By Darren Turley
TAD Executive Director
Election Night brought a number of changes to the Texas Capitol, putting Democrats in key offices, shifting the Texas House to Democratic control and maintaining Republican majority in the Texas Senate under a Democratic lieutenant governor.
While the election was decided in a single evening, questions remain for the Texas Association of Dairymen and other organizations that are trying to understand how these changes could impact the people and issues they represent. As always, TAD’s priorities are dairy producers, farm families, rural communities and the issues we’ve worked so long and hard to advance.
While the political landscape has changed, the challenges facing Texas dairy farmers and their families remain much the same. Our producers still need dependable water supplies, access to a reliable workforce, reasonable regulations and an economic environment that allows their businesses to remain competitive. They need strong rural communities, good schools and opportunities for the next generation to continue their families’ agricultural traditions.
None of those needs are new, nor are they Republican or Democratic. They are fundamental to the future of Texas agriculture. But changes in political leadership could bring different approaches to addressing them. Our job is to make sure dairy farmers have a voice in those discussions, regardless of which political party is leading them.
Fortunately, we’re not starting from scratch. We’ve always prioritized telling dairy’s story during both the legislative session and the interim, forging bipartisan relationships at the Capitol, building connections with urban lawmakers, and getting to know newly elected members of the House and Senate. In that regard, nothing will change.
Neither will our goals. In a Legislature increasingly shaped by urban and suburban interests, we will continue to educate state leaders about the importance of dairy to the Texas economy and our rural communities. We will help them understand how our industry operates, the challenges our producers face, and how decisions made in Austin affect dairy farms and the families who operate them.
And while we’ll be pursuing new initiatives and opportunities during the legislative session, we’ll also be working to protect the important gains we’ve made for dairy producers and their families over the years. New leadership can bring new ideas and priorities, but it also means we must remain vigilant about policies and programs that are important to our industry.
With the 90th Texas Legislature convening in January and bill filing already underway, the weeks and months ahead promise to be busy. TAD and our governmental relations team will have much more to share as things take shape.
Elections bring change, but the work to produce milk, feed Texans, care for animals, employ workers and support rural communities continues every day. And one thing is certain: TAD’s commitment to represent Texas dairy farmers and their families will remain every bit as strong as it has been.
