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Political Landscape & 2019 Session Agenda Elections and The

Legislative Process

• Elections and the Legislative process are inextricably connected.

• Your decisions about whether and how to vote have a direct impact on achieving policy goals.

• National elections grab headlines and dominate the news, but state elections are more important to TNP.

2018 Primary Elections

While many people only pay attention to the US Senate and Governor's election in November, many races have already been decided.

Primary Election Changes

Texas Senate Primary Losses – 1 • SD 30 – Craig Estes (R – Wichita Falls) defeated by

Pat FallonTexas House Primary Losses – 8 • HD 23: Wayne Faircloth (R-Galveston) lost to Mayes

Middleton• HD 37: Rene Oliviera (D-Brownsville) lost to Alex

Dominguez• HD 46: Dawnna Dukes (D-Austin) lost to Sheryl Cole• HD 54: Scott Cosper (R-Killeen) lost to Brad Buckley• HD 104: Roberto Alonzo (D-Dallas) lost to Jessica

Gonzalez• HD 114: Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) lost to Lisa Luby

Ryan• HD 116: Diana Arevalo (D-San Antonio) lost to Trey

Martinez Fischer• HD 118: Tomas Uresti (D-San Antonio) lost to Leo

Pacheco

Other Non-

Returning Members

Texas Senate - 3• SD 6: Sylvia Garcia running for

Congress• SD 8: Van Taylor running for Congress• SD 19: Carlos Uresti resigned due to

criminal convictions

Other Non-

Returning Members

• HD 4: Lance Gooden running for Congress• HD 8: Byron Cook retiring• HD 13: Leighton Schubert retiring• HD 15: Mark Keough running for County Judge• HD 45: Jason Isaac lost bid for Congress• HD 52: Larry Gonzalez retiring• HD 62: Larry Phillips appointed District Judge• HD 80: Jodie Laubenberg retiring• HD 106: Pat Fallon won race for Senate• HD 109: Helen Giddings retiring• HD 113: Cindy Burkett ran for Senate and lost• HD 121: Speaker Joe Straus retiring• HD 126: Kevin Roberts lost bid for Congress

Texas House - 13

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General Election

Because of the number of retirements, the fact that we are at the end of a redistricting cycle, and other factors, the 2018 General Election will be more competitive than the 2016 General Election

2018 Competitive

Races

Texas Senate - 3

Special Election• SD 19: Pete Gallego (D) vs. Pete Flores

(R)General Election • SD 10: Konni Burton (R) vs. Beverly

Powell (D)*• SD 16: Don Huffines (R) vs. Nathan

Johnson (D)*

*Both districts had more primary votes for the non-incumbent party

Incumbents italicized

2018 Competitive

Races

• HD 43: JM Lozano (R) vs. DeAnn Torres Miller (D)• HD 45: Ken Strange (R) vs. Erin Zweiner (D)• HD 47: Paul Workman (R) vs. Vikki Goodwin (D)*• HD 52: Flores (R) vs. Talarico (D)• HD 102: Koop (R) vs. Ana Maria Ramos (D)• HD 105: Anderson (R) vs. Terry Meza (D)• HD 107: Neave (D) vs. Deanna Maria Metzger (R)*• HD 108: Morgan Meyer (R) vs. Joanna Cattanatch

(D)*• HD 112: Angie Chen Button (R) vs. Brandy

Chambers (D)• HD 113: Boos (R) vs. Rhetta Andrew Bowers (D)• HD 114: Lisa Luby Ryan (R) vs. John Turner (D)• HD 115: Matt Rinaldi (R) vs. Julie Johnson (D)• HD 117: Phillip Cortez (D) vs. Michael Berlanga (R)*• HD 134: Sarah Davis (R) vs. Allison Sawyer (D)*• HD 135: Elkins (R) vs. Rosenthal (D)• HD 136: Tony Dale (R) vs. John Bucy (D)*• HD 144: Mary Ann Perez (D) vs. Ruben Villarreal (R)

*Denotes district where the non-incumbent party received more primary votes.

