Legislative Successes

As a legislative staffer, and as a lobbyist, Eric Woomer has assembled an impressive resume of accomplishment in aiding legislators to achieve their public policy goals.

Among the significant legislative and professional accomplishments achieved while serving as an advisor to state legislators:

  • Implementation of a “graduated” driver’s license program for young Texans, imposing greater restrictions on their ability to drive while unsupervised during the first 6 months of licensure.  This effort led to a 33% reduction in auto-related teen fatalities in Texas since its passage, a rate of decline that leads the nation.  The Austin American Statesman cited passage of this legislation as a primary cause for the improvement.
  • Creation of Texas Professional Educator Home Loan Program, a housing assistance program which helps more than 300 teachers annually to own homes.  The program is housed within the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation, which makes millions available annually to support down payments assistance efforts and make low-interest loans to first-time homebuyers.
  • Passage of legislation decreasing the statutory definition of “intoxicated” from .10 to .08 for all driving intoxication offenses.  As a result of this effort, the number of alcohol-related fatalities in Texas has declined by 23%, while attracting millions in additional federal highway funds to the state.
  • Reformation of the allocation methodologies for disbursement of human organs for transplant within the State of Texas, preserving those organs harvested in Texas for recipients within the state.  Prior to the passage of this law, changes in federal transplant guidelines meant that Texas would likely have seen many of the organs available for transplant exported to other states around the nation.  This legislation protected the legislature’s ongoing efforts to promote organ donation within the state.
  • Creation of the Greater East End & East Downtown Management Districts in Harris County.  These districts are funded by assessments on commercial property within the district boundaries, and revenues are utilized to promote economic development, improve infrastructure and amenities, provide services to commercial property owners and create opportunities for workforce training and development.  As a result of these efforts, millions of dollars have been reinvested within these districts, making them more attractive communities in which to live and work, and attracting increased private investment, such as the new $95 million Houston Dynamo pro soccer stadium, projected to open in 2012.
  • Development of the Senate Hispanic Research Council, the research & policy development arm of Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus.  Starting from scratch, this program has grown to a self-sufficient 501(c)(3) whose mission is to provide educational and leadership opportunities to all segments of the Hispanic community by supporting active participation at all levels of government.  Among it’s most significant achievements is the creation of the Sen. Gregory Luna Scholarship Program, a fellowship program which helps participants gain invaluable experience and exposure to the Texas Senate as full-time legislative assistants in the capitol, performing a variety of legislative tasks, including legislative research summaries, bill tracking, constituent correspondence and drafting floor statements, articles, press releases.

Among Eric’s accomplishments as a lobbyist:

  • Fostering changes to the Texas Public Utility Commission’s substantive rules, doubling frequency of fuel factor filings for vertically-integrated utilities in Texas.  Over time, outdated fuel factor provisions and regulatory lag led to substantial under-recovery of fuel expenses by utilities.  Through a collaborative effort which included the PUCT, legislators, and other interested parties, the relevant rules were updated, which has lead to greater recovery of fuel expenses for Texas utility shareholders.
  • Passage of legislation establishing a new annual Transmission Cost Recovery Factor (TCRF) for non-ERCOT utilities in Texas.  In recent years, explosive growth in the need for electric transmission and distribution facilities to foster wind energy development and accommodate population increases had outpaced the ability of integrated utilities to recovery these costs.  Establishment of a TCRF offers greater investment in electricity transmission & distribution facilities, by allowing utilities to recovery these costs on an annualized basis.  Enactment of the change led to millions of dollars in accelerated recovery for utility shareholders, and encouraged additional investment in transmission & distribution facilities.