuk
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esigned to help those financially impacted by the pandemic, the Wilco Forward grant program launched in May with two main goals —helping businesses stay in business and keeping residents on their feet.
“These are tough times,” Pct3 Commissioner Valerie Covey says. “Just like tough times in the past, our County business owners and citizens have stepped up to meet the challenge. The county and our cities have worked hard to help meet the ever-evolving needs of our citizens during the pandemic. I’m so thankful and proud to live and serve in Williamson County.” The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes more than $2 trillion in economic relief. After receiving $93 million in CARES funds and a Community Development Block Grant, the county formed an oversight committee; Covey, Commissioner Russ Boles, and County Treasurer Scott Heselmeyer. The committee’s first priority was small businesses immediately hit in the March shut-down. The Phase I Small Business Grant program began in the Spring and ended June 30. Phase II focused on reimbursing governmental agencies for COVID-19-related expenses, including cities, emergency
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service districts, the Williamson County and Cities Health District, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, and the YMCA. So far, the county has approved 3,684 applications and split $72 million between businesses and agencies. Now in Phase III, the county is shifting focus to helping residents pay rent and utility bills through partnerships with local nonprofit organizations. Until now, an eviction moratorium and extra unemployment benefits have kept residents afloat, but now the extra unemployment is ending and the county is picking up where federal funding left off. “My goal is to help people unemployed because of COVID from being evicted, or their power turned off,” Covey says. County Residents are eligible to receive up to three months’ rent and utility assistance based on need. For residents in the Williamson County portion of Austin, assistance will come from the City of Austin. Those in the Austin ETJ within Williamson County are Wilco Forward-eligible. Wilco residents may file applications with The Caring Place, Round Rock Area Serving Center, and Salvation Army of Williamson County, based on zip code, until the end of December or the $5million is fully allocated. The county will reimburse organizations for
COVID-related rent and utility assistance provided. In an uncertain time, and with many confusing COVID-19 programs, the County’s team has provided a quick and efficient path to assistance. The goal from the beginning, Covey says, was to create a straightforward program so applications could be processed quickly. She noted the county’s IT department was quick to set up the online Wilco Forward application for Phase I while the auditor’s office reviewed documents to ensure accuracy. Instead of rejecting incomplete applications, staff worked with applicants to make sure those needing assistance received it. Wilco Forward has $17 million in unallocated funds because, as Covey says, we don’t know what’s going to happen in the Fall. What she does know is Wilco Forward is a short-term fix for a long-term need. “The CARES Act money is helpful, but on a short-term basis,” she says. “For our economy to rebound, our businesses need to reopen, of course, in a healthy and safe way.” For more information about Wilco Forward, visit Wilco.org.
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Regional COVID Cooperation in Georgetown and Williamson County by Ann Marie Kennon
When the pandemic began
changing our daily lives, cities and counties handled various situations differently. Georgetown attorney Josh Schroeder was part of an ad hoc committee of business leaders that developed a plan to re-open businesses. “When things began heating up, there was a lot of talk about what everyone from the President on down was telling us to do, so we just needed to be consistent.”
Prior to working out timing and safety measures, the committee spent time assessing differences in the manner in which Williamson and Travis County responded. “Austin was very secretive and did not communicate their intentions well. They issued conflicting directives, which led residents and businesses to wonder if or when orders from the County Judge or City Mayor superceded each other.” Schroeder said, “The Austin city rules were very restrictive and created problems in the construction industry—they halted construction of everything from homes to sports stadiums, but continued to build a homeless shelter. Shelters are important, but all construction is important to someone, and the Federal government had already said commercial construction was essential.”
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In contrast, Schroeder says, Georgetown City Council and staff were on conference calls every day, and were consistent in their communications with the County Judge and Commissioners, which translated into better management for our business community. “Under Federal law, our city and county kept going. We knew, in Georgetown, shuttering construction would cause economic chaos; it didn’t make sense to stop construction mid-build. Many homes or businesses with a roof but no windows could be destroyed or suffer a lot of damage. It was also a question of financing; banks expected payments and charged interest whether construction continued or not. That can be devastating to any size company.”
