Jeremy Fuchs, director of policy communications and government relations at Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, joins TSCRA Talk host Kristen Brown to discuss the legislative happenings in 2021. Fuchs shares that the second and third special legislative session in Texas produced productive funding for border security and COVID relief funds to help with rural broadband infrastructure and rural hospitals. Redistricting was an important component and Fuchs says with the growing populations of Texas in urban areas it’s important for rural communities to keep their voice.
Additionally, Fuchs discusses the TSCRA Austin team’s work monitoring state and federal agencies rules and regulatory framework that has been proposed. Two significant items include the infrastructure bill that passed and has been signed by President Biden and the Build Back Better plan, which, as of recording time, had not yet moved to the Senate. Fuchs debunks a tax myth about the Build Back Better plan and says that the bill has already been cut down to about half the original cost which eases a lot of concerns about taxes. With the change in administration this year Fuchs talks about a variety of other issues that they have been monitoring.
Closing out the episode, Brown asks Fuchs to share two topics that cattlemen and landowners need to be aware of in 2022. Tune in to hear his response.