Texas House - 17

Beyond Voting -Volunteering

• At the state level, campaigns survive on volunteers. – Hosting a

candidate coffee at your home

– Knocking on doors to talk to voters

– Passing out yard signs or flyers

• It doesn’t matter if it’s your legislator or a nearby legislator who’s been a friend and has a contested race.

Beyond Voting –Community Involvement

• Legislators enjoy talking to constituents, whether it’s at the Rotary Club, Scouts, or even a meeting of your local NP group.

• Invite your legislator to come speak with your affiliate group, Rotary Club, Neighborhood Association, or other meeting as a way to build an informal relationship with them.

Beyond Voting – Financial Contributions

• Legislators have to communicate with their voters. It takes money to print push cards, send direct mail, or buy radio or TV ads.

• Legislators need to know that their friends will be with them at election time.

• An active PAC is the best way to show legislators that your organization is engaged, and will “have their back” at election time if they need help.

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VOTE!!

• Last day to register: October 9, 2018

• First day of early voting: October 22, 2018

• Last ay of early voting: November 2, 2018

• Election Day: November 6, 2018

2019 Legislature

• Known Legislator Changes– House: 21 new

members– Senate: 4 new

members• Potential Additional

Legislator Changes: – House: 14 new

members– Senate: 2 new

members• Potential Total Changes:

– House: up to 35 (23%) new members

– Senate: up to 6 (20%) new members

Speaker’s Race

First “Open” Speaker’s race in 25 yearsWhy is this important?• The House will likely take at least a

month longer to begin their business• Committees names and jurisdictions

will change• Committee chairs will change• House power dynamics will change• House-Senate and House-Governor

power dynamics will change

Speaker’s Race

Declared Candidates

Republicans

• Travis Clardy – Nacogdoches• Drew Darby – San Angelo• Phil King – Weatherford• Tan Parker – Flower Mound• Four Price – Amarillo• John Zerwas, M.D. – Richmond

Democrat

• Eric Johnson – Dallas

TNP Legislative Priorities

Full Practice Authority

Schedule II Prescriptions

Discharge Prescriptions

Workers Compensation

Virtual PAA Meetings

Post-Concussion

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Full Practice

Authority

• Excellent session in 2017– Unprecedented Coalition– Excellent Media Coverage– Increased PAC participation– Excellent grassroots support

• Building on that success in 2019– Working with coalition groups to

hone strategy– Will begin paid, targeted media

closer to session Unprecedented Coalition

Schedule II Prescriptions

• Because of the opioid epidemic and concerns about psychotropic medications, these were a huge issue in 2017, and will remain so in 2019.

• The 2017 Legislature voted to require prescribers to query the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) Portal before prescribing benzodiazepines, opioids, barbiturates, or carisoporodol. Only prescribers treating certified hospice or cancer patients were exempted.

• This requirement won’t take effect until September 2019, which means the 2019 Legislature will likely make changes

Schedule II Prescriptions

• TNP is working with other organizations to ensure the Prescription Monitoring Program is implemented effectively and in a way that isn’t burdensome to providers.

• TNP is crafting legislation to allow APRNs to prescribe Schedule II medications, regardless of whether the Full Practice Authority legislation succeeds.

Virtual PAA

Meetings

• In 2017, TNP worked with an anesthesiologist State Representative,

Tom Oliverson, on a bill that would

allow APRN & PA monthly meeting

requirements to take place

electronically instead of in-person.

• The bill ultimately ran out of time in the2017 legislative process, but

Representative Oliverson and others

have committed to helping us ensure

passage in 2019.

Workers Compensation

• In 2017, John Zerwas, an anesthesiologist State Representative passed legislation to allow PAs (not APRNs) to complete and sign work status reports in the workers’ compensation system.

• TNP is working to have APRNs included in this statute during the 2019 legislative session.

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Post-Concussion

• TNP will be pursuing legislation to allow NPs to evaluate and clear those who have suffered concussions.

Defense

We will remain vigilant so that we can identify and stop legislation that can negatively affect NPs.

How can I help? • Get to know your legislators and

their staff • Get involved in your local

elections• Get in touch with TNP about

joining the PAC• Sign up for Legislative Updates• Let us know if you are able to

provide written or oral testimony during the Legislative Session

• VOTE!

QUESTIONS?