Summary of the 2025 Legislative Drive-In to the Texas Capitol
March 2025
The Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE Texas Section) hosted its 20251 Legislative Drive-In on February 19 at the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas. Every odd calendar year — when the Texas Legislature is in session — ASCE Texas Section conducts the Drive-In to provide our members with an opportunity to learn about the legislative process, how ASCE national policies are developed, how to conduct practical government relations activities, how to get more involved in both state and federal advocacy work, and to directly experience engagement with elected members of the legislature through in-person meetings at the Capitol. The event also coincides with the release of the 2025 Texas Infrastructure Report Card to help advance ASCE Texas Section’s infrastructure funding and policy objectives through in person advocacy and relationship building with elected members and their staff.
Attendees gathered for a networking reception on the afternoon before that was supported by a fantastic group of event sponsors, including TCPA, Stantec, Woolpert, Burns & McDonnell, 5enginnering, Frayre Engineering & Consulting, LAN, BGE, OMEGA Engineers, Inc., and Turner Co.
The next morning, Adam Eaton welcomed everyone to the educational program. The day started with a panel discussion with Whitney Witmire, Partner at Whitmire & Munoz LLC, Sarah Rountree Schlessinger, CEO of Texas Water Foundation, and James Barragán, Politics Reporter at Texas Tribune. State Senator Charles Perry came to speak to our attendees and discussed the importance of infrastructure, especially water supply. He also discussed the current projects and funding for water supply in Texas.
Then, Kevin Longley, Sr. Manager, Public Affairs & Media Relations for ASCE, presented an overview of ASCE’s national Key Contact program, policy making process, and government relations tips. Next, Dustin Cox and Chris Sanchez with Salient Strategies, an Austin based lobbying firm, shared their thoughts about the Texas Legislature and advocacy in the halls of the Texas Capitol.
After hearing about advocacy practices, Infrastructure Report Card committee members were invited to speak more on the categories of the Report Card. Anjuman Ara spoke on Texas Transportation and Drainage, discussing key challenges, ongoing projects, and potential areas for improvement. Rebecca Katzke spoke about stormwater infrastructure, highlighting the importance of sustainable water management, regulatory considerations, and the impact of recent weather patterns on stormwater systems. Their contributions helped shed light on critical infrastructure issues and reinforced the need for continued investment and policy support.
This year, 45 members attended the Drive-In. This allowed the ASCE Texas Section to meet in person with the offices of 26 state representatives and 15 state senators to create or strengthen relationships between our organization and the legislature and to discuss our policy objectives. This is a great accomplishment for ASCE Texas Section.
