Scott Kidwell
On May 31, 2021, the Texas Legislature adjourned sine die. This was the end of a rather unique 140-day “regular” legislative session, which began with discussions on how to conduct a truly open meeting of the Legislature that would allow the public to attend and participate in the era of a pandemic. Yet that wasn’t the first hurdle our elected officials would experience. When February came, the entire state, along with many other states as well, experienced the tragedy and fallout of Winter Storm Uri. In leading Texas forward through both events, the House and Senate also considered nearly 7,000 pieces of proposed legislation from January through May.
While the specific bills and impacts on industry will be covered by the PBPA and this magazine through other avenues, I want to talk about a PBPA staff member and his importance to our members specifically on Texas legislative issues and overall as well.
Helping to lead PBPA’s Texas legislative advocacy efforts for the second session in a row was Michael Lozano. Since coming over from the pink dome in 2018 where he had most recently been the Chief of Staff for Representative Brooks Landgraf, Michael has been an integral part of PBPA’s legislative and regulatory advocacy in Austin. His knowledge of the industry, the Permian Basin, and perhaps most importantly of how to navigate the innerworkings of the state capitol have only strengthened PBPA’s already formidable efforts on behalf of our members.
Those that work in Austin have probably gotten to know Michael better than those PBPA members who steer clear of the state’s capitol, but we all have benefited from the tremendous work Michael does on our behalf. Whether it’s his work with elected officials, their staff, our own members or those advocating in opposition to PBPA’s interests, Michael not only conducts himself in the utmost professional manner, but he is effective, efficient, and perhaps most important of all, passionate and personable.
While Michael’s focus during Texas Legislative Sessions is on those bills that could have either a positive or negative impact on operations in the Permian Basin, that does not come close to describing the scope of the work he routinely performs. Whether inside or out of session, Michael is also on the front line for PBPA on regulatory issues in Texas as well as a key member of the team on legislative and regulatory advocacy in both Santa Fe and Washington, D.C. He also leads our communications efforts both internally and externally, making sure that PBPA is delivering a message about Permian Basin oil and gas operations that has the greatest impact.
When Michael is out in the Permian Basin (which now with the pandemic hopefully behind us will be more often) or next time you see him in Austin, be sure to thank him for the tremendous effort he has put in for PBPA. The mission of PBPA is to promote the safe and responsible development of our region’s oil and gas resources while providing legislative, regulatory, and educational support services for our industry. Michael is a formidable advocate on all of these points, and each of us is better off for it. In particular, the bar for expectations on the legislative and regulatory fronts in Austin has been raised to even a higher level than we had already expected from Ben and the team because of Michael’s abilities and dedication. On behalf of our members, I want to thank Michael for being an exemplary part of the team and a critical part of our success.