ARTICLE
It’s hard to grasp how quickly the year has passed since I was installed as TCA President. I’ve enjoyed every moment and appreciate the wonderful backing you and the rest of TCA members have given me. As you probably know by now, 2019 was a legislative year in Texas. The 86th Texas Legislative Session is officially over, and I couldn’t be prouder of Team TCA. The hard work was well underway months before the session and kicked into high gear during TCA Legislative Day. We encouraged you to “Show Your Love for Chiropractic!” by joining us in Austin on Valentine’s Day – and more than 500 Texas DCs and chiropractic supporters (including large groups of students and faculty from Parker University and Texas Chiropractic College) did just that. But you didn’t stop there. Whenever we asked, you attended political fundraisers for pro-chiropractic candidates, made thousands of phone calls and sent countless emails to legislators. A few of you even drove to Austin to testify at hearings or simply to visit with your senator or representative at the Capitol. I can’t thank you enough for going above and beyond for your profession and for inspiring me daily to push harder to advance chiropractic in the Lone Star State. So, what “stuff” did we get done during the session? Our signature win was the passage of SB 1739 and HB 1410 – our provider discrimination bill. Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill into the law and we couldn’t be more excited. Whether you take insurance or are cash-only, this is a monumental step forward for our profession. As for everything else that happened during the session, you need to attend our Welcome, General Assembly and Legislative Update next week at Chiro Texpo ’19, June 7-9 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas. There’s still time to sign up; register online through this weekend. You can purchase a full registration, one-day registration or Texpo pass to network with your colleagues and visit with exhibitors. Come to listen, learn and celebrate what we accomplished together! Did TCA achieve everything we set to do during the legislative session? Of course not. Ultimately, old-fashioned Texas politics prevented us from approaching 2017’s record-breaking haul. However, we’ve made some valuable friends in the Texas Legislature and have set the stage for bigger and better things to come in 2021. In the meantime, we hope to continue our quest to get nerve/neuro added to the Texas Chiropractic Act, a battle we hope to take to the Supreme Court of Texas. We need you to stay engaged and encourage your chiropractic colleagues to get involved in TCA. Team TCA isn’t just about me. It’s about the dozens of men and women who put in countless hours to make our profession stronger. It has been my privilege to serve alongside my fellow Executive Officers, Drs. Chad Carpenter, Mo Jahadi and our newest exec, Alayna Pagnani-Gendron. I admire the tireless dedication of the TCA Board of Directors, Department Coordinators, Committee Chairs and all the volunteers who gave their valuable time. Most of you have no idea the sacrifice they make for you and your patients. Thank you to every chiropractor who has supported our efforts by being a TCA member, contributing to the Chiropractic Development Initiative (CDI) and/or TCA Political Action Committee (TCA PAC), or attending TCA events at the state and district levels. Most of all, I want to thank my wife, Allison, and my kids, Easton, Bella and Cullen. I’ve sacrificed a ton of family time over the past few years at TCA events, on conference calls and running back and forth across this huge state. Thank you for allowing me to pursue my dream! My motto during my term as TCA President was “Follow Through” and I encourage you to continue what we’ve started. I look forward to spending time with you next weekend at Chiro Texpo ’19. Devin Pettiet, DC TCA President