[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6246779,"mediaKeyId","3215360-5ecdfe7a50c5916af21d013307ad32df","parentId",3215360,"title","Committee advances a package of honorary highway namings and several routine transportation bills","audioSeconds",1216,"startMs",51000,"endMs",1267000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3215360-5ecdfe7a50c5916af21d013307ad32df&start=51&end=1267","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3215360-5ecdfe7a50c5916af21d013307ad32df/thumbnail_51000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6246779/Texas/Committee-advances-a-package-of-honorary-highway-namings-and-several-routine-transportation-bills","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246779-1259a94ddbaac0a294ddba0ece660322/orig.mp4?Expires=1770992352&Signature=VOp3YuPbj4oapjgK98zqBAyNF~jkSCS2oQscFv345O1WOykFt5USfl2-J3upX9xHJVr8kR-tSCwTmiNfEEWbyMuPl-0JWXu8MdUUxCv7iz7rn5pgwfuOVmUgA4OGmevQ2NVIYPzCj7tpq~Fhj5a99sffSYTUPhyCYDgaUdAEQ7f8Lt9VebN7z8C2k3yKfHA36jSO-Gwycl97hzsxit9QJJLvc5qcm~1-rJD8LOlU3I3wVh-BCEn314jI4fQ8I8OL7Y22nnSqb6sH2zqTKFEBVoFEtKdrcJ02QIJrutx4voUsN0mHZ0N8UiBA0PJX7UuJbVF9JhlK1PwEEBTs6eFj9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Texas Legislature","date","2025-05-07T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Committee on Transportation reported favorably a slate of mostly honorary designations and several routine transportation measures and placed many on the local uncontested calendar.

Honorary namings advanced included: the Bob Cornett Parkway designation for the US 377 Crescent relief route (Senate Bill 8 76); the Deputy Constable Reuben Garcia Memorial Highway on State Highway 48 in Cameron County (House Bill 25 23); the Eduardo “Eddie” Garcia Jr. area engineer and maintenance facility designation for a TxDOT building in Stark County (House Bill 27 63); the Army Specialist Joey Linz Memorial Highway on FM 1097 in Montgomery County (House Bill 21 43); and multiple other memorial highway designations presented by senators during the hearing. Sponsors and resource witnesses generally described these as honorary designations supported by local resolutions or letters and placed no legal or land-use changes into effect.

The committee also advanced House Bill 31 35 to authorize specialty license plates recognizing retired firefighters, including former volunteers and certified fire-protection personnel; resource staff from the Department of Motor Vehicles appeared.

On operational matters, the committee advanced House Bill 16 72, which shortens an administrative delay in the Department of Public Safety’s motor-carrier enforcement process by removing an apparently unused appeal step that previously extended the time before a carrier could be entered into the DMV unsatisfactory-carrier database. Senator Johnson explained the bill is intended to allow troopers to more quickly identify and remove unsafe carriers from the road.

Senator Nichols also laid out House Bill 30 12, which eliminates a longstanding $3 administrative fee tied to driver-course paperwork; committee members described the fee as an anachronism because records are now digital.

Most of the bills in this package were reported favorably by voice or roll-call votes (commonly recorded as six ayes and no nays) and were sent to the full Senate with recommendations that they pass and be printed. Several law-enforcement associations and municipal groups registered support and were placed into the record for many of the honorary-designation bills.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee on Transportation May 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Committee on Transportation reported a series of honorary highway namings and noncontroversial bills, including facility and memorial namings, specialty plates for retired firefighters, a change to motor-carrier enforcement timing, and elimination of a $3 administrative fee for driver-education paperwork.","taxTitle","Committee on Transportation, Senate, Legislative, Texas","taxId",16854,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6246782,"Senate committee advances bill to name highway after family killed by alleged drunk driver; survivor testifies",157,3608000,3765000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3215360-5ecdfe7a50c5916af21d013307ad32df&start=3608&end=3765","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3215360-5ecdfe7a50c5916af21d013307ad32df/thumbnail_3608000.jpg","/articles/6246782/Texas/Senate-committee-advances-bill-to-name-highway-after-family-killed-by-alleged-drunk-driver-survivor-testifies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246782-ad7065fb80188093461d87565f21bdea/orig.mp4?Expires=1770992352&Signature=bIm5CK6WV-xPmNmo50jcj3o91gYjJyfwAHa06w~vsA8Q~34AEAVGko9UshHRlGrqRo5ZRDdmr-zdMbxSkjos34VIZ7KTyLWSq6D7K5J2kgCd9oXd78Wx5niG2pS1w0i4iTCJWxS9Ewzwc1RVflHzk~eWjM64X6Sc21SF2wo~6gVwwYltRNj42EhDBnVNwwgsVN8ViPgHcbMZsYE3wcNgef9f2iz-89zKq11NZjL84LhGt8otsjIXMXZssj-DiM0Kbiu9IAoq~It68R1X2mEMxdt3hRy9vpsX3~c8emmjXQ0I45XsFjPMo~5~sGRpqTrbYW7YS9rdz2SkCCSdu3mToA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Transportation advanced Senate Bill 26 88, which would designate a portion of U.S. Highway 281 in Blanco and Burnet counties as the McElroy Memorial Highway.