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City Manager David Morgan provided assurances that, despite staff working remotely, builders would continue to get permits and inspections. “We found the Zoom calls were almost more efficient,” Schroeder says. “No driving, no formalities of in-person meetings. What used to be a 90-minute meeting was completed in just the time it took to get the work done.” SMALL-TOWN BENEFITS
Schroeder says another benefit of being a city our size is that leadership recognized there was no time to convene a task force to do a study. “Getting people their resources and money two months from now did no one any good.” Continued, next page
When the County issued the shut-down orders, County Treasurer Scott Heselmeyer and Hal Hawes provided nearly immediate determinations on essential businesses and kept people’s doors open. “Small town people know each other, so when I sent a request to Scott and Hal, they knew the details already; they were consistent and fast. In Austin it was the opposite; people were not given specifics regarding ‘essential business’; they were told to self-identify and then were penalized if they got it wrong.” One specific example was Brookwood in Georgetown (BiG). CEO Erin Kiltz called the city right away due to the nature of the care she provides to special needs adults. That care is as much of BiG’s business as
running the café and gift shop, and is essential to the families of its citizens. Again, city staff and committee members were already familiar with the needs of the organization and they were able to continue services without interruption. Georgetown also managed to create a grant program in record time with support from the Chamber of Commerce. Schroeder says daily collaboration via conference calls with leadership, schools, and the health district kept the county running. “When our fleet services needed repairs, Dr. Fred Brent got the high school auto-tech classes right to work; no task forces or contracts; they just did it, because it needed to get done.” The Ad Hoc committee met
several times a week for six weeks. “No one tried to be in charge. We met, made decisions, and got the work done because people needed it, and came back together to regroup and move on to the next thing,” explains Schroeder. “With help from Gordon Logan, and his expertise with businesses across the nation, we assessed the best timing and safety protocols our businesses could live with. Our plan was so good that the Governor’s office even put some of our ideas in the state-wide plan. “Georgetown is blooming because these decisions were made—quickly. That is the benefit of living in Georgetown, and why you’ll see more and more people bringing their Travis County businesses here.”
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WCSO Self-Defense Classes
Classes for all ages teach: YOU ARE WORTH DEFENDING
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n attempted kidnapping in 2017 prompted the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office to ask themselves what they could do to make families feel safer. In January 2018, the department began holding a regular Self Defense Academy to teach kids the Sonic Scream, Chicken Wing, and more; and help men and women of all ages learn to protect and defend against attackers.
In 2020, Sheriff Robert Chody, seeing the need and the dividends it was paying in the community, allowed instructor Deputy Brandon Schaefer to shift his duties to full-time self-defense. WCSO is the only regional law enforcement agency that provides classes of this caliber, and includes individuals and businesses of all ages and demographics, at any level of fitness. Deputy Schaefer is a Karate champion inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame, and he is more than up to the task. “He has a passion for self-defense,” the Sheriff adds, “he is a valuable tool for our county and has a very proactive approach to reaching out. He equips the community with knowledge that enables people to take care of themselves, and it is gratifying to hear so many of his students talk about how life changing the class has been for them.”
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Left: Deputy Brandon Schaefer and women’s self defense (early 2020) • Below: Sheriff Chody looks on during a (previous) children’s class at the Safety Center .
Deputy Schaefer teaches active shooter, women’s defense and striking techniques, anti-abduction, adolescent defense, and more, on a regular basis. Classes are free to the public, regardless of residency, and the schedule is posted on Facebook. There is also a registration at Parks.Georgetown.org/self-defense-academy/ IN THE CLASSROOM
Each class has a specific topic and can accommodate 20-30 students. Businesses and organizations may request custom training for groups if the instructor has available time in the schedule. Deputy Schaefer has worked with PTAs and ISDs; educating teachers how to defend against active shooters; not just about personal safety, but how to make classrooms more defendable. Deputy Schaefer says, “The most important thing I teach is situational awareness. Just last year, a child in Georgetown was saved by his own presence
of mind to run away when the suspect did not know his safe word. We teach people to be in the moment. Walk with your head and eyes up, wherever you are. If you’re distracted by your phone or thinking about yesterday or tomorrow, you miss indicators . We don’t want you to be paranoid, but you do need to be smart.” Deputy Schaefer assures that classes will continue to be held, but with fewer participants to allow for frequent cleaning and distancing. “We want to be effective teachers while accommodating everyone’s comfort level.” For more information, contact Deputy Schaefer at bschaefer@wilco.org.
Woerners Celebrate 60 Years of Happiness members of Christ Lutheran Church for 50 years, their contributions to Sunday School, church counsel, and Charity BBQ team are many.
