Considered an authority on all facets of the Texas legislative process, Nick James is a principal at Texas Star Alliance. He brings a wealth of experience in Texas state government, having worked for the Senate and Lieutenant Governor for over 25 years. James specializes in a tailored approach to advocacy for a number of industries. His areas of expertise include (but are not limited to) insurance, education, water, real estate, gaming, energy, transportation, taxation, pensions and retirement systems, and oil and gas.

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His stint in the Senate allowed him to work for a total of three Senators, the last more than 14 years being the well-respected Kenneth Armbrister. As his Chief of Staff, James helped coordinate committees that Armbrister chaired, such as Senate Natural Resources, State Affairs, Criminal Justice and Intergovernmental Relations. He helped craft potential legislation, averaging 200 bills per Session, during which he shepherded all bills through the process from drafting to committee review to final vote on both the Senate and House floors.

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Nick was trained in politics by some legendary Texans, including the late Lt. Governor Bob Bullock. Bullock asked him to serve on the Governor’s Health Policy Task Force and to study insurance issues and recommend state policy revisions and changes.

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Nick was instrumental in drafting both the 1995 and 1997 Texas Racing Commission Sunset Bills for the State of Texas. He also helped author gaming legislation from 1997 through 2005 for Senator Armbrister.

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Nick is a native Austinite, and graduated from Texas A & M (Texarkana) with a double major in Finance and Economics. He is an avid golfer and enjoys UT football. A personal interest in mental health issues led him to the Board of Directors of the Bipolar Foundation of Central Texas, on which he served as the President. James is certified as an arbitrator and mediator through a program approved by the State Bar of Texas. He has three grown sons, and is married to another long-time Austinite.