As the 2015 Texas legislative session draws to an end, experts at The University of Texas at Austin offer their take on the complex issues that lawmakers confronted. Professors from various fields who tracked the movement of the legislature provide commentary below on what the session accomplished, what key issues still linger and how the lives of Texans will be impacted.
To discover other experts on related subjects, journalists can consult UT Austin’s Faculty Experts Guide for the 2015 Texas Legislative Session.
Note: At the time of this post on Friday, May 29, several pieces of legislation were pending. To follow up on final decisions, contact the faculty members directly.
Energy and the Environment
Michael Webber
Professor of Engineering and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Deputy Director of the Energy Institute, Co-Director of the Clean Energy Incubator
512-475-6867, webber@mail.utexas.edu
Immigration
Bill Beardall
Clinical Professor at the School of Law
Director of the Transnational Worker Rights Clinic
Executive Director of the Equal Justice Center
512-474-0007, bbeardall@equaljusticecenter.org
Juvenile Justice
Michele Deitch
Senior Lecturer of Public Affairs and Law
512-328-8330, 512-296-7212, Michele.deitch@austin.utexas.edu
Mental Health and Foster Care
Molly Lopez
Director of the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health at the Center for Social Work Research, School of Social Work
512-232-0614, mlopez@austin.utexas.edu
Monica Faulkner
Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Social Work
Research Associate and the Associate Director of the Child and Family Research Institute, School of Social Work
512-471-7191, mfaulkner@austin.utexas.edu
Texas Budget
Jim Henson
Lecturer of Government
Director of the Texas Politics Project
512-468-4113, j.henson@austin.utexas.edu
Texas Politics
Sherri Greenberg
Clinical Professor in Public Policy Practice
512-471-8324, sgreenberg@mail.utexas.edu
This piece was produced as part of Texas Perspectives.
