Public Citizen Texas
Encyclopedia
Public Citizen Texas is the Texas
branch of Public Citizen
, a nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest
advocacy
organization. Public Citizen Texas is based in Austin
, Texas. Since its founding in 1984, it has concerned itself with: environmental enforcement policies, global warming
, promoting renewable/clean energy, product safety, nuclear safety
, medical safety, auto safety/quality, pesticide
safety, insurance reforms, campaign finance
/ethics issues, improving state government agency operations and fair trade
policies. In recent years the organization has been primarily concerned with global warming
and energy policy
in Texas. Public Citizen Texas opposes expanding coal
burning and nuclear power plants in Texas1. They run the Texas Vox blog, and contribute to the Coal Block networking site.
and Craig McDonald, Public Citizen’s national field organizer, with the purpose of fighting Southwestern Bell
’s rate hikes, which occurred after the deregulation
of phone Rates. After Southwestern Bell withdrew the increase, the group decided to remain in Texas and pursue issue including consumer safety, government ethics and pollution
.2
and former legislative aid to be the organization’s director, a position he has held since. He has also serves on the boards of Clean Water Action, the Texas Wind Power Coalition, Texans for Public Justice, and Campaigns for People, who have awarded him with their Thomas Paine
Award. Smitty has also received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Excellence Award. Smitty has served on four commissions that looked at the future of the utility industry in Texas and has testified on more than 100 occasions on environmental and energy policy. He has also been received the Austin Chronicle
s critics' choice award for "Best People's Lobbyist".2
They are also credited with the establishment and strengthening of the Texas Ethics Commission
and strengthening Texas’ “Lemon Law” to require car makers to address consumer complaints within 45 days, or else fully refund consumers. Additionally they helped end a "grandfathering" loophole
that allowed older power plants run without emissions controls, and improved safety requirements at the South Texas Nuclear Generating Station
and the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant.2
, ReEnergize Texas, the Gray Panthers
, Clean Water Action, Nuke Free Texas and Coal Block.2
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
branch of Public Citizen
Public Citizen
Public Citizen is a non-profit, consumer rights advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a branch in Austin, Texas. Public Citizen was founded by Ralph Nader in 1971, headed for 26 years by Joan Claybrook, and is now headed by Robert Weissman.-Lobbying Efforts:Public Citizen...
, a nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest
Public interest
The public interest refers to the "common well-being" or "general welfare." The public interest is central to policy debates, politics, democracy and the nature of government itself...
advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
organization. Public Citizen Texas is based in Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Texas. Since its founding in 1984, it has concerned itself with: environmental enforcement policies, global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, promoting renewable/clean energy, product safety, nuclear safety
Nuclear safety
Nuclear safety covers the actions taken to prevent nuclear and radiation accidents or to limit their consequences. This covers nuclear power plants as well as all other nuclear facilities, the transportation of nuclear materials, and the use and storage of nuclear materials for medical, power,...
, medical safety, auto safety/quality, pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
safety, insurance reforms, campaign finance
Campaign finance
Campaign finance refers to all funds that are raised and spent in order to promote candidates, parties or policies in some sort of electoral contest. In modern democracies such funds are not necessarily devoted to election campaigns. Issue campaigns in referendums, party activities and party...
/ethics issues, improving state government agency operations and fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
policies. In recent years the organization has been primarily concerned with global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
and energy policy
Energy policy
Energy policy is the manner in which a given entity has decided to address issues of energy development including energy production, distribution and consumption...
in Texas. Public Citizen Texas opposes expanding coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
burning and nuclear power plants in Texas1. They run the Texas Vox blog, and contribute to the Coal Block networking site.
Founding
Public Citizen Texas was founded in on August 21, 1984 by Ralph NaderRalph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
and Craig McDonald, Public Citizen’s national field organizer, with the purpose of fighting Southwestern Bell
Southwestern Bell
Southwestern Bell Telephone Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. It does business as AT&T Southwest and other d/b/a names in its operating region.The company is currently headquartered in Dallas, Texas at One AT&T Plaza.-History:...
’s rate hikes, which occurred after the deregulation
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
of phone Rates. After Southwestern Bell withdrew the increase, the group decided to remain in Texas and pursue issue including consumer safety, government ethics and pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
.2
Tom “Smitty” Smith
In 1985, Public Citizen Texas recruited Tom “Smitty” Smith, director of the Houston Food BankHouston Food Bank
Houston Food Bank is a private non-profit organization founded in 1982 in Houston, Texas that provides food and other products to more than 400 hunger relief agencies in southeast Texas. The Houston Food Bank’s goal is to distribute more than 40 million pounds of product annually to help feed...
and former legislative aid to be the organization’s director, a position he has held since. He has also serves on the boards of Clean Water Action, the Texas Wind Power Coalition, Texans for Public Justice, and Campaigns for People, who have awarded him with their Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine
Thomas "Tom" Paine was an English author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
Award. Smitty has also received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Excellence Award. Smitty has served on four commissions that looked at the future of the utility industry in Texas and has testified on more than 100 occasions on environmental and energy policy. He has also been received the Austin Chronicle
Austin Chronicle
The Austin Chronicle is an alternative weekly, tabloid-style newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demographic...
s critics' choice award for "Best People's Lobbyist".2
Activities
Public Citizen Texas takes credit for influencing the passing of laws requiring Texas to develop 2,000 Megawatts of renewable energy and creating the Texas Emissions Reductions Plan, which reduces emissions from Texas diesels by 30% and gives incentives for purchasing of more efficient new cars and trucks.2They are also credited with the establishment and strengthening of the Texas Ethics Commission
Texas Ethics Commission
The Texas Ethics Commission was established in 1991 to "provide guidance on various public ethics laws" within the state of Texas. The agency is headquartered on the 10th Floor of the Sam Houston State Office Building at 201 East 14th Street in Downtown Austin....
and strengthening Texas’ “Lemon Law” to require car makers to address consumer complaints within 45 days, or else fully refund consumers. Additionally they helped end a "grandfathering" loophole
Loophole
A loophole is a weakness that allows a system to be circumvented.Loophole may also refer to:*Arrowslit, a slit in a castle wall*Loophole , a short science fiction story by Arthur C...
that allowed older power plants run without emissions controls, and improved safety requirements at the South Texas Nuclear Generating Station
South Texas Nuclear Generating Station
The South Texas Project Electric Generating Station , is a nuclear power station southwest of Bay City, Texas, United States. The STP occupies a 12,200 acre site on the Colorado River about 90 miles southwest of Houston...
and the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant.2
Internship program
Public Citizen Texas has hosted over 300 interns since its founding. They are given challenging research tasks and often are given the opportunity to speak at to government officials and other reform groups and draft proposed legislation.2Other organizations
Public Citizen Texas is associated with other organization including: Public Citizen, the SEED Coalition, Texans for Public Justice, the Sierra ClubSierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
, ReEnergize Texas, the Gray Panthers
Gray Panthers
The Gray Panthers was an organization in the United States founded by Maggie Kuhn in 1970, in response to her forced retirement at age 65. The group focused on health and other issues....
, Clean Water Action, Nuke Free Texas and Coal Block.2