|
January 22, 2007
Representative Thomas Latham
taking oath of office |
Dear friends and fellow Texans,
The
past few weeks have been among the most exciting times of
my life. A busload of friends and supporters came from District
101 to Austin to witness my swearing-in on January 9th, the
first day of the 80th Legislative Session. Others sent letters
and cards, or called to offer encouragement and advice.
I took the oath of office at my new desk on the House floor—with
Mary and my daughter Leslie and my three grandchildren at
my side. My nephew, Nick, was there as well. Nick recently
returned from a tour of duty in Iraq, where he earned a Bronze
Star for valor. Nick serves in the U.S. Army, and right now
he’s stationed at a base in Louisiana. We look forward
to the day when he can come home for good. You can view photos
of the swearing in here.
In the short time since my swearing-in, I’ve come to
appreciate how difficult it can be to balance a district’s
needs with the larger aspirations of a legislative body that
conducts business for the entire state of Texas. Some of our
first decisions were politically challenging and personally
difficult. I am grateful to my family, colleagues, and constituents
for standing behind me.
Over the next five or six months, I’ll be spending a
lot of time in Austin. But I can’t be your voice in
the legislature if I don’t hear your voice at home.
I will be at home, and in the district office, as much as
my legislative schedule will allow. I plan to have regular
meetings with local leadership, constituents, and supporters
when we’re at home.
I’ve secured an office in the heart of the district—in
old downtown Mesquite on the square. As soon as we have furniture,
we’ll be up and running. The district office address
is:
Representative Thomas Latham
Texas House District 101
210 W. Davis, Number 101
Mesquite, Texas 75149
If you’d like to call the local office, the phone number
is: 972-289-1101. Babbette Bradshaw will be there to take
your calls.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens during the opening
days of a legislative session, here’s a brief account:
Representatives and House leadership write and review legislation,
meet with their peers in the House and Senate, and set up
their offices. The Speaker makes committee assignments; and
members adopt rules for conducting business, pass resolutions
and welcome visitors to Austin.
We have already set higher standards for the way we will conduct
business during the 80th Legislative Session. We voted to
create a more transparent and accessible government. We passed
HR3, which requires a record vote on all third-and-final bill
readings. We also voted to allow any single member of the
House to request a record vote. Texas will now have the easiest
method of obtaining record votes in the nation.
Last week I met with Speaker Tom Craddick, for whom I have
a great deal of respect. We had a friendly and productive
conversation. The Speaker asked about my committee preferences,
and I requested Law Enforcement, Urban Affairs, and Corrections.
My background as a police officer and town councilmember lends
itself to these areas. Committee assignments should be made
within the next two weeks. Check back here, or on my state
website, for more information.
I have the support of an absolutely top-notch staff. They
have a strong background in criminal justice, human services,
and urban issues, and have both solid management and legislative
skills. My chief of staff, Rachael Schreiber, came from Representative
Terry Keel’s office. My legislative director, Brigitt
Hartin, came from Representative Suzanna Hupp’s office.
And Babbette Bradshaw, a longtime friend whom many of you
already know, will manage the district office. She'll take
good care of you. I hope you will join me in welcoming
them to my staff.
Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts, and for taking
the time to share your ideas and advice. I will not forget
why I’m in Austin. I didn’t run for office to
build a career as a politician. I ran to serve as your representative
– as your voice in Austin. I will work hard to live
up to that promise.
If you would like to receive regular updates about my work
in Austin, please subscribe here.
Sincerely,
Thomas
Latham |
