Capitol Report
For immediate release to all Texas news organizations
Contact: Charley Wilkison, Director of Public Affairs
Office: 512-495-9111, Mobile: 512-633-3501
June 27, 2011
AUSTIN-The Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT), the State’s largest law enforcement organization is strongly in support of Texas House Speaker Joe Straus’ common sense approach to law enforcement and public safety issues. CLEAT is opposed to HB 41, known as the airport pat-down bill by State Representative David Simpson R-Longview. Read More »
Posted by CLEAT
June 27, 2011
- Governor Perry at the CLEAT Convention in Fort Worth in 2010
Texas Governor Rick Perry signed the last of the CLEAT bills giving CLEAT 100% with no vetoes. This is the final lap of 82nd Regular Session. CLEAT’s hotly debated and much maligned Worker’s Comp bill is now law as well.
“I’m grateful to all the board, local presidents and members who had faith that we could get to this point,” said Charley Wilkison, CLEAT Director of Public Affairs. “The worst of the battle was killing the bad bills and making sure they remained dead in this mean and nasty session,” said Wilkison.
These signings will bring Governor Perry’s total CLEAT bills signed to more than fifty. The last veto of a CLEAT bill was a Meet and Confer bill in 1999 by Governor George W. Bush.
Posted by CLEAT
June 20, 2011
Below are just a few of the bad bills that CLEAT actively opposed and successfully killed. Many bad bills this session attacked retirements, collective bargaining and officers’ ability to participate politically. There were also bills that proposed civilian oversight, restricted use of tasers and even eliminated TCLEOSE as a state agency. The now ‘dead’ bills listed below are just a few examples of how CLEAT is always looking out for your interests and will never stop fighting for your rights. Although these bills are dead it is likely that we will continue to see these kinds of bills filed until legislators understand there are consequences to their actions.
Read More »
Posted by CLEAT
May 31, 2011
CLEAT's Charley Wilkison speaks at a press conference in support of Alicias Law
AUSTIN-CLEAT was proud to be the only statewide law enforcement group standing with law enforcement officers, legislators and members of the entertainment community to promote “Alicia’s Law.” “Alicia’s Law” was named for Alicia Kozakiewicz, who was abducted by an internet predator and sexually abused. She was fortunate in that local law enforcement used Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces to locate her and rescue her. She and her mother have dedicated their lives to working towards the effort to bring attention to the issue of child abduction and sexual predators.
Read More »
Posted by CLEAT
May 31, 2011
CLEAT Bills Head to the Governor
In a session where CLEAT Public Affairs team members spent the majority of time defending the benefits and rights enjoyed by peace officers, CLEAT enjoyed some victories on issues benefiting Texas law enforcement officers and their families.
It should not be forgotten, that pensions and pension benefits and your right to freely participate in a union or be involved in the political process were under a full blown assault this session. Though we beat back these attacks at great expense of time and energy, it should not be forgotten that we were just fortunate that we did not suffer any major defeats. Any of the bad proposals that were filed could have broken through at any time and found their way to the Governor’s desk. With that said, our successes this session are listed below.
Read More »
Posted by CLEAT
May 31, 2011
CLEAT's Chris Jones, Charley Wilkison, Director of Public Affairs, and Mark Clark, Executive Director of the Houston Police Officers Union watch the debate on House Bill 2605 that has now officially passed.
House Bill 2605 passes! Texas Legislators took up the CLEAT first responder amendment to the Worker’s Compensation Sunset Bill and CLEAT’s amendment to expedite injured first responder claims passed! It is now on its way to the Governor.
Posted by CLEAT
May 19, 2011
Please call or e-mail your state Senator and add your voice of support for Senator Lucio’s amendment that will benefit all injured law enforcement personnel in Texas.
CLEAT Talking Points:
SUPPORT FIRST RESPONDER AMENDMENT
HB 2605 – WORKER’S COMPENSATION SUNSET BILL
(On Senate Intent Calendar)
The Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, representing over 18,500 law enforcement officers, asks that you support a FIRST RESPONDER amendment to the worker’s compensation sunset bill (HB 2605) on the Senate floor. The amendment will be offered by Senator Lucio and mirrors language that was in the bill when it passed the Texas House.
The amendment would simply require that worker’s compensation claims for first responders who are seriously injured in the line of duty be expedited through the process. The amendment will NOT expand benefits or coverage.
It does NOT add cost or expense to any city, county or any political subdivision. In fact, because the first responders will be getting well and returning to work sooner we believe it may even save money.
Public safety suffers when our first responders are off work due to an injury. By expediting on the job injury claims through the process, the employee will get the treatment they need to recover faster and thus return to protecting the public sooner. Because of the current economic climate, many agencies have had to suspend hiring or even lay off first responders. This makes it even more important to get these employees back to work as soon as possible.
This amendment passed the House with bi-partisan support. We ask for your support when it is considered in the Senate.
Posted by CLEAT
May 17, 2011
AUSTIN-Things are getting hot in the Capitol as there have been several near meltdowns as issues collide and tempers get shorter. The CLEAT Public Affairs lobby team continues to play defense in an attempt to slow, kill or change many bad bills that remain alive. Please go here to see all the pertinent bills that impact Texas law enforcement.
Because of the extremely negative nature of this legislative session on Texas peace officers and indeed all first responders CLEAT PAC will spend the next weeks and months leading into the next campaign cycle raising funds, running polls and developing plans to best impact the elections in 2012. The major inroads towards justice in the workplace for Texas peace officers have come as a direct result of an aggressive advocacy plan implemented by CLEAT over 35 years ago. That has not changed and in fact has become stronger over the last few years.
CLEAT PAC will be announcing internal fundraising events in conjunction with its 100 local unions across the state to help build war chests for both local and statewide PACs. Go here to make a contribution today!
Posted by CLEAT
May 17, 2011
By Charley Wilkison, Director of Public Affairs
Texas law enforcement has not seen a legislative session like we’ve just finished, not ever. As I head into my 18th year at CLEAT I believe it’s in order for me to say thank goodness for an organization that has the values and core principles to stand up and fight and avoid being owned by the politicians. Since 1976 CLEAT has avoided becoming conflicted or otherwise entangled with government money and the politicians who dole it out. Being independent allows an organization to fight. And that’s what we had to do every day and every hour since the session began in January.
Read More »
Posted by CLEAT
April 28, 2011
I doubt you’ve ever heard of Harris County Deputy Thomas Shaw. But this is the story of how CLEAT helped get him back on the road to achieving a little old fashioned Justice
Charley Wilkison
Director of Public Affairs
This legislative session has been a hard-fought defensive one for officers. The CLEAT Public Affairs team is fighting hard to save retirements, employment rights and preserve the tools that allow officers to continue to do their job. This is the story of a situation we stumbled onto, got mad, and had to at least attempt to fix.
A few weeks back, CLEAT membership coordinator Kristi Hill took a phone call from retired Harris County Deputy Thomas Shaw. He was distraught, hurt and angry. Kristi took the time out of a very hectic day to listen to his story and care about what had happened to him. When he finally took a deep breath, she told him that there was hope, that he had called the right place and that she knew the Public Affairs team would know what to do and would try to help. Read More »
Posted by CLEAT
April 27, 2011
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