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KILL BILL — bad petition bill, SB 323 ! The authors of this bill were listening to the big boys and girls in the municipal political machines. Action :  Make your calls immediately to any of the Calendars Committee members to “tag” the bill (see below for list), then call your State Representative to alert him or her that you want them to put the Texas stomp on it IF it hits the floor! Find your Texas House Rep here, LIV tried our very best to work with the committee chairs responsible for this mistaken legislation, to no avail. Note: Austin, please don’t miss the message at the end about reaching Rep. Eddie Rodriguez! Senate Bill 323 is a very problematic and tricky little piece of legislation that could deny millions of Texans the right to vote on citizen petitions. We may not agree on many things, but this right, established in 1912 in the constitutional amendment for home rule, is something upon which we all agree. That’s because our right to put local measures on the ballot via petition is our only check and balance on local government. (Texans do not enjoy petition rights in Texas at any other level as do 24 other states.) Sen. Joan Huffman’s SB 323 was heard early in the session in State Affairs, passed out of her committee on 3/14. The bill attempts to resolve ballot language problems to ensure voters know what they’re voting on by requiring the review of a three-judge panel. Fair enough, you think? The problem is the bill set up a time schedule that will open the door for measures to be delayed. This is what the municipal political machines want most – to manipulate what gets before “their voters.” We have tried to have these problems fixed to no avail. Moreover, get this. SB 323 started out requiring ballot language for bonds and tax increases for bonds to be reviewed by the courts too. But, the local government lobbies went to town on that and had those removed from the bill. Now, the only measures that will be required to be reviewed will be those put on the ballot as charter amendments placed on the ballot by municipal government AND citizen petitioners. This opens the door for cities to play nefarious games with ballot language of citizens petitions because they (the city attorney) still gets to write the initial language. They can write bad language and then tie it up in the cumbersome process that’s been set out by the authors of this legislation. This will do most harm to those in small towns who are simply trying to put a check on their local city government. These are largely regular citizens without the funds and organization to go to court to fight for their measures. How can you help? Call, email or visit the members of the Calendars Committee. Ask them to “tag” SB 323 and hold it up in the Calendars Committee to die. Note to Austin : Yesterday, we asked Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) to tag the bill. Rep. Rodriguez may well have already been reached by Mayor Steve Adler who made clear at the beginning of the legislative session – see this January 24 Statesman article – he had was out to do serious damage to citizens petitioning. This has long been a goal of the Austin growth machine. Your message to members of the Calendars Committee: Don’t mess with Texans’ right to petition, tag SB 323! Calendars Committee Members and their staff below: #RepEddieRodriguez #petitionrights #SB323 #SenJoanHuffman #municipalpoliticalmachines

PAC bites Austin. Here is your proof. We didn’t say this…the Austin Monitor did. If you follow city politics, these “innocents” have been around for a very long time. We promise you, they can read and understand campaign finance laws. How else could they break them and get away with it? They are seen laughing their butts off as they stopped a citizens movement for simply the right to vote on the land development code — formerly called “CodeNEXT.” What’s next. Enjoy the article and get ready to fight for a real Ethics Commission with the teeth that can bite! If you start an LIV chapter in Austin, we’ll show you exactly how. Ethics commission finds Prop J PAC violated campaign finance laws . Join LIV here and get active with us. #landdevelopmentcode #PropJ

