Jeff Wentworth

After a legislative session, Texas senators and representatives return to our districts, reflecting positively on the good bills we passed and regretting the ones that died.

While I regret that some of the bills I had high hopes for died,  I am pleased that, this session, 85 of my bills passed, which is more than any other member of either the House of the Senate.  I am also pleased that one of my bills, which will implement the Castle Doctrine in Texas, was the first bill signed into law this year.

The Castle Doctrine bill, Senate Bill 378, protects Texans’ right to use deadly force to protect themselves and their families if they are attacked at home, in the workplace or in their vehicles.

A bill authored by State Rep. Joe Straus that I sponsored in the Senate will help protect victims of domestic violence.  House Bill 3692 amends the Texas Penal Code to allow a judge to deny bail to a person who violates an emergency protective order issued after an arrest for an offense involving family violence.

Texans will vote in November on a constitutional amendment that would authorize the denial of bail to a person who violates certain court orders or conditions of release in a family violence case.

Senate Bill 182 helps protect Texans and their property from trespassers. Current trespass laws apply to most property, but not to a recreational vehicle park.  My bill adds a recreational vehicle park as property on which a person commits an offense if he or she enters or remains on the property without consent.

Public school employees will be able to communicate directly with public school district boards of trustees with the passage of Senate Bill 135.  Previously, many school districts required teachers to follow a chain of command.

Texas State Sen. Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) represents District 25, which includes part of Bexar County. He can be reached via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .