When Patrick Rose first ran for the state legislature in 2002, he was 23, not long out of Princeton and unsure if he would win the office, let alone how long he would keep it. Today, Rose (D-Dripping Springs), 31, is a four-term representative who says that to “get anything done” in the legislature “you need seniority, and I would like to stay in this office for the next six, eight, 10, 12 years.”

Four-term State Representative Patrick Rose (D-Dripping Springs) has drawn an opponent in the March primary. Andrew Backus of Driftwood, a long-time Rose opponent in matters of local groundwater management, filed his intention to run with the Texas Secretary of State on Dec. 15.

While it remains to be seen if the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) and Hays County legislators can iron out their differences, a process began last week with a plan to bring together stakeholders selected by State Representative Patrick Rose (D-Dripping Springs) and State Senator Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio).

Two river protection organizations and residents of three local counties are protesting a developer’s pumping of San Marcos River water during drought conditions for a future private lake community near Martindale.

Following a contorted process in which a local groundwater district couldn’t agree with local state legislators on a funding bill, Hays County Commissioners appear ready to increase the district’s funding from the county.