Ring the Liberty Bell, Governor, veto HB 1066! ► We humbly request that you ring the Liberty Bell by reaching out to the Governor to request a veto of HB 1066 — to protect rural and urban Texans’ water, wallets and right to a public hearing. Do this now and throughout this week. Copy and paste this letter to the Governor posted here and add your own words, too . ► In San Antonio tonight, we’re holding the second meeting of the new LIV Chapter. We have some great stuff prepared for you to put the Pay to Play political machine on notice. Y’all come! Here’s our Event Page . ► In Austin, the good folks at Friends of McKalla, are fighting the goofy taxpayer rip-off, aka the City of Austin’s soccer stadium deal. It’s so bad, Travis County Commissioners Court is considering litigation. Sorry for the late notice, but if you can attend the Travis County Commissioner’s Court tomorrow (Tuesday, May 14) at 9 am, please do! Get the details here from Friends of McKalla. Think it’s time to take a step back from partisanship and join the fight for structural reforms in policy making? You can vote in whatever primary you wish and still help LIV (a non-profit — not a political party) grow by Becoming a member . And do let us know if you’d like to see an LIV Chapter in your community. We’ll be there with at least one bell on! #HB1066 #SAWS #VistaRidge #GovernorGregAbbott #LibertyBell

You may copy this letter and send it via email to Governor Greg Abbott here. You can call the Governor at 512-463-2000. The Honorable Greg Abbott                                                                        May 11, 2019 Governor of Texas P.O. Box 12428 Austin, Texas 78711 Dear Governor Abbott: I am writing to ask you to veto HB 1066, which passed on May 10. And I am further requesting your help to stop additional groundwater bills or amended language from – HB 726, HB 1806, and SB 1010 — that may be passed in the final days of this legislative session that risk real damage to rural Texas and urban ratepayers and our aquifers. These bills create risky policies for two critically important Texas aquifers: the mighty Edwards Aquifer and the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Lee, Burleson, Milam and Bastrop counties. The Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer and its Simsboro formation do not recharge within human lifetimes, and they will be depleted by multiple projects that are coming in, starting with San Antonio’s Vista Ridge, slated for completion in 2020. In addition to depriving rural communities of a viable economic future, the Vista Ridge project will impose rate hikes on San Antonio Water System ratepayers to pay for this hugely expensive plan – the most expensive groundwater in Texas. HB 1066, promoted by the SAWS (San Antonio Water System) lobby team, a public agency no less, is attempting to silence landowners who are objecting to the Vista Ridge permit. Last session you vetoed legislation with the identical provisions in HB 1066, that strips landowners of their rights to a public hearing on the issue of extending permits for transferring groundwater out of the area. Your veto stated: “House Bill 2378 would have essentially mandated that export permits issued by groundwater conservation districts be extended indefinitely. An indefinite permit hinders the public from participating in the decision-making of the groundwater conservation district. It does not, however, prevent the groundwater conservation district from changing the terms of the permit unilaterally, a power House Bill 2378 continues to allow these districts to exercise. Excluding the public, potentially in perpetuity, from the decisions of a groundwater conservation district will reduce transparency and inhibit the district’s ability to respond to changed circumstances over time. The next Legislature should consider legislation that accomplishes the goals of House Bill 2378 without its defects.” California is paying for similar decisions they made 50 years ago to allow for mass movement of groundwater to develop in areas without enough local supply. Please don’t allow this to happen to Texas – especially rural Texas. We all – rural, urban and suburban Texans — depend on each other and you, Governor. We are counting on you. #GovernorGregAbbott #HB1066 #SanAntonioWaterSystem #VistaRidge

Congratulations to all the candidates running in the first round of voting for City Council. There are three in the four runoffs who are pledged to support the Vista Ridge Resolution: Greg Brockhouse in the Mayor’s race. Jada Andrews-Sullvan in District 2 and Adriana Garcia in District 4.  It’s also not too late for challengers running in any of these races or in the District 6 runoff to come on board, so keep working on them! There is a recount going on in District 2 ( Express News Article here ) as requested by Denise Gutierrez-Homer, who is also an endorser of the Vista Ridge Resolution. ► Now we want to make sure to ask all the candidates where they stand on “Pay to Play.”   We’ll be discussing this on at our next meeting THIS COMING Monday night, May 13th, at 7 pm, at the Transit Worker’s Union Hall, 1901 N. Flores. Share this Event Page and invite your friends . ► We will also discuss the May 16th hearing at City Hall on Water Impact Fees and some terrible trends seen at the Legislature led by the SAWS Lobby Team. We wish to thank the good folks who spoke with intelligence and heart at the SAWS Board meeting this last Tuesday. Click on the picture window to watch them in action first up on the agenda. Are you an independent voter? That is, do you vote for the person not the party? Come ready to pay your dues and become a member and help us get the San Antonio Chapter of LIV ready…set…and go! You can also join LIV online here. Bring friends on Monday, won’t you. Just forward this message or sharing our events page. Got questions? Reply to this message or give us a call, y’all! Independently yours, San Antonio! PS BTW, have you yet shared our online petition about the Vista Ridge Resolution and Pay to Play? Please go to the Membership tab at LIVTexas.org . #DeniseGutierrezHomer #GregBrockhouse #JadaAnrewsSullivan #paytoplay

