State Rep. Mike Schofield, R-Katy, of Texas House District 132, is now in his second term in the Texas House of Representatives. He serves Katy and part of Cypress in areas that encompass Katy, Cy-Fair and Waller ISDs. Schofield worked for over a decade as an advisor to then-Gov. Rick Perry prior to being named Freshman of the Year for the 84th legislative session.
What are some of the key issues that you intend to advocate for on behalf of local Katy-area stakeholders—constituents, municipalities and school district(s)?
The two biggest issues that I hear about from my neighbors in Katy and Cypress are protecting our border and making property taxes less oppressive and fairer. I believe the Legislature is committed to continuing to prevent the drug smuggling and sex trafficking that occurs when the federal government ignores the constant illegal crossing. And I will work with [state] Sen. Paul Bettencourt to fight for a more reasonable property tax system, while we work to lessen and eventually eliminate local government’s reliance on this tax, which keeps Texans from ever truly owning their homes. At the same time, the city of Katy has enjoyed a fairly good working relationship with Houston on this issue and I want to work to ensure that this continues.
What bills are you most passionate about, and which ones do you think will be the most contentious?
In addition to several bills to ensure our elections are fair, I have filed bills to eliminate the franchise tax on Texas businesses and to prevent state spending from exceeding the growth in our population and inflation. I also want to make sure that cities cannot reach far from their core to control extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) where they have no interest, or ability, to provide services. The bigger government gets, the less freedom we have, both because big government tends to dictate how we have to live our lives—as we saw with “Obamacare”—and because the more government spends, the more Texans have to work in order to earn the money to pay for it in taxes.
In your own words, what is the purpose behind House Bill 771—which deals with the Electoral College—and why is it necessary for future elections?
The purpose of the Electoral College is to ensure that each state has a voice in electing the president. When electors ignore the votes of their state’s citizens and substitute their own favorite candidate, they cheat the voters out of their chance to elect the president. My bill would ensure Texas’ voters’ votes count by joining 29 other states in requiring our state’s electors to vote for the candidate the voters chose. If they don’t, their vote will be canceled and they will be replaced. I am proud to have Sen. Bettencourt join me in this effort. Together, we will ensure that your vote counts.
