Senator Donna Campbell, M.D. was guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Blanco County meeting on February 21. Dr. Campbell worked for some years as an ophthalmologist and performed eye surgeries in Ghana on several mission trips. She is currently working as an emergency room physician even while serving in the Texas legislature. She became the first woman to be appointed Chair of Veterans Affairs and Border Security.
Senator Campbell began her remarks by thanking the veterans who were present. She shared some of her history including how and why she decided to run for state senator. She explained the process of how a bill is enacted and all the many steps it has to go through to be signed by the Governor. She also discussed several measures which she has written and/or sponsored and their impacts. These include the Texas Heroes Act which provides veterans with college credits earned while on duty and increased mental health benefits and another program to promote veteran entrepreneurship. She was also involved in passing the Lone Star Infrastructure Act which essentially stopped governments antagonistic to the U. S. from buying land and starting businesses such as wind farms that would allow them access to security information on our electric grid, water supply, communications, etc. Finally she addressed border security and human trafficking in Texas. She feels there has been some success by the Human Trafficking Task Force but much to be done. She helped pass the National Child I.D. Bill which keeps childrens’ DNA and fingerprints on file in case they are ever abducted. Club President, Joe Kustelski thanked Dr. Campbell for speaking and informed her that the club will provide a $50 donation to the Rotary Foundation in her honor.