2023 ctx asla green industry legislative day

February 23rd was this year’s Green Industry Legislative Day at the Texas State Capitol, hosted by Central Texas American Society of Landscape Architects (CTX ASLA). TBG Principal Chris Jackson attended the event where he met with members from the House of Representatives to communicate the profession of landscape architecture and the importance of ASLA.

The event began with Texas-size bacon at a welcome breakfast where attendees were given the opportunity to introduce themselves and chat amongst one another. They then heard from two Representatives, Rep. Kronda Thimesch and Rep. Justin Holland.

The remainder of the day included a lunch break and small group meetings with legislative staff.

A few key topics the ASLA representatives discussed with team members included:

– The importance of the regulated (licensed) Practice of Landscape Architecture in the State of Texas as it pertains to health, safety and welfare for Texas residents

– Advocacy for Self-Directed, Semi-Independent (SDSI). The Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE) is only one of eight agencies in Texas that is SDSI status, which means it operates independent of the State’s General Fund and is not an expense of the State of Texas

– Promotion of the integrity of reciprocity

Other advocacy efforts included the importance of licensure for continuing education credits, the promotion of enforcing licensing laws in an effort to support the health, safety and welfare for public health in the states and U.S. territories.