SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

The first casualty of political campaigns is the truth. Distorting your opponent’s record is the oldest trick in the book. It’s a desperate tactic of losing candidates.

FISCAL ISSUES

Carter’s opponent claims she voted against allowing a public referendum on property tax relief.

NOT TRUE

Carter supports real property tax relief and believes in the democratic process and public involvement. She supported Representative Warren Chisum's (R-Pampa) motion to table Representative Burt Solomons’s (R-Carollton) amendment because the potential referendum’s wording did not clearly state its true intent—reduction of ad valorem school district property taxes. Carter believed it was important that voters know exactly what was on the ballot. The improper wording might have adversely affected city and county tax bases.

Check for yourself. 79th Regular Session (2005) House Bill 3, Amendment 56 by Representative Burt Solomons (R-Carrollton) providing a public referendum. Record vote on Chisum’s motion to table Amendment 56. Motion to table did not prevail (57 yeas, 86 nays, 1 present not voting).

Carter’s opponent claims she voted against increasing the homestead exemption.

NOT TRUE

Carter supported an amendment to House Bill 3 that included a constitutional amendment giving voters the opportunity to approve an increase in the homestead exemption. The amendment cited by her opponent did not provide an alternate funding source to cover the property tax relief realized by the increase in the homestead exemption, further increasing the burden on the taxpayers.

Check for yourself. 79th Second Called Session (2005) House Bill 3, amending Amendment 12 offered by Representative Jim Dunnam (D-Waco) on behalf of Representative Chuck Hopson (D-Jacksonville). Record vote on Representative Warren Chisum's (R-Pampa) motion to table Amendment 12. Motion to table prevailed (74 yeas, 68 nays, 2 present not voting). House Bill 3 was then voted on and died (8 yeas, 124 nays, 7 present not voting)

Carter’s opponent claims she proposed a 10 percent per gallon gas tax to pay for county roads.

NOT TRUE

Carter voted for local control of transportation planning. Texas’s metropolitan areas are experiencing rapid growth. Carter voted to allow those urban areas the ability to provide more funding to provide better transportation within a metropolitan planning area (MPA). These metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) must put the increase of the gas tax to a vote of the people in the metropolitan planning area. If approved, the MPO may only use the funds to (1) reduce the number of toll lanes by providing free lanes to the traveling pubic, (2) reduce or waive toll charges on planned toll ways, or (3) finance passenger rail.

Carter Casteel’s opponent claims she voted for a payroll tax.

NOT TRUE

Last year, Carter worked with the Republican leadership to fix school finance reform, protect local community control (including local enrichment), to significantly reduce local school property taxes, properly fund the needs of present and future classroom excellence and teacher benefits, and avoid court-mandated control of our schools.

House Bill 3 was one of the tools to accomplish these goals. In the first called session, during debate on the, Carter supported Representative Chisum's amendment, which was a less stringent version and more friendly to the business community. In the second called session, the language in House Bill 3 was even more disagreeable and Carter joined the author of the bill in voting against the legislation.

Check for yourself. 79th First Called Session (2005) House Bill 3 Amendment 17 motion to table by Representative Brian McCall. Motion passed (96 yeas, 47 nays, 2 present not voting). 79th Regular Session (2005) House Bill 3 passed on third reading (73 yeas, 64 nays, 4 present not voting).

Carter Casteel’s opponent claims she voted to increase state spending.

TRUE

Carter supported the Republican leadership and House Bill 10 last year, which restored funding to many services eliminated during the 2003 $10 billion budget shortfall, including funding for Health and Human Services, public education, criminal justice, and other essential government services.

Aside from 2003, the state has increased its funding at least 10 percent every biennium to account for a growing population and required services. The 2005 budget legislation:

• restored money to the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Medicaid. Additionally, Child Protective Services received more funding to provide more caseworkers, reduce caseloads of current employees, and improve services to protect children and families.
• provided state funds to the Texas Education Agency to cover the cost of textbooks purchases delayed in 2004-05. The budget also provided additional funding for school district facilities beyond the amount required for basic funding commitments. The current standards are in violation of constitutional standards and additional funds help alleviate the problem.
• appropriated necessary funds for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to meet the state’s obligation to house offenders sent to state correctional facilities and funding to provide a constitutional level of health care for prison inmates. It also provided a pay increase for state law enforcement.

Check for yourself. 79th Regular Session (2005) House Bill 10 vote on second reading, passed (137 yeas, 8 nays, 1 present not voting). HB 10 passed third reading (144 yeas, 4 nays, 1 present not voting).

Carter Casteel’s opponent claims she voted for increasing her retirement benefits as a legislator.

NOT TRUE

Carter supported Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson's request for judicial pay increases to increase retention of our state's judges. Judicial salaries in Texas are far less than the national average. Low judicial pay keeps many qualified attorneys from considering judicial positions. Those who become judges don’t always stay on the bench because the pay is far lower than the private sector. The bill was supported by the Republican leadership and signed into law by Governor Rick Perry.

While this legislation did increase both judges and legislators retirement benefits, it did not boost the average lawmakers pension because most legislators will never qualify for retirement. Out of 5,385 legislators who have served since legislative and judicial salaries were linked in 1975, only 478 have ever become eligible for state pension. The average tenure per member is 4.5 years.

Check for yourself. 79th Second Called Session (2005) House Bill 11 on second reading, motion to suspend rules, passed on third reading.

PRO-LIFE AND FAMILY ISSUES

Carter Casteel’s opponent claims she voted for third trimester abortions.

