Hi John,

As 2020 comes to a close we wanted to look back at some of what we were able to accomplish this year as well as provide a preview of the upcoming legislative session. Like many other editions this year, this version of the Bucy Bulletin also contains an important update around COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus, in Williamson County and Texas.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve you, House District 136, and the people of Texas. Please do not ever hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or comments or if there is anything my office can do for you.

All the best,

John Bucy III
State Representative
Texas House District 136

John, Molly, and Bradley in front of a Christmas tree

2020 RETROSPECTIVE

As 2020 comes to a close, it's safe to say this isn't exactly the year any of us could have expected this time last year. My wife, Molly, and I were excited to celebrate the birth of our first child in late January. We looked forward to raising our daughter in a rich community of family and friends. Shortly after Bradley was born, all of our lives changed with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have been fortunate to make use of Zoom and have had so many people lend a hand, it has undeniably been different.

Together, we've faced new and evolving challenges that affect our lives and livelihoods. If there is any lesson to be gleaned from such a difficult year, it is a renewed faith in the audacity of the human spirit. Truly, what’s been inspiring and fulfilling is to see all of the everyday people in our community pitching in in any way they can, finding joy and humanity in the small victories, and being creative in finding ways to lift each others spirits.

The road to recovery will be long, but together we will get through this. I'm looking forward to continuing the work with all of you in 2021 to build our community up and make Texas as good as its promise.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

Williamson County is currently in the Uncontrolled Community Spread Phase, color coded Red, with the local health district recommending residents continue to wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet away from others, and avoid social gatherings of any size, while postponing any large events. With a spike anticipated for after the holidays, residents are strongly encouraged to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families.

You can learn more about the four phases, the criteria involved in deriving them, and what personal and community mitigation measures should be followed by referencing the WCCDH Phased Re-Opening Recommendations.

Free, public testing locations for COVID-19 continue to be available, but an online screening is required to set an appointment so that residents in the most need can be prioritized. Private testing is also available. You can find a list of nearby testing locations here as well as contact information in order to find out availability and protocols.

For a full list of state, county, and local resources or to view the latest updates and pertinent information, please reference our HD 136 Coronavirus Resources & Updates Guide.

Rep. Bucy loading food into a car for delivery

FOOD & WELLNESS PROGRAM

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic we began a Food & Wellness program, conducting outreach and setting up deliveries of food and essential supplies. We used robo calls, phonebanks, and sent 10,000 text messages as part of spreading the word.

Working with Hill Country Community Ministries (HCCM), we have since delivered 50,000 meals to seniors and people with disabilities in House District 136 throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We also had volunteers donate or hand make face masks and other key supplies for use in the program.

We want to thank the countless volunteers who donated supplies, helped make wellness check in calls, and who have continued to help regularly deliver food. While this program has continued to evolve, the support from those in our community has remained steadfast.

If you are in need of assistance or know someone who is, please contact our office at 512-463-0696 or [email protected]. Please note, to comply with HCCM requirements certain restrictions may apply.

CONSTITUENT SERVICES

Much of our work at the Capitol revolves around constituent services--helping people navigate state agencies with respect to licensing, regulation, interacting with the criminal justice system, and health and human services, and more. In 2020, much of our casework revolved around the Texas Workforce Commission, where we helped over 200 residents of HD 136 get answers about unemployment and resolve disputes. In addition, we answered over 1,500 constituent inquiries via letter or email that came in on a full myriad of topics throughout the year.

New Office in 2021
Next year, we will have a new office in the Texas Capitol. We've moved over one hallway in the Capitol Extension to E2.208. Our contact information remains the same. You can reach us by phone at 512-463-0696, by email at [email protected], or by mail to P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768.

Unemployment and the Texas Workforce Commission
If your employment has been affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19), you can apply for benefits either online at any time using Unemployment Benefits Services or by calling the Texas Workforce Commission’s Tele-Center at 800-939-6631 from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM Central Time, seven days a week, Sunday through Saturday. Texans are encouraged to use the TWC online claim portal to file or check on their claim.

If you need help navigating the TWC or unemployment process or if you are having problems with your claim, please reach out to our office at 512-463-0696 or [email protected]. We may be able to provide additional assistance.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Volunteers at Adopt a Highway pickup
This year we also engaged in two community service initiatives to help our community. We continued our Adopt-a-Highway effort on Whitestone Blvd, picking up trash and litter from the side of the road, any sidewalks, and nearby areas between Market Street and Sam Bass. We are so grateful to all of the volunteers who make this effort possible.