Get out and vote this Saturday, San Antonio! Watch our 1 minute+ video “ Hit Pay to Play and Vista Ridge in the Right Spot ” and share away, San Antonio! Groups that rarely work together — Alamo Sierra Club, Homeowner-Taxpayer Association of Bexar County, Joshua Initiative, LULAC Concilio Zapatistic 4383, San Antonio Keeping Bureaucracies Accountable and the League of Independent Voters – San Antonio — all want an independent management, financial and legal audit of the Vista Ridge Water Pipeline…not to mention an end to the pay to play political culture at San Antonio City Hall. Election Day for San Antonio Mayor and all 10 City Council seats is this Saturday, May 4th, with polls open 7 am to 7 pm. Find your poll site here What can you do? ►Share our video and encourage folks to come out and vote for the candidate of their choice. ►Mark your calendar for Monday, May 13th, 7 to 9 pm for the second meeting of the new San Antonio Chapter of the LIV. ►Keep your eyes peeled for legislative alerts and get ready to call your State Legislators! United we stand, divided we FAIL! PS It’s getting dicey at the State Capitol especially on putting land, water and democracy up for sale. Keep reading our emails and take action quickly before the end of the session, May 27th. Thank you! #independentaudit #paytoplay #VistaRidge

More and more Texans have smelled the coffee that groundwater is more valuable than oil, so why subsidize growth by benefiting water profiteers. Smell the coffee, Texas, groundwater is more valuable than oil. We need calls before HB 1066 hits the Senate Floor tomorrow, May 2! FIND YOUR LEGISLATORS HERE Call tonight and leave a message…see the Fact Sheet on this bill below. And ask your family and friends to make a call too! This Fact Sheet prepared by Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA) and signed on to by SAWDF and the League of Independent Voters of Texas was provided today to all Senate offices. SAWDF Director Andy Wier testified on this export permit renewal boondoggle for SAWDF late Monday night. Chairman of the Senate Water & Rural Affairs Committee, Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) invited Andy to present the amendment we want by early the next morning. Andy, a Bastrop resident, stayed in Austin into the night to work on the amendment with the three groups, Judith McGeary at FARFA did the final drafts and Andy arrived back at the Senate by 8:30 Tuesday morning, amendments in hand to meet with the staff person for Perry’s Committee and Judith —- only to be told late yesterday, “Thanks but no thanks” by Sen. Perry. Undaunted, Andy went to work on another important bill….but that’s a story for another Action Alert (or two) you might expect to see by end of week or early next week. ►Your calls to Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin & Bastrop), 512.463.0114, Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Lee and Burleson), 512.463.0118 and Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Milam), 512-463-0105 really do matter! Read the Fact Sheet and then tell your Senator tonight you OPPOSE HB 1066 because it blocks the public from participating in major permitting decisions that could significantly impact their property rights. Governor Abbott vetoed a virtually identical bill in the 2017 session for the same reason! click here for the FACT SHEET ON HB 1066 #SenLoisKolkhorst #HB1066 #JudithMcGeary #SenCharlesPerry #SenKirkWatson #farmandranchfreedomalliance #SimsboroAquiferWaterDefenseFund

