Senator Charles Perry and Representative Tracy O. King Receive the 2023 Rainmaker Award
Our 2023 Rainmaker Award recipients made water a priority during the 88th Texas Legislature. By way of a bipartisan and bicameral effort, Senator Charles Perry and Representative Tracy O. King not only advanced water security and funding, but set the bar for future generations of water leaders.
The momentum around water infrastructure during the 88th legislative session was predictable. Water infrastructure nationwide is aging beyond its useful lifespan and deteriorating faster than local utilities can maintain, replace, or expand. The passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act at the end of 2021 signaled a significant course correction for decades of missing federal investment in critical infrastructure, and it offered an opportunity for individual states to draw down funding for water.
Over the past two years, evidence of that aging infrastructure was present in Texas. Between statewide water system failures during Winter Storm Uri, the emergence of water loss data amidst staggering water supply projections, and a year of more boil water notices than any other state, it was inevitable that the state of Texas’ water infrastructure would come into stark focus.
Getting legislators' attention on the critical state of Texas water presented challenges during a historic legislative session with a historic budget surplus. In a historic move, Representative Tracy O. King formed the first Texas House Water Caucus, a bipartisan effort to provide educational resources, develop a new generation of water champions, and support the prioritization of water. The Texas House Water Caucus was established in February 2023 with a starting roster of 38 legislators. Within one month, that roster grew 92% to include 73 members from the Texas House of Representatives, making it the largest bipartisan caucus in the Texas Legislature. Either by the visible water challenges each legislator’s district faced or the refreshingly nonpartisan nature of water, the caucus’ rapid popularity signaled water had their attention.
As with all past significant water sessions, it took dedicated water champions to prioritize water. Senator Charles Perry, author of the 88th session’s headline water bill SB 28 and its companion SJR 75, led the charge on addressing Texas’ water supply and infrastructure challenges. Following considerable efforts by legislators, advocates, and agency staff, SB 28 was passed almost unanimously in both the House and Senate to create a new constitutionally protected fund for water. The Governor signed SB 28 and SJR 75 with a $1 billion appropriation and a constitutional amendment to be approved by Texas voters on the November ballot.
On September 19, 2023 almost 350 water leaders, policy makers, advocates, and experts came together to honor both Senator Chalres Perry and Representative Tracy O. King for their lasting impact on Texas water. Through their work, individually and together, Texas’ water security was prioritized. Watch the highlight reel here.
ABOUT SENATOR CHARLES PERRY
A life-long West Texan and a practicing CPA from Lubbock, Sen. Perry grew up in the district he currently represents, graduating from Sweetwater High School. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and management information systems from Texas Tech University. After serving two terms in the Texas House of Representatives, Sen. Perry was elected to the Texas Senate in 2014. Outside his work in the Legislature, Sen. Perry has served his community as past president of the Lubbock Boys and Girls Club, American Business Clubs, and Community Partners, and previously served on the board of the National Council on Family Violence and the Women's Protective Services of Lubbock. He also serves as a deacon at his church, Southcrest Baptist in Lubbock. Sen. Perry has been married to his wife, Jacklyn, for over 40 years and together they have a daughter, Jordan, and a son, Matthew, and five grandchildren. The entire family are graduates of Texas Tech University.
Service in the Legislature:
Chair, Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs
Vice-Chair, Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Co-chair, State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) Advisory Committee and the Texas Infrastructure Resiliency Fund (TIRF).
Other Committees: Finance, Redistricting, State Affairs, Transportation, and Sunset Commission
Governor appointee to the Southwestern States Water Commission and the Western States Water Council
ABOUT REPRESENTATIVE TRACY O. KING
Rep. King graduated from Carrizo Springs High School, attended Southwest Texas Junior College and Texas A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering. In 1983 Rep. King took a job with the Beltone Hearing Aid Center in San Antonio and soon after moved to Uvalde to open a branch office there. He later purchased the Beltone Hearing Aid Center and owned and operated it until 2008 when he sold the business to spend more time with his family. Rep. King has always been active in public service, a former member of the Board of Trustees for the First United Methodist Church and a past president of both the Kiwanis Club and the Texas Hearing Aid Association. He is married to the former Cheryl Baker of Hondo and they are the proud parents of two children, Katelyn Marie King and Clayton Baker King.
Service in the Legislature:
Chair, House Natural Resources Committee
Founder and Chairman of the Texas House Water Caucus
Former Chair, Border and International Affairs; Agriculture and Livestock; and Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee
Other Committees: Licensing and Administrative Procedures, Appropriations, Ways & Means, Calendars, Environmental Regulation, Culture, Recreation and Tourism and Energy Resources, Edwards Aquifer Oversight Committee, and the Energy Council