Kay also led the Aggie Mom’s Club and Girl Scouts, and both worked with the Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo for many years. They also found time to raise champion racehorses on their ranch, played tennis and, most proudly, raised two girls to be contributors to society.
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eorgetown’s Clyde and Kay Woerner took a break from the many visitors who stopped by to wish them well, to share memories of a life lived well... together. Their planned celebration at Christ Lutheran Church was canceled, but the Woerners were delighted to have family time with daughters Sheila Jacobs and Kim Turk. Originally from Fredericksburg, Clyde began his professional life as an Ag teacher and moved to Georgetown in 1970 to work with Wayne Feeds. He later bought three Texas mills, and started his own company, Ful-O-Pet feed.
Kim says Kay suffered a hemorrhagic brain stroke three years ago, which many don’t survive. “We are so blessed to still have her with us. She is a fighter and a survivor and has taught us to never give up. Live every day as if it’s your last, and love and cherish your family every minute!” The Woerners have four granddaughters, and two great grandchildren. Clyde says, “They are very special—few people get the opportunity to know their great-grandparents. We’re blessed and enjoying the celebration... just fat and sassy!”
The Woerners lived next door to Sheriff Henry Matysek for a time, and when Clyde was President of the Kiwanis Club, he proposed the club raise funds and support to erect a sculpture on the grounds of the historic courthouse to honor Mr. Matysek’s 20 years of service to the County. It still stands at the Georgetown square.
Kay was a teacher in GISD and, as a former majorette, gave twirling lessons to Georgetown students.
Kay explained that with all the programs and activities they led and participated in, they didn’t spend much time together. But lucky for Georgetown, they worked with Kiwanis, and founded the Georgetown 4-H Club, Williamson County Horse Club, and Aggie Fish Fry, which provided 6-8 scholarships annually for the past 28 years. As AU G U S T 2 0 2 0 A D V O C AT E N E W S
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Grandmas Getting It Done by Greta Bauer
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un City resident Betty Schleder has always been an advocate for strong conservative values. To prove it, she has been gathering respected and well-liked neighbors, The Sun City Grandmas, since 2011 to help her spread the word about qualified candidates for office. “It all started with Dr. Charles Schwertner,” Schleder says. “He asked me for advice on getting the word out in Sun City about his run for State Rep.” Schleder got busy and scheduled a Meet & Greet for all 52 neighborhoods in a two-month period. Soon after, Dr. Marsha Farney called to see if Schleder would do the same for her Board of Education race, and the rest is history.
The Grandmas provide a service by doing a lot of homework; researching candidates, and providing recommendations to friends and neighbors about qualifications, experience, and platforms. In previous elections, they stuffed and carried 6200 voter cards—in heat, rain and snow. This year, keeping safety in mind, they are mailing cards to every home in Sun City, but are also planning 50 “backyard” meet-n-greets to give voters an opportunity to meet up to three candidates in person, and ask tough questions. Not surprisingly, the personal touch has had a tremendous impact. It is statistically significant for any candidate to win the Sun City precincts if he or she is to win county wide. “We are very proud of people like Judge Rick Kennon, who won by .08 percent countywide in 2014, but carried Sun City by a nearly 20 percent average. Our insights served us well—he was our county’s highest rated judge four years in a row.” In 2020, the Grandmas believe their vetting process will be even more important, since voters can no longer vote for a straight ticket. “So few people really study local candidates,” Schleder says. “Our 2020 card will have recommendations for every race, from President to Georgetown Mayor and School Board, which I
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Top: The Sun City Grandmas’ meet-n-greets give voters a chance to meet candidates and discuss issues. • Bottom: The Grandmas prepared for blockwalking for the 2018 Primary elections.
hope will be a strong reminder to everyone to vote all the way to the bottom of the ballot—including the propositions—when they arrive at the polls.” Schleder is delighted to welcome new Grandmas to each campaign season. “We embrace people from all parties and interests in Sun City. It helps us reach out and engage the diverse interests and opinions we have here. And be on the lookout for more progress in our group as the median age grows younger and more social media-savvy. We will take on any challenges and challengers like we always have.” Contact Betty at TheSurvivor@suddenlink.net for a voter card, or meet-n-greet scheduling.