Lauren McElroy, who survived a November 23, 2023, head-on collision that killed her husband Zach, 12-year-old son Judson and 9-year-old daughter Lindsey, testified in support. “Almost 18 months later. I don't remember much from that day, but I will never forget a police officer telling me all 3 of them were gone,” she told the committee.

McElroy said the crash prompted construction changes on Highway 281: shoulders and a turn lane were added in the area of the crash, and she told the committee a state trooper told her the work began because the crash spurred safety review and construction. She urged continued attention to TxDOT roadway safety work to prevent similar tragedies.

Senator Jane Hancock, the bill sponsor, said the designation honors the family’s memory and noted widespread community support. The committee placed the bill on the local uncontested calendar after a roll call vote that recorded six ayes and no nays and reported the measure favorably to the full Senate.

McElroy described her late husband as “gregarious and kind” and her children as “silly but thoughtful” and “full of life.” She said the designation and signage could remind drivers that “every person in a vehicle on Texas highways is someone's entire world.”","Lauren McElroy, the sole survivor of a November 2023 head-on crash that killed her husband and two children, urged the committee to name a portion of U.S. Highway 281 the McElroy Memorial Highway. Committee advanced the measure.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6246786,"Mother urges committee to name highway stretch after 9-year-old killed in head-on crash; committee advances bill",257,1455000,1712000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3215360-5ecdfe7a50c5916af21d013307ad32df&start=1455&end=1712","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3215360-5ecdfe7a50c5916af21d013307ad32df/thumbnail_1455000.jpg","/articles/6246786/Texas/Mother-urges-committee-to-name-highway-stretch-after-9-year-old-killed-in-head-on-crash-committee-advances-bill","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246786-84e7d53cafabc09c6b191d64e208c195/orig.mp4?Expires=1770992352&Signature=j~uCvQXDRdKP54SUDTexH2eYLqeMBrXhNf5R8PoKAeFwn1OW9CditxjQ6z-7OguvX0Q3dotlgVe844HZg6NO9oK1kTDLMtejJGf1wXokjgQhAnYxnkqwV7lQ5SgrDFydB7L~V4g1K4mY5bJlUsHhvamdDW4CeI-On9-aVrk9b~0M8SFNpYfwn6GZbkwjDO0Koh3dLZqvtBFveUYxT9wh0zKko7zwHw7~yURkXAT5RyvXzCYCkSFVnlWtoLjzxEfdEt9Aj95oHsA8NrN9Ssunv84hnJkeFVVw4cLLM0jDtEHLfmqhkjPBhfD4yf30wh5-b8~xtdcBuuFZWNi994LRfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Transportation heard emotional testimony and advanced House Bill 24 57, which would designate a portion of U.S. Highway 287 in Wilbarger County as the Molly Mullins Memorial Mile.

Marissa Mullins, the child’s mother, told the committee that her 9-year-old daughter Molly was killed on March 16, 2024, when a driver crossed a grassy median and struck the family’s vehicle. “My beautiful 9 year old daughter, Molly, who loved pink, was killed,” Mullins said. She described months in the intensive-care unit and the family’s effort to turn grief into change.

Mullins told the committee that, from 2020 to 2024, there were 78 crossover accidents at that exact spot and seven fatalities; those figures came up in her testimony as part of the family’s discussions with TxDOT. She said the Mullins family worked with TxDOT to replace cable barriers with concrete barriers and that Sheriff Brian Fritz reported “there have been no major accidents at that spot” since that replacement.

