+ − Contact Information
Phone: (512) 463-0596
Fax: (512) 463-6504
Office Address:
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
+ − Biography
Joe C. Pickett is a member of the Texas House of Representatives, where he is presently serving his tenth term. Rep. Pickett is currently serving as Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety, with jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to:
law enforcement; the prevention of crime and the apprehension of criminals; the provision of security services by private entities; homeland security, including: the defense of the state and nation, including terrorism response; and disaster mitigation, preparedness, response,
and recovery; and the following state agencies: the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, the Department of Public Safety, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Emergency Management Council, the Texas Forensic Science Commission, the Texas Military Preparedness Commission, the Texas Private Security Board, the Commission on State Emergency Communications, and the Texas Crime Stoppers Council.
In addition, he is a member of the House Committee on Transportation and the House Committee on Redistricting. He is ranked 17th in seniority of the 150 members of the Texas House.
Representative Pickett is a membership of the House Research Organization Committee. This committee reports on all legislation which is scheduled for floor debate. The reports are a balanced analysis and include the pros and cons of each bill. He is also a member of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus and has been recognized by the following organizations:
Over the last 18 years he has been the author of countless pieces of legislation and served previously as Chairman for the House Transportation Committee, Chairman of Defense and Veterans Affairs, served on the Committee on Appropriations and served as Chairman of Budget Oversight (CBO) for the Committee on Land and Resource Management. In addition, he served on the Committee on Border and International Affairs as well as serving on the Select Committee on Individuals Eligible For Immediate Care Facilities. He has also served as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues, Licensing and Administrative Procedures and has served on Criminal Jurisprudence. He was also appointed to the Select Committee on Foster Care and Adoption. He also served as a Governor Rick Perry's appointee to his Anti-Crime Committee formed in 2002.
Representative Pickett also served on the national board of directors of the American Metropolitan Planning Organization (AMPO). AMPO is a national nonprofit, membership organization serving the needs of metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) nationwide. They function as a condition for spending federal highway or transit funds in urbanized areas, federal highway and transit statutes require the designation of MPOs which serve their areas in planning, programming and coordinating federal highway and transit investments.
He has served several terms as Chairman of the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). In addition, he served between the 81st and 82nd sessions on the Texas Transportation Council in Austin as a non-partisan and independent forum to research, organize, and promote a new direction for transportation that is based upon transparency, accountability and efficiency in order to improve mobility and restore public faith in the management of our state's transportation infrastructure.
Representative Pickett started his political career as a City Council member for the City of El Paso, Texas.
Representative Pickett holds a Texas Real Estate Broker's license and has been a real estate educator for more than two decades. He has written and published text books in real estate laws for continuing education classes and still teaches one or two days a month, schedule permitting. He is the author of several children's books, with two of his books already published and being marketed throughout the United States. It is a big part of his efforts to support children's literacy programs.
Representative Pickett's civic involvement includes membership on the boards of the Advocacy Center for the Children of El Paso, the Texas YMCA´s Policy Council and the Advisory Council for Health Sciences for the University of El Paso. He has been a member of the Lions Club for the past 20 years, a former member of the El Paso Crime Stoppers Board, and served five years as a volunteer board member, then Chairman of a local credit union. The main thrust of his civic involvement has been the forming of a 501-C3 non-profit organization that fights graffiti, supervises troubled youth who are required to serve community service hours and enhancing the aesthetics of the community through tree planting, cleaning and building renovation projects. The association was awarded a national honor by the "Keep America Beautiful" organization. It also has been awarded a grant from the Office of the Governor for work in the community.
His love of cars has earned him the reputation of being somewhat of a car collector. He has several antique and unusual vehicles that include a varied selection, one-of-a kind's such as John Wayne's hunting vehicle that actor Wayne used on his ranch in Arizona, a double-decker English bus that belonged to a famous Southwestern artist named Ted DeGrazia, and working fire trucks that are used for children's charities and parades. His collection also includes several military vehicles, English automobiles, one of a kind historical vehicles and just neat cars!