Civics 101: Pros and Cons of Ballot-by-Mail
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mericans have been using absentee (mail-in) ballots since the Civil War. Since that time, Federal laws have required states to allow by-mail voting for military and overseas voters. Today, we have five states that vote entirely by mail, and many states allow mail-in ballots for a variety of ‘excuses’. In the 2016 election, about one in four votes were cast in this manner.
With all the fuss about COVID voting, it is important to remember why and how the system was designed to work. Many states believe voteby-mail is more convenient, and questions remain about the need for it based on health concerns. If we remove conflicting opinions about flu transmission from the discussion, following are some general observations about the process.
PROS OF BALLOT-BY-MAIL
Media and polling tell us there will likely be long lines at the polls, so mailing your vote can be done at your leisure, in your own home. Allows senior, homebound, or infirm citizens to exercise their right without arranging for transportation or physical support. Stanford University studied elections 19962018 and found no partisan advantage.
A Presidential task force, convened in 2016 found so little fraud that it was disbanded without issuing a report. Between 2000 and 2012, the News21 election database recorded 2,068 of alleged election fraud. While absentee ballots were the most prevalent (24%), this amounted to 491 cases in 12 years. Documented cases were deemed “individual” rather than systemic. Studies in mail-only states show voter turnout increased by 10 percent when they converted. American Politics Quarterly says “The main effect...is increasing the magnitude rather than changing the composition of voters.”
It’s cheaper. Jurisdictions save up to 40 percent of their election costs for poll workers and machinery.
CONS OF BALLOT-BY-MAIL
Risk of fraud. Ballots may be cast without witnesses, providing opportunities for impersonation, or coercion by family, employers, union or church leaders, etc.
Voter registration databases are known for volumes of inaccuracies, including deceased voters, relocation, felony convictions, or otherwise inactive. In 2018, California was sued over maintaining 1.5 million inactive voter files. Increased turnout is temporary. In Oregon, voter turnout rose temporarily as a result of the novelty of the first vote by mail type of election, but subsequently reverted to previous levels. It costs more to set up, requires more maintenance. Mail is cheaper in the long run, but there are significant costs and challenges associated with the initial establishment of a voteby-mail system. States will need up-to-date addresses, tracking systems, printing costs, and verification methods; systems that should have been initiated with greater lead time and planning, rather than as an improvisation due to COVID concerns. Citizens will lose the civic tradition and connection that comes from group activity; going to polling places with neighbors, voting with, and for, their community. Mail delivery and literacy rates are not uniform across the country. In-person voting centers have people to assist with questions. Slows down the count. States will need to establish consistency in deadlines so counting does not continue for days or weeks after the election. Unlike city elections, which enable office holders to remain until an election takes place, the President’s term will be (Constitutionally) over on January 20, 2021. Other sources: Brookings Institute, NPR, The Thread Weekly, Texas.gov, Social Science Journal
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Straight Talk with Human Trafficking Coordinating Council; setting up a 5-year plan with the Office of the Attorney General to combat human trafficking. That plan involves massive coordination efforts with local law enforcement, school districts, and state agencies to establish consistency across the state. Human trafficking, like any disease, can still take hold and thrive if given a single place to fester, so statewide consistency is the key.
The Advocate spent some time with Texas District 20 Rep. Terry Wilson— who insisted we call him Terry—to ask some tough questions from our readers. Rep. Wilson adds, “I’m happy to do it; every chance I have to talk to the people of District 20 is an honor.”
