Happy (belated) Fourth of July! This year, I had the opportunity to participate in neighborhood parades in Lakeway and Shady Hollow and to attend Circle C's annual barbecue and fireworks display with my family. I hope you had the opportunity to celebrate the holiday with your family and friends.

The theme for Lakeway's celebration this year was "Military Service - A Family Affair." The family members of our servicemen and women are such an important part of the fabric of our armed services and the parade was a wonderful way to celebrate them. Lakeway's Grand Marshal, Rosie Babin, and her son, Army Corporal Alan "Doc" Babin, Jr., are an inspirational representation of the importance of family, and it really touched me to have the opportunity to celebrate Independence Day with so many veterans and their loved ones. I also handed out about six bags of candy — my apologies to any Lakeway parents whose children I gave a sugar rush!

We were fortunate to grab a break in the rain for the Lakeway Parade, but it started pouring on our way to Shady Hollow. By the time we all gathered in the park after walking the neighborhood parade route, we were soaked to the skin. The sight and sound of neighbors gathered together in the rain singing patriotic songs was something I will never forget! The spirit of friendship and celebration was so strong — even my husband Andy sang a few bars.

I felt an amazing unity among our neighbors over the holiday in celebration of Independence Day. It especially hit home for me because working together with local citizen groups and statewide partners is one of the most important parts of my job as your state representative. One priority that is especially important for our region is protecting the water quality of Lake Travis. It's a huge economic issue because so many businesses rely on the lake in one way or another.

You may remember the efforts of our local coalition last year in upholding the Highland Lakes Discharge Ban, a highly effective limit on pollutants that keeps Lake Travis clean and clear. Many of our coalition members joined me again in petitioning the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) over the past several months to keep a more stringent bacteria standard in place for Lake Travis and other highly used recreational waters in the agency's review of water quality standards for water bodies throughout the state.

I'm happy to report that after receiving nearly 1,500 public comments, the TCEQ commissioners voted last week to maintain the lower level of bacteria. This means a higher level of protection for our citizens. In my comments during the hearing, I emphasized the importance of high water quality for recreation, our local economy, and our drinking water. Thankfully, the commissioners heard these comments and acted to maintain a higher level of protection for public health.

I hope you're having a wonderful summer. If you have any comments or questions about any issue that's important to you, please contact me. I'm here to listen to your thoughts and to help address your concerns. You can contact my office at (512) 463-0652 or e-mail us.