You only have to visit Texas once to know how proud the natives are about their state, their music, their bar-b-que and just about everything in Texas.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation is wrapping up a big two-day legislator orientation session that covered a raft of issues from taxation and education to water and telecommunications policy. Ray Gifford was in Austin to speak on the telecom issues with Cato's Adam Thierer and Bruce Fein. While Adam and Bruce duked it out over federal unbundling requirements, Ray stayed focused on local and state law concerns. Hint: The imperative for retail rate deregulation and the elimination of in-state rate distortions that result from regulation were central to his presentation. If your interested in what he covered, this paper is an excellent primer.

State representative Phil King moderated the panel. King is Chairman of the House Regulated Industries Committee and we'll look forward to working with him as the debate heats up in the heart of Texas.