(AUSTIN, TX) Today, State Representative John Raney (R-Bryan/College Station) filed House Bill 2621 addressing the membership of Blinn Junior College’s Board of Trustees. HB 2621 adds two board members appointed by the Brazos County Commissioner’s Court to serve staggered six-year terms. HB 2621 would begin to address greatly needed representation for the students of Blinn’s Bryan Campus.

On February 25, Rep. Raney filed HB 1903 which requires Blinn Junior College to proportionately distribute funding to each of its campuses based on contact hours, tuition and fees. This bill would provide for the overdue expansion of the Bryan Campus which would include more classroom space, parking, and a student resource center.

If passed into law, these bills will make Blinn Junior College more financially sustainable for future generations while ensuring an equitable distribution of funds for its current students.

“I have been working on this issue for close to two years and I firmly believe these bills are the right course of action,” Representative Raney said. “As a resident of Brazos County for the past 50 years, I know the importance of Blinn and its impact on our community. I know we can do better than we are doing right now. It does not make good business sense to continue to upgrade a campus that serves far fewer students at the expense of another.”

In addition to HB 2621 and HB 1903 which focus specifically on Blinn Junior College, Rep. Raney has filed HB 2138 which addresses community colleges statewide. HB 2138 provides for financial transparency by requiring community colleges to report on their websites, a breakdown of expenditures by campus. “Community colleges receive funding from the state, collect tax dollars, and collect tuition and fees,” Rep. Raney said. “Taxpayers and students should have quick access to how their dollars are being spent.”

Representative Raney is currently serving his second term in the Texas House of Representatives. He serves on the House Committees on Appropriations where he also serves on the Subcommittee on Education, Higher Education, and House Administration. He is acting Secretary of the House Republican Caucus and is a long-time community member of Bryan-College Station and a small business owner for forty-six years.