Sunset review report calls for abolishing Texas Residential Construction Commission

From Austin Business Journal, August 20, 20008...

The Texas Residential Construction Commission is under fire from the state's Sunset Advisory Commission.

In a scathing report released Tuesday, the Sunset commission, which regularly reviews state agencies, argued that the TRCC is ineffective and does not have the public's trust when it comes to protecting Texans from unscrupulous or unqualified builders. The report goes on to say the TRCC, which was created in 2003 to help regulate the homebuilding industry, should be abolished. "Current regulation of the residential construction industry is fundamentally flawed and does more harm than good," the report says.

The TRCC fired back, saying it "ardently disagrees" with the Sunset report's findings.

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Sunset Commission Recommends Scrapping Texas Transportation Commission

From Austin Chronicle, June 6, 2008...

The Sunset Advisory Commission, the quietly powerful Lege committee that can mean life or death for a state agency, has released its staff report on the Texas Depart­ment of Transportation, and it's a pretty serious "could do better" moment for the agency.

The staff report highlights six key issues of concern, from management practice to contract allocation. But the theme throughout is the same: a lack of public accessibility and accountability. The big takeaway item is that they want the Texas Transportation Com­mis­sion to be disbanded and replaced by a single commissioner.

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