Advocate: First, we’d like to ask about the movement to “Defund the Police”. You served on the Criminal Jurisprudence committee in your first session and worked across party lines on several criminal justice reform bills. What is your position on the Defund movement, and how has your experience in the legislature shaped that position? Rep Wilson: I support our police officers. There’s a phrase you will hear in every legislative session, regardless of topic or party affiliation of the member saying it; “Let’s go after the bad actors.” When we punish an entire group for the actions of a few, we do a disservice to the people we serve. Liberal leaders, even in Texas, have openly declared their support for cutting police department budgets, in a time when crime statistics are ticking upward. Doing so, or even cutting police departments entirely, is a nuclear option that leaves our communities vulnerable to the evils that law enforcement works so hard to protect us from; property crime all the way to human trafficking. A: Human trafficking has been a major issue in the legislature the last few sessions. What impact would the Defund movement have on that effort, and what has the legislature done to combat human trafficking? TW: Texas has, regrettably, become the second-largest state for sex trafficking. Numbers from the Office of the Attorney General say Texas has approximately 234,000 victims of labor trafficking and 79,000 victims of youth and minor sex trafficking at any given time. In 2019 the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 72, authored by Senator Jane Nelson, which established a 10
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Look at the City of Dallas; since 2005, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provided cities in the DFW area with $1,450,000 in hopes to put an end to human trafficking. Why? Dallas ranks 9th among US cities for cases of human trafficking, and the BJA’s mission is to strengthen law enforcement agencies with more resources. They ensure tools and training needed to end modern-day slavery are in the hands of those on the front line—but they are only a part of the whole picture. Fully-funded police departments are still needed to truly combat human trafficking as well as other crimes, and the city of Dallas has been entertaining the idea of defunding the police. If we allow liberal democratic leadership, as is the case in Dallas, to pull a political stunt—defund these efforts because of a few bad actors—our children, the innocent, and the vulnerable will pay the price. A: So, if you do not support defunding the police, what measures do you support to combat the issue of the bad actors within police departments? TW: Support means providing people with what they need, letting them focus on what’s important, and holding them accountable when things go wrong. I do think we put too much on the backs of our law enforcement officers. In many of our larger cities, whole departments; e.g., Animal Control have been eliminated, placing those duties on law enforcement without funding to cover it. Meanwhile, our police officers are on the front lines of societal battles with violent crime, drug trafficking, and more, being paid a minimal amount to operate at full steam from day one. We must ensure the division of duty exists to allow law enforcement to focus on the stated tasks of those departments. Finally, we must hold accountable those who would abuse their positions and ensure that the bad actors are rooted out. A: You mentioned child safety in response to the human trafficking issue. While schools are an important part of combating human trafficking, most parents these days are worried about the literal diseases that could impact their children when they go to school, rather than metaphorical ones. What are the priorities for the state as far as opening schools just a few weeks from now?
Representative Terry Wilson TW: The core focus is on safely and equitably providing the best education we can for the children. From the state level, the best thing we can do is to ensure we allow local districts the flexibility to do what is best for their community, rather than issuing one-size-fitsall edicts from Austin. With 5.5 million students, Texas has more kids in public education than population of South Carolina and 26 other states. We are too diverse a state for any one policy to be right for every district. I’ve been in close contact with all our superintendents in HD20 and their only goal is to ensure a safe environment for all, so students may continue to receive the best education possible. I am committed to making sure they will have the ability to provide equitable instruction and support for in-person and virtual classes, without having to worry about funding to keep lights on and maintain the raises we provided to teachers with House Bill 3 in the 86th legislature. A: Should that decision fall completely on school districts? What role should local health authorities play in deciding which schools should reopen, and whether to shut them down should a student or teacher contract COVID? TW: ISD boards of trustees are elected, and therefore are held accountable by voters. Taking away the ability of a district to make these kinds of decisions would mean losing faith in our entire system of local government. Our government system has weathered extreme situations before, and can do so now, if we rely on the system of checks and balances supported by the separation of powers. I believe elected school board trustees are best placed to make decisions, even in these uncertain times, that will directly affect their constituencies. The Texas Attorney General issued guidance on that question this week. To clarify guidance given by state agencies, the opinion stated that, while local health authorities will be able to order an individual school to close for a short time in direct response to a local outbreak, they must coordinate with the school district first. Furthermore, only school districts will have the authority to order blanket closures of all schools in a district or to close them as a preventative measure. Governor Abbott issued a statement Friday that reinforces this point. This opinion reinforces that state law entrusts school districts with the “primary responsibility for implementing the State’s system of public education and ensuring student performance,” including the decisions about how to operate in a pandemic, and rightfully so.