For Immediate Release                                                                        April 29, 2019 Twenty-three Candidates Endorse Vista Ridge Resolution Video Likens Vista Ridge to Goliath, Ratepayers to David Twenty-three candidates running for San Antonio Mayor and City Council on May 4th have reviewed the information and endorsed the Vista Ridge Resolution calling for clarification of “the policymaking role of San Antonio Water System, and its need for more openness and transparency; requiring an independent managerial, legal and financial review of the Vista Ridge Project .” The entire four page Vista Ridge Resolution can be found here. Candidates endorsing the resolution are as follows: Mayor : Tim Atwood, Greg Brockhouse*, Bert Cecconi, Antonio Diaz, Matt Pina District 1 : Lauro Bustamante, Justin Holley, Richard Gonzales, Oscar Magana, Roberto Trevino*, Colton Unden, Ray Zavala District 2 : Jada Andrews-Sullivan, Ruben Arcienega, Denise Gutierrez-Homer,  Walter Perry, Sr., Salena Santibanez Guipzot District 4 : Adriana Rocha Garcia District 5 : Jilma “Jill” Davila District 9 : Patrick Von Dohlen District 10 : Elise Kibler, Reinette King, Maria Perez *Currently on the city council. The resolution, drafted by the non-partisan, non-profit 501c4 League of Independent Voters, is also endorsed by the Alamo Sierra Club, the Homeowner-Taxpayers Association of Bexar County, Joshua Initiative. LULAC Concilio Zapatista 4383 and San Antonio Making Bureaucracies Accountable (SAMBA). The drafters have been distributing this flier and gathering signatures on an informal petition also listed online at early poll sites stating: “Vista Ridge, the $3.4B, 143-mile pipeline slated to begin conveying groundwater in 2020, poses a serious threat to reasonable water rates for SAWS ratepayers and sustainability of two critically important aquifers; the mighty Edwards (San Antonio’s drinking water) and the Simsboro formation of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer providing water for Burleson, Bastrop, Milam and Lee counties.” James Murphy is one of the state’s top water attorneys and serves as an Advisory Board Member of LIV. Mr. Murphy is working at the legislature to stop SAWS lobbyists from making Vista Ridge the poster child for the state’s groundwater projects. Murphy said: “Many people do not know that SAWS simply would not allow a smaller and more local project to even be discussed before the City Council as an alternative to this boondoggle. I am fully qualified to call Vista Ridge a boondoggle because I participated in the early stages of the project and abandoned it after realizing the huge risks to ratepayers and the ancient Simsboro, an aquifer that, unlike the Edwards, does not recharge in human terms. The risks that the Simsboro could be damaged and the city forced to stop this project are very real. SAWS ratepayers will then be left holding the bag for the most expensive groundwater in Texas.” Ellen Berky, a San Antonio architect and Board Member for the League of Independent Voters, said: “The League of Independent Voters warned the City its private partner was going bankrupt. We also urged that SAWS do a fully public deal with a loan from the Texas Water Development Board – for half the interest costs of using a private partner. We were ignored. All we know now is that we’ve seen water rate increases every year since 2013, largely on account of the Vista Ridge project, and the San Antonio Water System has been hiding project records behind their private partner. Very soon, the Mayor and City Council will be voting on significant utility fee and rate increases, just as the Vista Ridge water is slated to begin pumping in 2020. We want all the information on this project made public now.” Stan Mitchell, retired, a Harvard MBA with relevant private sector experience, and a leader of San Antonio Making Bureaucracies Accountable, said, “I attended a neighborhood meeting this week where SAWS gave a presentation on their ‘integration pipeline.’ SAWS won’t even call the project by its name. It’s called Vista Ridge. Our public water utility has been absurdly opaque about the combined costs of this project, glossing over the price tag for moving massive amounts of water from Burleson to Bexar County, not to mention the total cost of integrating all this water into the SAWS existing distribution system within the San Antonio metro area. Why doesn’t the public already know the energy costs to convey 50,000 acre-feet (68 million tons of water) per year 143-miles to San Antonio for 30 years? The public deserves to know the Vista Ridge project’s total financial burden which will have to be absorbed through increased public utility billings in the coming years.” This 1-minute video was also released likening the project to Goliath and urging the voters get together to hit the project in the “right spot,” like David. # Contact Information: Ellen Berky, (210) 737-8421, eberky@usa.net Stan Mitchell, (210) 493-2656, Stannew2@icloud.com James Murphy, (210) 859-2189, mangerian@gmail.com Or reply to this message, call or text Linda Curtis, (512) 657-2089 #StanMitchell #EllenBerky #Simsboro #candidatesendorse #IndependentVoters #VistaRidge #EdwardsAquifer #JamesMurphy

