Chamber Members Briefed on Sunset Review Process

On Thursday, December 10th, members of the Dallas Regional Chamber met with former Sunset Advisory Commission executive director Joey Longley to be briefed on the Sunset review process.

Longley served as executive director of the Sunset Advisory Commission for 14 years until he recently retired and joined Blackridge, an Austin based governmental affairs practice. Longley has worked in Texas politics for 30 years.

The Texas Legislature created the Sunset Advisory Commission in 1977 to identify and eliminate waste, duplication, and inefficiency in government agencies. The 12-member Commission is a legislative body that reviews the policies and programs of more than 150 government agencies approximately every 12 years. The Commission seeks public input through hearings on every agency under Sunset review and recommends actions on each agency to the full Legislature.

During the 2010-2011 biennium, several key agencies are scheduled for Sunset review by the Sunset Advisory Commission. Some of these agencies include the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), Railroad Commission of Texas, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

Longley encouraged the Chamber and our members to be involved in the Sunset review process. He recommended engaging the Sunset staff early and often and staying up-to-date with the review process, specifically of the agencies your business works with closely. Longley also reminded Chamber members that all discussion with the Sunset staff is kept confidential.

For more information on the Sunset Advisory Commission, please visit http://www.sunset.state.tx.us/. You may also contact Meredith Armstrong at marmstrong@dallaschamber.org.