A: The COVID issue is weighing heavily on everyone’s mind right now. While there is a lot of talk about measures to prevent people from getting infected, what has the legislature done to help people cover the costs of treatment if they do contract COVID-19? TW: Issues like medical billing were on our minds long before this pandemic started. Even though the Legislature hasn’t been in session since this began, the action we took in the 86th Session in response to past issues will make a big difference today. The most significant action we took was Senate Bill 1264, authored by Republican State Senator Kelly Hancock, which tackled surprise medical billing. In an emergency, you don’t have the chance to shop around or make sure that the ambulance takes you to an emergency room that is in your insurance company’s network. If a patient was taken to an ER that wasn’t “in network,” and the doctor didn’t agree to the insurance company’s terms, they could send the balance of the bill to the patient, who would be on the hook for covering the difference, which could reach into hundreds of thousands of dollars. These “balance bills” often took patients by surprise, even coming from in-network procedures they were told would be covered if an out-of-network specialist, like an anesthesiologist, was called in to help. Now, after we took action to stop this practice, insurers and health care providers must leave the patient out of billing disputes and negotiate prices for out-ofnetwork care using an arbitration process. The patient is only responsible for their co-pay, co-insurance, and deductible amounts. We also made sure that those who were victims of this practice in the past were not punished with bad credit from inability to pay a bill that should never have been theirs to begin with, thanks to Republican State Senator Larry Taylor’s Senate Bill 1037. A: Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us today. Any parting words for our readers? TW: Even though the Legislature is not in session, my staff and I are committed to serving the people of the district in whatever way we can. A lot of the decisions being made now will impact what the Legislature deals with upon returning in January, and we are in contact with agencies and local governments to ensure we have all the information necessary to deal with this ongoing crisis. It’s important to remember, too, that the business of the state continues unabated. Our office may be operating remotely due to the closing of the capitol, but we will do everything we can to make sure government works for the people. AU G U S T 2 0 2 0 A D V O C AT E N E W S
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of jobs for hardworking, middle class citizens. Do you like this guy so far? Would you vote for him? If you said “yes,” congratulations! —Darth Vader is now sitting in the Oval Office. The spin is so easy, right? So, let’s try again…
Know Who You’re Voting For, America! No, I don’t mean for the finale of “America’s Got Talent”. I’m talking about the elections November 3. I’m so anxious about people who don’t study local races that I’m going to re-purpose my own column, something I used to brag I would never do because I should always have something new to say. So much for that. Here goes… You can’t just read a candidate’s website to get the full picture. All of them say, “I’m the right person for the job”, so you really have to read news clips and maybe attend a debate or two. Think you’re savvy? Here’s your test. Tell me if this person would be a good President: Former fighter pilot and combat veteran; served honorably and was credited with many airborne and hand-to-hand combat kills. After his discharge, and under the mentorship of an influential political figure, he rose to second in command and conducted operations for the agency’s paramilitary and training for 20 years. His early career was not without conflict, and it was discovered he was responsible for acts of violence. However, his decisiveness eliminated future terrorist acts against the agency. He was also able to unify diverse demographics and generations under a single moral doctrine, through a strict code of discipline and accountability. Estranged from his children since the tragic death of their mother, this candidate recently reconnected with his daughter, who, inspired by her father’s mission, is working on a very respectable start-up of her own. His son also shows great promise, following in his footsteps by training to be a fighter pilot and sharing his religious fervor. He also provided infrastructure and oversight for a massive construction project, creating thousands 12
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His completion of two fully-functioning Death Stars firmly established The Empire’s dominance in the galaxy, and although the first was not a military success, like all inspired leaders, he chose to renew resources and rebuild, on time and under budget. While he was previously indicted for political intimidation, it was determined that freezing an opponent in Carbonite did not cause severe or permanent damage and charges were dismissed. Mr. Vader also vehemently asserts that his son’s unfortunate hand amputation was the result of “familial horseplay during an awkward moment of revelation.” No evil villain here! Vader’s prowess in management reflects his expectations for success and near perfect performance record as he is frequently overheard saying, “I find your lack of spreadsheets disturbing,” and has a keen ability to choke dissidents despite social distancing. He is a master negotiator, having signed major deals to great agency benefit by asserting, “I am altering the deal, pray I do not alter it any further…” Additionally, Mr. Vader is a seasoned student of psychology. Knowing that political favor is based 85 percent on appearance, 10 percent on sound, and 5 percent message, his voice modulator makes him a clear favorite during debates and, at 6’8”, he really rocks a black cape. So, if you want a galaxy free of disparity, annoying opposing viewpoints, and challenging personal choice, you will vote for Lord Vader. Just vote for Vader and all will be as we have foretold. These others are not the candidates you are looking for. Move along. Advocatie just advocates even a little bit of political homework—it’s all about perspective right? The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded. ~Obi-wan Kenobi ext issue, we’ll talk about Vice President VoldeN mort.
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ECRWSS POSTAL PATRON GEORGETOWN, TX
