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Texas Association of Builders
January/February 2016
Speaking Out
It was a sense of concern and duty. In 2008,
I returned home from a deployment to Iraq
and I was transitioning off of active duty.
My wife, Michele, and I intended to settle
down and focus on our family and our
careers. We had just purchased our first
home utilizing, as a down payment, money
that we had saved while I was deployed. If
you recall, during that time there was lots
of uncertainty about our economy and
the direction of our country. After being
contacted by several folks around the
district, and lots of prayers, I decided to
run for office.
Once you returned from your military
tour overseas, you worked diligently to put
yourself through college and law school.
TAB is a strong supporter of educational
opportunities for all Texans, especially
when providing students the flexibility to
develop their talents and pursue interests
in certain workforce trades. Thank you
for your support of House Bill 5 during
the 2013 83
rd
Legislative Session. That bill
increased the quality and availability of
career and technical education programs
in the Texas public school system. From
your perspective, how will this critical
initiative benefit students and Texas
employers alike?
The state's priority goal in education, as
put forth in the Texas Education Agency's
strategic plan, is to ensure students
graduate from high school and have the
skills necessary to pursue any option
including attending a university, a two-year
institution, other post-secondary training,
military or enter the workforce. This means
we place equal emphasis on workforce
readiness and college readiness. The
architects of House Bill 5 recognized the
need to prepare young people for whatever
path they choose, including a straight path
into the workforce, and our future graduates
will be more competitive as a result. And,
for those who choose college, we recognize
that "college" doesn't always mean a four-
year liberal arts degree. College can also
mean a two-year certificate that, in many
instances, leads to a much more secure
future than a liberal arts degree. Texas has
long appreciated this fact and for years
has included all post-secondary degrees,
including two-year certifications, in our
higher education degree totals counted
towards our state goals.
There is a skilled labor gap not just in Texas,
but nationwide, but I'm optimistic that this
renewed focus on career and technical
education in our public schools will be a
gain for the employers—or prospective
employers—who may currently be forced
to import skilled labor from other states. In
the long run, our best resource can and will
be our human capital.
Thank you for supporting House Bill 1455
last session, a TAB legislative priority. This
new law will help to ensure that condo
unit owners have adequate information
regarding possible litigation affecting
their private property, as well as give
builders a right to cure. When the bill
was heard in the House Judiciary and
Civil Jurisprudence Committee, you, as a
committee member, asked many insightful
questions of witnesses and supported TAB’s
efforts to protect private property rights.
How has your role as a lawyer helped you
to understand the nuances of that bill?
As an attorney, I understand the importance
that the litigation process plays. Sometimes
litigation is necessary to address grievances
between parties, but the status quo enabled
less than scrupulous attorneys—and in this
case in particular, out of state attorneys—to
abuse the system at the expense of home
owners. House Bill 1455 was a common
sense approach to protect consumers from
the consequences of abusive litigation
affecting their homes while leaving a
framework in place for a legitimate role for
the courts.
With Texas
State Representative
Kenneth Sheets
For more than 15 years, you have
defended the freedom and prosperity
of our nation by serving in the Marine
Corps. TAB is a proud supporter of our
veterans and we applaud our builder
members who build and donate homes at
no cost to disabled veterans around Texas.
Thank you for your service to our country.
First, thank you to the Texas Association of
Builders and your members for supporting
our troops. As a veteran of Operation Iraqi
Freedom, I am thankful for the generosity
you have shown my brothers-in-arms.
I am thankful and proud of my service.
Given how I was raised, my decision to
become a Marine was an easy decision.
Both of my grandfathers served during
World War II and my father served in the
National Guard. Clearly their example of
service had an impact on my brothers and
me. One of my brothers followed me into
the Marine Corps and the other works as a
peace officer in Mansfield.
You have had a successful and long career
in the Marines and as practicing lawyer.
What inspired you to run for public office
and become elected in 2010?