Government Should Work for Texans

A few weeks ago, I wrote to you about the Sunset Commission and government accountability. This week, I want to keep that conversation going!

If Texans are expected to work hard, pay their taxes, and follow the rules, they should expect their government to do the same.

That means government should be transparent about how it operates, responsible with taxpayer dollars, and willing to admit when something is not working and fix it.

The Texas Legislature took several important steps toward that goal last session.

One of those was House Bill 12, which strengthens the Sunset process and puts more emphasis on efficiency. State agencies will now undergo efficiency audits that look at how they are using their money and resources, whether their programs are accomplishing their intended goals, and whether there are unnecessary overlaps or inefficiencies. The law also gives Texans a clearer opportunity to participate in the Sunset review process.

Senate Bill 14 took aim at another part of the problem by creating the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office. Its job is to identify unnecessary or ineffective regulations and look for ways to protect the public while reducing unnecessary costs and burdens on the people and businesses that have to follow those rules.

The Legislature also strengthened transparency at the local level, including requiring more information about the financial impact of bond proposals before voters are asked to approve them and strengthening enforcement of Texas open-government and public-records laws.

These may not be the kinds of reforms that make national headlines, but they matter. Good government is often about the details: making sure a taxpayer can see how money is being spent, making sure a public meeting is actually open to the public, and making sure a government program is accomplishing what it was created to do.

That is also why I am honored to serve on the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission.

As I mentioned in my column a few weeks ago, Sunset gives us an opportunity to take a fresh look at state agencies and ask whether they are still serving Texans the way they should. I have already participated in the Commission's review of the Texas Workforce Commission, and we are continuing to work through recommendations from that review.

Our work will continue with upcoming reviews of the Health and Human Services Commission, the Department of Family Protective Services, and other agencies that have a direct impact on Texans and their families.

I want to make sure you and the other Texans I represent are part of that conversation.

If you have dealt with a state agency and encountered a problem, unnecessary red tape, a process that does not make sense, or simply have an idea for how government could serve people better, I encourage you to reach out to my office. Those firsthand experiences are important as the Sunset process continues.

Our job is to make sure taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly, government operates in the open, and the agencies we fund are actually doing their jobs.

That is accountability; it is something Texans should expect from their government, and it is something I am committed to every day.

— Your Conservative State Representative Angelia Orr