Senator Parker, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, described the designation as an honorary memorial recognizing Molly’s life and the family’s push for safety. He told the committee the naming “does not affect existing roadway names or other designations.”

After the testimony, the committee reported the bill favorably to the full Senate and placed it on the local uncontested calendar. Several law-enforcement and first-responder organizations registered support and were placed in the record.

What was said about safety: Mullins credited the family’s partnership with TxDOT for replacing cable barriers with concrete barriers at the site, and she said the trooper investigating the crash informed her that construction was begun in response to the crash history at the location. The sponsor and witnesses framed the highway designation as an honorary memorial and a reminder about roadway safety.","Marissa Mullins testified in support of House Bill 24 57, which would designate a portion of US Highway 287 the “Molly Mullins Memorial Mile.” She said safety improvements made after her daughter’s death have stopped major crashes at that location.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6246791,"Senate committee advances bill creating new felony levels for reckless driving",179,828000,1007000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3215360-5ecdfe7a50c5916af21d013307ad32df&start=828&end=1007","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3215360-5ecdfe7a50c5916af21d013307ad32df/thumbnail_828000.jpg","/articles/6246791/Texas/Senate-committee-advances-bill-creating-new-felony-levels-for-reckless-driving","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246791-3b2ff4b2ad950d35f17c06eff1fcb50c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770992352&Signature=mRhJVGPZX~KJXHEz9mcJAwZOyNum0uBcYz9GLn88JRqjEn-9Z3cbfx52vh-BJYTQpADLSrqBePng6GskN6DY7hBs1bsRBCEBcetobFX9nzKSukpzpA2hYeuAhzuC4Q3pQgHWsVaMPaNe4dytZCOCBaTPSAFb7GZ3fPAQDMzuslh9FOaQXb5Dl4~leLzAe0UL3Xxx3T6rWcCOnDeVRSZiDtWFCsnt0Yg-7QHzyyrIwmILBTXwM6kMnQpeiAVIUxH6NjuNzDynPIFkPhi9foXYqbjQ18AGj7LicM0m6AUb2bJMnRE2yR~6mPsaD8QLjUqe4O5n3gykQyyCKxdDCK3Alg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Transportation advanced Senate Bill 27 99 on a bipartisan voice vote after sponsors and prosecutors said the measure closes a gap in the Penal Code that leaves prosecutors with only a low-level misdemeanor or a second-degree felony aggravated-assault charge when reckless driving causes injury.

Senator Charles Creighton, the bill sponsor, told the committee that “there is no class A or B misdemeanor, no state jail felony, and no third degree felony charges in between, which causes an undercharging or overcharging dilemma.” He said the bill would add a state-jail felony for bodily injury and a third-degree felony for serious bodily injury, creating charging options between a misdemeanor reckless-driving citation and a second-degree felony aggravated assault.

Taylor Venegas, chief prosecutor for vehicular crimes at the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, testified in support and said prosecutors need discretions that fit the conduct and harm. “Really, what we’re looking to do here is do fairness by both victims and defendants,” Venegas told the committee. She described situations in which an injured victim would currently be charged only under a misdemeanor with up to 30 days in jail and a $200 fine or else face the jump to an aggravated-assault felony carrying up to 20 years in prison.

Senator Juan Hinojosa asked whether the bill would cover incidents such as collisions that killed a funeral- procession participant and a police motorcycle officer; Creighton and Venegas said the new tiers would allow prosecutors to charge based on severity and avoid the present extremes.

Committee members placed the bill on the local, uncontested calendar after a roll call that recorded six ayes and no nays. The committee’s action advances the measure to the full Senate for further consideration.

What the bill would change: Creighton described the current options in court as “a minor traffic violation” or “second degree felony aggravated assault, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine,” and said SB 27 99 creates intermediate felonies so charging matches the injury and culpability.

Public safety groups and law-enforcement associations registered support; Taylor Venegas and resource witnesses from the Department of Public Safety and local district attorneys appeared in support. No formal amendments were recorded in committee.","A Senate Transportation committee advanced Senate Bill 27 99 to create intermediate felony charges for reckless driving that causes injury, after prosecutors and lawmakers said current law forces under- or overcharging.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee advances a package of honorary highway namings and several routine transportation bills

Senate committee advances bill to name highway after family killed by alleged drunk driver; survivor testifies

Mother urges committee to name highway stretch after 9-year-old killed in head-on crash; committee advances bill

Senate committee advances bill creating new felony levels for reckless driving