Greetings from what is quickly starting to feel like the twilight zone. Redistricting (which I referred to last week as the ‘crazy relative hiding in the closet') has now emerged from the closet and is rolling around the floor in a frenzy, knocking down whatever is in its path. Urban areas vs. rural areas, majority vs. minority, Republicans vs. Democrats, and Republicans vs. Republicans--I've participated in drafting so many redistricting plans that you could literally wallpaper my entire office with them. Remembering and adhering to the standards that the courts have set ("fair," "compact," "communities of interest") is a real challenge for those in charge of the crayons . . . unfortunately, it's a challenge that the current, Democratically-controlled House Committee on Redistricting plan fails to meet. As you know, we worked furiously to pass a plan that does meet these challenges, but we fell just five votes short of the goal. The knife fights have begun as some members see their political future at stake and "Ginsus" are flying everywhere.

Input and support from you on this highly charged topic is still welcome--all members of the House need to be reminded that the primary goal of this entire process is to provide fair and accurate representation for you, the voter. I don't think that voters in the City of Irving are best served being carved into five separate House Districts, or Garland with six. On the current map being offered by the House Committee on Redistricting, communities of interest like Lake Highlands and Lakewood are divided into three different House Districts. If these cities or communities of interest have a specific concern that needs to be addressed by the legislature, they often have to go to all of the members that represent their particular area and repeat their concerns over and over. While it may seem that the ubiquitous axiom "more is better"would apply here, dividing representation for a city in such a fractured manner can actually make representing its citizens even harder. It can lead to no sense of obligation by any one Representative.

My friends and colleagues sometimes recognize my flair for the melodramatic but let me assure you, this issue of redistricting needs no assistance--it will be as dramatic as it is important. The impact from the final drawing of the lines will be felt for the next decade and beyond, not only in Dallas and Austin but also in Washington and hence the entire nation. The kind of representation that will take place after redistricting is directly related to the legislation that will be offered and this in turn will affect the growth and success of our cities, state and nation. Don't pass up the opportunity to make your voice heard. Please contact either my Austin or Dallas office to share your thoughts on redistricting.

House Bill 3572 - Umbilical Cord Blood
As many of you know, I have been working hard to increase awareness of the life-saving value of umbilical cord blood. Cord blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after each live birth. For myself and many needy Texans, Tuesday, May 1st was a great day on the House floor. House Bill 3572 passed the House of Representatives without opposition and is now in the Senate, where it will be heard this week. If passed, H.B. 3572 would create a grant for the establishment of the only public cord blood bank in Texas, making Texas one of only seven states in the nation with a public cord blood bank and the first state in the central southwest region of the United States.
Cord blood can now be used as an alternative to a bone marrow transplant in treating a number of deadly diseases like leukemia, aplastic anemia, lymphoma, immune deficiencies and genetic disorders such as sickle cell anemia. Researchers are also exploring the use of cord blood in treating primary brain tumors, various forms of cancer, and diabetes. Currently, this life-saving source of progenitor cells is literally being thrown away thousands of times daily in Texas, even though the collection of cord blood is very simple (only taking approximately five minutes) and there is absolutely no risk to the mother or child in the collection process. Furthermore, it requires a less stringent matching process than bone marrow transplants. The odds of a needy individual finding a potential match from their immediate family are 1 in 4. If a related donor is not found, the odds of finding a genetically compatible donor from the National Bone Marrow Donor Program start at 1 in 20,000. Sadly, almost 15,000 people die each year for lack of finding a suitable bone marrow donor, a large percentage of which occurs among minorities. You may remember from my first constituent update the story of Piper Hucklebury, a Dallas kindergarten teacher diagnosed with leukemia. For Piper, the disease was aggressive and life threatening. A key component to Piper's recovery was obtaining cord blood from a cord blood bank in California--waiting for a bone marrow match would have been fatal.

After having H.B. 3572 passed, my focus concerning cord blood now turns to making sure that H.B. 3572 is funded through the House Appropriations Committee. The budget for H.B.3572 provides one-time funding to establish and maintain Texas' cord blood bank and research center for a period of five years. After that time, the center would become self-sustaining. If the needed funds are appropriated, Texas will be well on its way toward protecting the health and lives of people everywhere with one of the life sciences latest and most exciting medical breakthroughs.

There are many other issues being debated on the House floor, all under the shadow of an extremely tight budget. In addition to legislation dealing with redistricting, public school finance, biotechnology development and innovations in biomedicine, such as cord blood, there is much legislation regarding transportation funding, election reforms, prison guard pay, and so on. I will continue to keep you updated as we head into these last few weeks of the session.