SUPPORT THESE EMINENT DOMAIN RELATED BILLS NOW TO BE HEARD TOMORROW I am writing as tomorrow, April 25 at 8 am in room E2.012 marks the biggest day of the session where numerous eminent domain bills are going to be heard in the Land & Resource Management Committee.  More bills have been added since last week, so I have narrowed and prioritized this list. Both the House and Senate versions of the omnibus bills SB 421 and its companion HB 991 will be heard.  Both SB421/HB991 will: Provide basic easement terms to affected landowners to help ensure that their property is protected during and after construction. Provide landowners with an evidence-based valuation of their property’s value along with any damages to the remainder, conducted by certified appraiser or licensed real estate broker; and Requires companies to host informational meetings to present information about the project to landowners allowing for questions and company feedback. Other bills that will be heard include Schwertner’s SB 552, 553, and 555 dealing with the following topics:  survey permission, purchase of additional property should a condemnor need it, and a bill ending landowners paying property taxes on a condemnor’s easement.  Should these and the omnibus bills pass out of committee and make it to the House floor, they will go to the Governor’s desk. HB 1919, HB 3327, and HB 1253 (companion to SB 554 that passed the Senate) will be heard for the first time.  These bills deal with filing complaints with the RRC; a public meeting on a pipeline with notice to a county judge, nearby counties, and the groundwater district; and the right to repurchase property.  We would like to see all three of these bills pass out of Committee for a House floor vote.  HB 1157 ensures the timing on appraisal submissions to a Special Commission are the same from both parties. Why is this hearing so important?  Because all House bills have to be reported out of the House Committees by Monday, May 6….and we are rolling into other deadlines. If you can come testify, this is the time to come.  Please let me know if you are.  If you can’t come, then email/call/write all the committee members and tell them you support all the bills listed below.  Please ask others to do so. Messaging:  (Personalize it with where you are from, why you are concerned, etc.) Dear Land & Resource Management Committee Members:  I want to encourage you to pass the following bills out of committee which will be heard tomorrow, April 25.  No significant legislation has passed regarding eminent domain since 2011.  Please support these bills in order to better protect landowners in the state of Texas. Both SB421 and its companion HB991 are omnibus bills that provide standard easement information, establish a better evidence-based property valuation, and affords an informational meeting between a landowner and a condemning entity to improve the overall eminent domain process. SB 552 would provide property owners additional information relating to their rights in regards to the survey of their property. SB 553 would require a clearly identifiable offer for the purchase of additional property should a condemning entity need land outside the easement. SB 555 ends landowners paying property taxes on a condemnor’s easement if for a nonagricultural use.   HB1157 ensures that the timing of appraisal submissions to a Special Commission are the same for both landowners and condemnors. HB1919 allows property owners to file complaints of misconduct to the state about certain entities regulated by the Railroad Commission. HB3327 requires expanded notice of a proposed oil and gas pipeline project to include the county judge, nearby counties, and the groundwater district and provides for a public meeting. Protect Texans with an improved and fairer process in eminent domain. Lend your support to pass these bills out of committee.  Thank you for your consideration. Name/Address/Phone Contact information for the Land & Resource Management Committee: Tom Craddick at 512.463.0500 or  tom.craddick@house.texas.gov Sergio Munoz at 512.463.0704 or  sergio.munoz@house.texas.gov Cecil Bell at 512.463.0650 or  cecil.bell@house.texas.gov Terry Canales at 512.463.0426 or  terry.canales@house.texas.gov Ben Leman at 512.463.0600 or  ben.leman@house.texas.gov Ina Minjarez at 512.463.0634 or  ina.minjarez@house.texas.gov Jonathan Stickland at 512.463.0522 or  jonathan.stickland@house.texas.gov Shawn Thierry  at 512.463.0518 or  shawn.thierry@house.texas.gov Thanks all, Rita Beving, Texas Landowners for Eminent Domain Reform 214.557.2271