Rep. Bucy and District Director Sara Groff at a Mobile Blood Drive
We also continued our regular blood drives, working with We Are Blood to host their bloodmobile at our District Office several times throughout the year. We want to thank everyone who participated and helped save a life by taking part in one of our HD 136 Mobile Blood Drives.

VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS

As part of adapting to COVID-19 we continued to hold Town Halls, but switched to a virtual model. The topics varied from the Census to Healthcare to Property Taxes as well as more informal discussions with elected officials about Texas politics, the next legislative session, and what they were hoping to see accomplished.

You can watch these discussions by clicking on any of the links below:

TOP 5 MOMENTS OF 2020

Collage of John, Molly, and Bradely at birth and a recent photo at Capitol
#1) Bradley Harper Bucy: Bradley was born on Saturday, January 25th, 2020 at 1:51 PM. She was 20 inches in length and weighed in at 6 lbs and 12 ozs. Our little Bradley Bear has changed our lives so much for the better. Spending more time with her has been one of the silver linings of having to stay home.

Collage of Rep. Bucy delivering turkeys for Thanksgiving, a thank you note from a recipient, and volunteers at the foodbank
#2) Food & Wellness Program: Starting in March, we worked with Hill Country Community Ministries to deliver over 50,000 meals to those in need. We began the program with robos calls, phonebanking, and sending 10,000 text messages to seniors to spread the word. For many of our volunteers, being able to give back has been the bright spot of their year. It is truly humbling to have been able to make a difference.

Photo of John and Molly at swearing in in 2019 and a photo of John, Molly, and Bradley after voting
#3) Winning Re-Election: I was grateful to be re-elected to serve Northwest Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, and the Brushy Creek area for a second term in the House of Representatives. We have a lot of work to do to provide relief to families and small business, protect our gains on teacher pay and education funding, and ensure access to healthcare for all.

#4) Best Elected Official: I was humbled to have been chosen as the Hill Country News Best Elected Official for 2020. I'm grateful to the paper's readers and area residents who selected me for this honor. I look forward to continuing to serve our community as we gear up for the next legislative session.

#5) Standing Up for Voting Rights: Throughout 2020, many of our foundational institutions have been tested, none more than our electoral systems. We started the year with an Elections Committee hearing to get updates on enacted legislation, co-authored a letter to the Governor about voter safety, wrote a letter to SOS about USPS, held a Town Hall on Elections to push out key information, and pre-filed legislation to expand access to voting.

HD 136 ARTIST OF THE MONTH

Each month at our Capitol and District Offices we are so proud to display and feature work from local artists, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have also featured local artists virtually.

If you are interested in having your work featured virtually, or in our offices, you can learn more and sign up here. Priority will be given to local artists. Student art of all ages is encouraged! For artists who are underage, we respectfully request a parent or guardian make the submission on their behalf.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Legislative Session begins
The 87th Legislative Session will begin at Noon on Tuesday, January 12th with each member of the House taking the oath of office before electing a Speaker of the House. While we are not planning on hosting a reception this time due to COVID-19, the ceremony will be streamed online and on our facebook page.

Capitol to re-open
On Monday, Dec. 21 Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Speaker Dennis Bonnen announced that the Texas Capitol will re-open on January 4th. Details concerning health and safety protocols are still forthcoming. It was previously announced that the Texas Capitol Grounds would re-open to the public starting Wednesday, December 16th, from 7 AM to 7 PM.

First bills filed
On the day pre-filing began, I filed H.B. 398 and H.J.R. 24 to expand Medicaid in Texas by allowing the people of Texas to vote to do so as part of the constitutional amendment process. Since Texas does not allow for citizen-initiated ballot propositions, this is the only way Texans could make their voice heard directly. You can read my latest op-ed on Medicaid expansion in the Hill Country News here. In addition, I filed H.B. 400 to allow any eligible voter to apply to cast their ballot by mail. Texans have been voting by mail for over 100 years and every voter should be able to vote safely and securely. To date, 34 states and Washington, D.C. allow their citizens to vote by mail without restriction.

Constituent & Community Bills
We are working with constituents to research, draft, and file bills that will make a positive difference in our community. We have already filed H.B. 824, which would allow cities to waive part or all of the drainage fees for seniors, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and service members on active deployment that are incurred from their principal residence. Similarly, we have spent much of the last month meeting with our cities and county officials to discuss their legislative agendas and how we can help. We plan to file more constituent and community bills in the New Year.

Create your TLO account
An excellent way for you to keep track of what's going on is by creating a free TLO account at https://capitol.texas.gov/. On this site you can learn more about legislation and set up alerts on the bills, committees, topics, and more that interest you. TLO is a great tool to use to stay involved with the legislative process.

Political advertisement paid for by John Bucy Campaign, Hon. Heather Jefts, Treasurer.