Most of us have been rather dubious about our ability to get any decent legislation passed in the Legislature. The oil and gas industry is so big and so powerful and so good at what they do, this is very difficult.

I'm always a little bit suspect when the industry says it's going to give us something.

The way it's written right now, the lawyers tell us it's essentially useless. ... Why pass a bill that doesn't do what you want it to do?

This legislation removes the unfair barriers that currently hinder the ability of battered immigrants to escape domestic violence safely and prosecute their abusers.

Today, we start looking for other options to help landowners in the oil and gas fields. The oil and gas industry proved this session that they do not want to negotiate with landowners and compensate them fairly for damage to private property. This controversy isn't going away.

We're going to keep trying until people start listening, until things change.