Sorry this is so late, but we need your help to reach legislators NOW to vote NO on House Bill 726 coming for a floor vote tomorrow – April 15th —  in the Texas House. We will soon do all we can to stop this in the Texas Senate! We need you to call your State Representative NOW! Find him or her here . (Or just call the Capitol Switchboard at 512-463-4630 and ask them to hook you up to your State Rep’s office!) This legislation can do permanent and serious harm to the future water supply of all Texans by facilitating the “California Water Model.” That is moving groundwater – the water underlying millions of Texas from our aquifers — to areas without a nearby water supply. Just remember to remind your legislator:   Rural Texans do not want their water stripped from their land. Urban Texans do not want to pay for profiteering and speculation in water to fuel hyper-development – a driving force of urban unaffordability. More on HB 726 here . We need you to call your State Representative NOW! Find him or her here .  You can usually leave message anytime. If that fails, you can send your Rep an email to First Name dot Last Name @ house.texas.gov .  Urge your Rep to simply vote NO on HB 726 NOW! We expect the vote to come up on MONDAY, April 15th sometime after 11AM, but these votes are sometimes delayed, so do your call as soon as you can. Then ask friends, family and neighbors to do the same. Tell your legislators that you want HB 726 AMENDED as proposed by Rep. John Cyrier (pronounced SEER-E-AY). Tell your legislator to stand up for the private property rights that ALL landowners have their groundwater; INCLUDING those who choose to keep our aquifers healthy and sustainable for all future Texans by not selling their groundwater! MORE POINTS TO MAKE, if you want to : “Taking” other people’s groundwater without compensation; especially those who don’t sell their groundwater is wrong. Groundwater mega-projects take water many miles beyond the boundaries of their well fields; taking water from neighboring domestic wells and the water flow in rivers & streams is wrong. Stripping away local control over groundwater permitting, by automatically extending/renewing speculative permits that may leave our aquifers vulnerable to permanent damage is wrong.   Please note – and tell your legislators this! The State Water Plan already lays out less expensive, regional alternatives that are sustainable and protect Texas’ economic growth. Got questions? Call us at 512.213.4511 or email us at info@independentleaguetx.org Thank you, Texans! #Texasgroundwater #HB726 #aquifers #Californiawatermodel #Texaseconomicgrowth

We are writing you first with some good news on eminent domain reform.  As of yesterday, Kolkhorst’s omnibus bill SB421 passed.  No, it doesn’t look like the same bill as it first started, but it will incrementally improve the process. Schwertner’s SB555 on landowners not paying property taxes also passed the Senate.  So now there are 5 bills passed through the Senate which also include SB554, SB553, and SB552 which collectively address the repurchase of property where a project doesn’t progress within 10 years, the purchase of additional needed property other than the easement, and survey permission.  All now move to their respective House committees. But we write you regarding 2 bills on Monday which will be heard in Energy Resources upon House adjournment in E2.010 (I think if you got there by noon you would be good as far as your arrival to register): HB4423 establishes monies or bonds that a pipeline needs to deposit for needed surface remediation for an easement if the proper reclamation doesn’t happen per your easement agreement — and also off the easement if the operator fails or is unable to do so. HB4060 authorizes a fee from pipeline companies to promote pipeline emergency preparedness to be administered by the Texas Railroad Commission.  This includes training, evacuation routes, training, equipment, and more.  This fund is established for pipelines more than 20″ in diameter and within the range of communities, counties, or districts that meet certain criteria. These bills are both offered by Rep. Erin Zwiener of the Kyle area.  Both are attached. These are the members of the Committee you want to write or call.  I encourage you, if you are a landowner and can’t come Monday, that you send these Representatives photos of how your pipeline easements look or any damage outside your easement and tell them why this bill is needed: Energy Resources Chris Paddie (chair – 512.463.0556)or chris.paddie@house.texas.gov Abel Herrero (vice chair – 512.463.0462) or abel.herrero@house.texas.gov Rafael Anchia (512.463.0746) or rafael.anchia@house.texas.gov Ernest Bailes (512.463.0570) or ernest.bailes@house.texas.gov Tom Craddick (512.463.0500) or tom.craddick@house.texas.gov Drew Darby, (512.463.0331) or drew.darby@house.texas.gov Charlie Geren (512.463.0610) or charlie.geren@house.texas.gov Roland Gutierrez, (512.463.0452) or roland.gutierrez@house.texas.gov Cody Harris (512.463.0730) or cody.harris@house.texas.gov Mary Ann Perez (512.46.0460) or mary.perez@house.texas.gov Jon Rosenthal (512.463.0722) or jon.rosenthal@house.texas.gov Regards, Rita Beving Texas Landowners for Eminent Domain Reform 214.557.2271 PS Be sure to read our most recent newsletter — this message from TLEDR came in a tad too late for it.

