AUSTIN — For 140 days every other year, the Texas Legislature meets in Austin to work on crafting policy that is intended to improve the state and lives of Texans.  Memorial Day marked not just a day to honor fallen American warriors but also the end of the 86th legislative session. State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) worked throughout the session to help pass a conservative balanced state budget along with several key pieces of legislation.

"Representing and fighting for the people of Andrews, Ector, Ward, and Winkler counties in the legislature has been an honor and a privilege," Landgraf said. "This session I was proud to work on the issues that really matter to the people of West Texas.”

Among the highlights of legislation passed this session: a balanced state budget, property tax cuts, transformative school finance reform with a reduction in the "Robin Hood" scheme, anti-domestic violence legislation dubbed "Monica's Law" (named after Monica Demming of Odessa), anti-human trafficking legislation, taxpayer protection legislation aimed at reducing the number of bridge strikes, legislation increasing the criminal penalty for assaulting a pregnant woman, and funding for transportation and education institutions, as well as for understaffed DPS driver license offices in the Permian Basin to help address long wait times.

"This is has been my most successful legislative session yet, and I'm looking forward to getting back home to West Texas to talk in more detail about what we were able to accomplish and what I'm going to be working on next session to build on these accomplishments," Landgraf added.