NOT TRUE

Carter supported legislation that strengthens the ban on third trimester abortions. The bill prohibited any physician from performing a third trimester abortion when the abortion is not necessary to prevent the death of the woman, when the viable unborn child does not have a severe, irreversible brain impairment or the woman is diagnosed with a severe, irreversible brain damage or paralysis. Carter also supported legislation to mandate parental consent for minors seeking abortions.

Check for yourself. 79th Regular Session (2005) Senate Bill 419, Amendment 3 by Representative Will Hartnett (R-Dallas) amending Amendment 2 passed on a voice vote — Amendment 8 by Representative Richard Raymond (D-Laredo) amending Representative Hartnett's Amendment 2 prevailed (116 yeas, 13 nays, 2 present not voting) — Amended Amendment 2 by Representative Hartnett prevailed (118 Yeas, 16 Nays, 3 present not voting).

Carter Casteel’s opponent claims she voted for not requiring doctors who perform abortions for minors to certify that they obtained parental consent beforehand.

NOT TRUE

Carter supported the amendment to prevent a minor from obtaining an abortion without the written consent of the child's parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian. Several of the amendments offered weakened the proposed language.

Check for yourself. 79th Regular Session (2005) Senate Bill 419, Amendment 15 by Representative Harold Dutton (D-Houston) motion to table by Representative Will Hartnett (R-Dallas) prevailed (94 yeas, 44 nays, 1 present not voting). Amendment 16 by Representative Michael Villareal (D-San Antonio) motion to table by Representative Hartnett prevailed (106 yeas, 32 nays, 1 present not voting). Amendment 11 by Representative Hartnett prevailed (117 yeas, 19 nays, 1 present not voting)

Carter Casteel’s opponent claims she voted for homosexuals and bisexuals to be foster parents.

NOT TRUE

Carter voted for the Child and Adult Protective Services reform bill (Senate Bill 6) that included the ban on homosexual foster parents. The House amendment banning homosexual foster parents was removed in conference committee by the bill’s author, Senator Jane Nelson (R-Lewisville).

Check for yourself. 79th Regular Session (2005) Senate Bill 6 passed the House (135 Yeas, 6 Nays, 2 Present, not voting).

Carter Casteel’s opponent claims she voted for colleges and universities to conduct embryonic stem cell research.

NOT TRUE

Carter voted to allow Texas colleges and universities to continue conducting important medical research and pursue cures for diseases and illnesses, including Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, and other possibly preventable disorders. The bill did not endorse or promote embryonic stem cell research.

Check for yourself. 78th Regular (2003) SB 1652, Amendment 10 by Representative Mark Homer (DParis), Representative Ryan Guillen (D-Rio Grande City), Representative Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio), Representative Craig Eiland (D-Galveston), and Representative Rob Eissler (R-The Woodlands), to amend Amendment 9 by Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) motion to table failed (57 yeas, 81 nays, 2 present not voting). Adoption of Amendment 10, which was Representative King's ban on human cloning. Amendment 9 was then withdrawn.

EDUCATION ISSUES

Carter Casteel opponent claims she voted against incentive pay for teachers.

TRUE

Carter believes all teachers should be rewarded for the success of students. She filed and passed an amendment to House Bill 2 that provided teachers a $3,000 pay raise.

Check for yourself. 79th Second Called Session (2005) House Bill 2 motion to table failed (65 yeas, 75 nays, 1 present not voting).

Carter’s opponent claims she voted against testing the usefulness of school vouchers.

NOT TRUE

Carter voted against a $600 million school voucher program with no accountability provisions. All children have the right to learn in a clean, safe, and stable environment. The voucher program provided in the TEA sunset bill contained no accountability for the $600 million to be provided to a pilot voucher program. Carter does not oppose a voucher system but believes any money given to vouchers should come with accountability standards. Additionally, any school accepting vouchers must take any and every student, just like public schools.

Check for yourself. 79th Regular Sesssion (2005) Senate Bill 422 amendments by Representative Carter Casteel (R-New Braunfels) and Representative Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth).

PROPERTY RIGHTS ISSUES

Carter’s opponent claims she voted against protecting the rights of property owners who are currently having their property seized for “economic development” purposes.

NOT TRUE

Carter supported legislation in the second called session to protect property rights in Texas following the Supreme Court ruling that allowed a local government to seize property from private owners and transfer it to another owner simply to increase tax revenues through economic development. She does not support retroactively applying state law to pending issues.

Check for yourself. 79th First Called Session (2005) Senate Bill 62, Amendment 12 by Corte, motion to table prevailed (74 yeas, 62 nays, 4 present not voting). Senate Bill 62 did not pass when the House denied appointment of conference committee. House believed Senate version was weakened and the House wanted a stronger protection of private property rights.

Carter’s opponent claims she voted for making it easy for government to take or reduce the value of property.

NOT TRUE

Carter fought to allow for the protection and integrity of our water systems. House Bill 2833 attacked the ability of a municipality to regulate setbacks, lot size, and impervious cover laws. The Legislative Budget Board reported that the newly required "takings impact assessments" could cost each town and city in the state $12,000 to $500,000 per year. The current impervious cover ordinances and restrictions are the best and most cost-effective way to protect vulnerable water supplies in the northern part of the Edwards Aquifer.

Check for yourself. 79th Regular Session (2005) House Bill 2833 second reading (117 yeas, 24 nays, 3 present not voting). Did not make it out of the Senate.