On February 20, 2013, more than 120 Greater Houston Builders Association members and over 800 industry representatives from across the state traveled to Austin to meet with legislators in the greater Houston delegation, and to advocate on behalf of the housing industry. Rally Day is intended to help those of us in the building community learn about the issues facing the residential construction industry, and it is designed to help us deliver our legislative agenda directly to our elected representatives.
During the course of the day, every senator and state representative was visited by Rally Day attendees and association representatives. GHBA members were able to discuss the top three legislative priorities facing our industry at this time:
1. The need for water infrastructure funding.
2. The need for transportation infrastructure funding, and
3. The need for increased vocational education and training in the public school system.
Cabinets & Designs Vice President Maria Frank was on a team who visited with Representatives Borris Miles, Rick Miller and Bill Callegari, and the staff of Senator Joan Huffman. We spoke with the legislators about the GHBA priorities and discussed with them their position on the issues; we also inquired about how we could help them. Each legislator was given a hard hat from the GHBA in the shape of a cowboy hat. Maria remarked positively on her Rally Day experience, saying, “It was very interesting to participate and I will definitely do it again in two years!”