Success at last!!!
A message from Jeanne Patterson, Chair, Texas Bicycle Coalition

It’s true!  After weeks of delays and slippery slopes from the Senate to the House and back again, the "Share the Road" license plate bill has finally passed. 

On June 1, the final day of the 78^th Texas Legislature, the omnibus license plate bill that was added as an amendment by State Senator Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) to HB 2971 made it through the House around 4:30 pm and then around 8:30 pm passed in the Senate. Talk about down to the wire! The session officially ended at midnight. 

Special thanks need to go to Executive Director Gayle Cummins and her legislative team of lobbyist Chuck Rice and Legislative Affairs Director Robin Stallings.  The passage would not have been possible without their work behind the scenes up until the last seconds. Their dogged perseverance is what kept this alive.

“I’d say it’s akin to pulling the rabbit out of the hat— I know the legislative team was working the phone lines, even Sunday afternoon, the last day of the 78^th Legislature.  Thanks to all who worked so hard to make this happen,” said Annie Melton, TBC Board Member from Dallas who sits on the legislative committee.

We want to give a big thanks to our TBC members in one of the Dallas State House districts who agreed to call their legislator when we heard about a last ditch attempt to derail our bill in the final hours. 

Additional gratitude goes to the entire TBC legislative committee, chaired by Dan Lundeen of Houston.

All Texas cyclists should be proud of another successful legislative year especially during this strange legislative climate. Only about half the number of bills that are normally passed during a session passed this time around. So we were quite fortunate.

The bill now goes to Governor Perry to sign into law.  The governor has until June 22, the last day he can sign or veto bills passed during the previous legislative session. 

Could there be a better way to start the summer than with a steady funding source in the works for motorist and cycling education!