Bills, Bills, Bills

We are days away from the start of the 81st Legislative Session. I'm sure you have heard of many proposed bills, some of which that may effect you, others that may not. But I thought mentioning a couple that I've been covering was worth a moment to reflect on our lawmakers who may be trying to make life better for all of us.

I'll begin with the Teen Driver Safety Bill. This is one that I feel a closer connection to because it all began up in north Texas where I worked for a little over a year and a half. The bill was born out of tragedy. I do not know any of the victims personally, but I used to go to church with a woman who was very connected to the teenagers who lost their lives in automobile accidents in Pottsboro, Texas. After several of these accidents, people formed a group called Less Tears More Years. The organization, made up of parents, educators, police officers and others, got together to figure out a way for teens to become more educated and informed before they get behind the wheel. Now the bill, authored by State Representative Larry Phillips (R-Sherman), seeks to make driver's education requirements stricter. If passed, the bill would make it tougher for teens to get their licenses, and those behind the bill want the bottom line to be saving lives.

Photojournalist Kevin Riley and I headed out on the road ourselves to find out how people feel about this. The first place we headed -- Leander ISD. One of the most dramatic areas of the bill would put driving school classes back in school districts. Currently, the majority of schools do not offer driving education as part of their program. We talked with Communications Director Dick Ellis. He says education is the highest priority. But there are questions. "How much is it going to cost?" he said. That's a great question, one I posed to Rep. Phillips. He said that would be a part of the discussion that lawmakers will have during the course of this bill.

Instructors at the Longhorn Driving School in Cedar Park are confident that the education students gain at their school is more than adequate to prepare them for driving. If the bill passes and driving classes are brought back to school districts, the amount of time a student spends behind the wheel would jump from 14 to 34 hours. "I'm not sure about the feasibility of how that's going to happen,” driving instructor Dena Conley said.

Student Driver Shianne Hatmaker said she wouldn't mind more education, if it keeps her and her friends safe on the road.

We Shall See

This legislative session we'll be keeping a close eye on what lawmakers are saying about bills like these and others, which, in the end, will effect our daily lives - hopefully for the better.