Folks, there’s a whole lotta political shaking going on in Texas. Stan Mitchell and Ellen Berky pitch the end of Pay to Play and a Vista Ridge investigation to SAWS Board of Trustees. The earthquake we’re detecting is related to the convergence of both party establishments. That’s right. On some things – like the brokering of arguably the most valuable resources on the planet  – groundwater and land resources – they agree. Do nothing because Oil and Gas and Real Estate are the King and Queen lobbies. No one will tell you – but us, the independents – these “emperors” have no clothes! In this Newsletter: ►Groundwater game in the Lege is on! ►Alamo City here comes LIV! ►City of Austin’s sucker stadium gets spot kick – SB 1771 ►Houston Moving to End Pay to Play! ►What the heck is LIV anyway? Groundwater Game in Lege is on! Why are we so focused on groundwater? Did you miss that it’s the “new oil”? The world is struggling with finding enough of it, while Texas is getting ready to sacrifice it at the alter of “all growth is good.” Yesterday, HB 1066 passed the Texas House nearly unanimously. The primary author is east Texan, Rep. Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin — see picture). The joint author is Rep. Lyle Larson (R-San Antonio). Ashby had earlier refused to amend his offensive Vista Ridge handoff bill to SAWS in Committee as he was requested to do. We wrote about it here . We asked legislators at ground zero over the Simsboro formation of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer in counties east of Austin, to vote no on the bill when it came to the floor. Rep. John Cyrier, who represents two of the four most affected counties (Bastrop and Lee counties), greatly impacted by SAWS and other’s extreme mega-permit “water grabs,” surprised us by voting yes on HB 1066. Rep. Ben Leman, a freshman legislator who represents Burleson County (home of the terribly mistaken Vista Ridge water pipeline) also voted yes on HB 1066. Re p. Terry Wilson, who represents gravely impacted Milam County, was the brave lone vote against HB 1066. We are evaluating what to do now but wish to first thank Rep. Wilson! We would also remind you that this is what happened on another debacle, the  Trans-Texas Corridor. Only two legislators voted against it – then Reps. Lon Burnam (D-Ft. Worth) and Terry Keel (R-Austin.) It took 5 years of hard labor by ordinary citizens to pull the monstrosity down. But it happened with a statewide cross-partisan coalition and the independent breakout gubernatorial candidacies of then Republican Comptroller Carole Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman. The earth moves in not so mysterious ways. Check out our new San Antonio page! Alamo City, here we come! Please wa tch the video and if you live in San Antonio, sign the petition. Share this page widely please. Did we thank you all for coming or watching the stream of our “Cross Community Alliances” event last Saturday. Well, thank y’all! On Tuesday, LIV’s San Antonio Board Member, Ellen Berky and local fiscal accountability watchdog, Stan Mitchell (SAMBA Coalition), spoke to the San Antonio Water System Board of Trustees. Watch Berky call for “ An Independent, Managerial, Legal and Financial Review ” of the $3.4 — $4.5 billion boondoggle, aka Vista Ridge water pipeline to Burleson County. Mitchell’s call for an end to “Pay to Play” with a rather damning spreadsheet of whose paying what to play, will knock your socks loose.  ( Check out Mitchell’s credentials on page 2 and look at the spreadsheet on pages 3 and 4 . ) Next week this page will introduce you to the candidates and Council Members who are supporting the Vista Ridge Resolution. Watch for it! City of Austin’s Sucker Stadium Gets Spot Kick With Senate Bill 1771 Here’s a no-brainer bill by Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston), SB 1771 . The backdrop of this bill is the City of Austin’s giveaway of future property taxes for all other authorities, not just the City’s, to the Precourt “Sucker Stadium” deal. This Austin Monitor piece tells you what you need to know . What can you do? Call your state rep and senator and ask them to pass SB 1771 and give these stinky stadium deals a swift kick. Find your legislators here . Houston Moving to End Pay-to-Play! In Houston, this new End Pay to Play PAC has emerged to take on the apparent trough feeding in the City of Houston.  We’re not yet endorsing this, but we’re watching and so should you. You should also be watching Bill King, who is running for Mayor against incumbent, Sylvester Turner. Though LIV does not endorse candidates, we pay WAY attention when an independent is running a major campaign in a major race and he’s blowing the whistle on pay-to-play. What the heck is LIV anyway? In our opinion, the two-in-one-party system needs continued shock treatment. This cannot be done by a partisan outfit or a namby-pamby group that won’t tell you the truth. Telling you the truth is the purpose of a third force (not to be confused with a third party) that can unite Texans across all parties. A “cross-partisan movement” that will go to bat for all the voters is what it takes to shake those in government out of the bed they’re sharing with those in the private sector continually looting the public purse. The pundits say that we – independents – don’t exist. Funny thing is, the Gallup Poll has been study independents since 2004 . We are the plurality of voters that – for good or not – are the foundational change voters. The pundits also say we independents just cannot make up our minds. The truth is that all voters are left starving for some new menu items to digest that can’t get to the table right now without an independent movement to shake up and bake up a new small “d” democracy. The League of Independent Voters of Texas is a non-partisan, non-profit organization focused on issues. We might be small for now. But, like David, we’re striving to be brave enough to stand up and hit Goliath in the right spot. Join us with your knees knockin’! Become a dues paying member of LIV , learn more about us , check our our leaders , and get involved. We’ve got a place at LIV ready made for you! #BillKing #KinkyFriedman #HB1066 #TerryWilson #CaroleStrayhorn #SAWS #TrentAshby #PaulBettencourt #SuckerStadium #LyleLarson #BenLeman #JohnCyrier