State representative, R-Spring[/caption]
After her fifth session and more than eight years serving in the Texas Legislature, state Rep. Patricia Harless, R-Spring, has decided not to run for re-election in November 2016.
“I think sometimes after so many years, it’s best to get out of the way and let someone new come in [who’s] fresh and ready to go forward and has the energy to do it,” Harless said.
Harless was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2006 and served her first term in 2007. She is the owner of Fred Fincher Motors in Houston and has served the Tomball and Spring area for 30 years through a number of organizations.
“Being the voice of business in my community and leaving a better world for my [children and] grandkids have been my goals,” Harless said.
How will House Bill 2528 help nonprofits fund economic development in your district?
It’s going to be a big challenge for the nonprofits to get the municipal utility districts to participate. But after they participate, MUDs can add a box on their water bill to allow a member of the community to check it off to contribute [to economic development]. So if the MUDs choose to go forward with it, there’s going to be a community education process to do that. You have to check it off and add a dollar to your bill or however much you want to add. But say the average person adds $1 a month. That’s $12 a year times—in a subdivision like Champion Forest—at least 1,200 homes. If half of those people do it, that’s a significant amount of money for economic development.
What bill did you file this session that was not as successful as you had hoped?
My MUD legislation [HB 2389, relating to the use of sales tax revenue collected under certain contracts] was important to me. But I had lots of concerns if it went forward. What does that mean to my constituents? Does it mean they’ll pay city of Houston taxes? And I didn’t want to do that ... Hopefully my [successor] will pick up that ball and run with it. Because it’s $60 million in unincorporated Harris County that’s leaving our districts and going to the city of Houston’s budget.
Were you pleased with the work carried out by the Legislature this session overall?
It seemed like this session was a slow play, which I’m sure it was because we filed more bills than we’ve ever filed, and we’ve passed fewer than we’ve ever passed. There was a lot of stuff that didn’t get done because it seemed like the House and the Senate weren’t in a hurry. I think it was more of a game of chicken with the House and the Senate. There was a lot of big pieces of legislation—the tax cuts, the franchise cuts, the border security issue, the budget—that got tied up in the dynamics of, ‘Who’s going to win this battle: the House or the Senate?’ So all of the rest of our bills that were little bills that didn’t have influence over those big issues got slow-played because of the dynamics going on.
What made you decide not to run for re-election in 2016?
I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of sessions. I love serving my district. It’s been a huge honor, and my constituents have always given me flexibility and independence. I don’t vote straight in line with my Republican Party or straight in line with these outside groups that want to score [legislators]. It’s been frustrating the last couple of sessions because these outside groups have become such a loud voice ... It’s time for me to put my family first instead of my constituents, who I consider family as well. They’ve taken the front seat for the last 8 1/2 years. It’s time to put my husband, my son and my family first now.
Are you pleased with what you accomplished in your time with the Legislature?
I’m very pleased. I feel like we spent a lot of time trying to understand what the needs of the district are. And besides the photo voter ID legislation, which had statewide implications, most of the bills that I passed have to do with my community. And every year I’ve been successful in passing those bills, and I work hard and have close relationships with my colleagues.
What will you do now that you are not running for re-election?
For 30 years I was a community activist, and that’s how I got asked to run for office. I will continue doing that. I still really want to remain involved in Republican politics because I have lots of concerns about the direction we’re going in. The party is so divided right now.
State representative, R-Spring[/caption]
After her fifth session and more than eight years serving in the Texas Legislature, state Rep. Patricia Harless, R-Spring, has decided not to run for re-election in November 2016.
“I think sometimes after so many years, it’s best to get out of the way and let someone new come in [who’s] fresh and ready to go forward and has the energy to do it,” Harless said.
Harless was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2006 and served her first term in 2007. She is the owner of Fred Fincher Motors in Houston and has served the Tomball and Spring area for 30 years through a number of organizations.
“Being the voice of business in my community and leaving a better world for my [children and] grandkids have been my goals,” Harless said.
How will House Bill 2528 help nonprofits fund economic development in your district?
It’s going to be a big challenge for the nonprofits to get the municipal utility districts to participate. But after they participate, MUDs can add a box on their water bill to allow a member of the community to check it off to contribute [to economic development]. So if the MUDs choose to go forward with it, there’s going to be a community education process to do that. You have to check it off and add a dollar to your bill or however much you want to add. But say the average person adds $1 a month. That’s $12 a year times—in a subdivision like Champion Forest—at least 1,200 homes. If half of those people do it, that’s a significant amount of money for economic development.
What bill did you file this session that was not as successful as you had hoped?
My MUD legislation [HB 2389, relating to the use of sales tax revenue collected under certain contracts] was important to me. But I had lots of concerns if it went forward. What does that mean to my constituents? Does it mean they’ll pay city of Houston taxes? And I didn’t want to do that ... Hopefully my [successor] will pick up that ball and run with it. Because it’s $60 million in unincorporated Harris County that’s leaving our districts and going to the city of Houston’s budget.
Were you pleased with the work carried out by the Legislature this session overall?
It seemed like this session was a slow play, which I’m sure it was because we filed more bills than we’ve ever filed, and we’ve passed fewer than we’ve ever passed. There was a lot of stuff that didn’t get done because it seemed like the House and the Senate weren’t in a hurry. I think it was more of a game of chicken with the House and the Senate. There was a lot of big pieces of legislation—the tax cuts, the franchise cuts, the border security issue, the budget—that got tied up in the dynamics of, ‘Who’s going to win this battle: the House or the Senate?’ So all of the rest of our bills that were little bills that didn’t have influence over those big issues got slow-played because of the dynamics going on.
What made you decide not to run for re-election in 2016?
I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of sessions. I love serving my district. It’s been a huge honor, and my constituents have always given me flexibility and independence. I don’t vote straight in line with my Republican Party or straight in line with these outside groups that want to score [legislators]. It’s been frustrating the last couple of sessions because these outside groups have become such a loud voice ... It’s time for me to put my family first instead of my constituents, who I consider family as well. They’ve taken the front seat for the last 8 1/2 years. It’s time to put my husband, my son and my family first now.
Are you pleased with what you accomplished in your time with the Legislature?
I’m very pleased. I feel like we spent a lot of time trying to understand what the needs of the district are. And besides the photo voter ID legislation, which had statewide implications, most of the bills that I passed have to do with my community. And every year I’ve been successful in passing those bills, and I work hard and have close relationships with my colleagues.
What will you do now that you are not running for re-election?
For 30 years I was a community activist, and that’s how I got asked to run for office. I will continue doing that. I still really want to remain involved in Republican politics because I have lots of concerns about the direction we’re going in. The party is so divided right now.
