GROW Texas Fund Makes It Out of Committee
April 25, 2019
A bill to bring oil and gas money back home to producing areas was passed to the full Texas House on Wednesday (4/24)….
Bill Consolidating Port Advisory Committee Reports Passes to House
April 29, 2019
Eliminating duplicated efforts by port committees is the aim of a Texas Senate bill that has passed to the House….
Senate Passes “Haircut Bill”
April 29, 2019
The Texas Senate has passed Sen. Kel Seliger‘s SB 1394 allowing haircutters to be mobile, which would greatly benefit oilfield workers in West Texas who are in remote locations far from barbers and cosmetologists….
Bill to Bring More Public Engagement to LCRA Passes
April 29, 2019
After passing from the Senate to the Texas House, a Sunset-related bill has moved out of the House intended to require the Lower Colorado River Authority to engage more with and improve trust from the public….
Davis’ Disaster Reinvestment Fund Passes the Texas House
April 29, 2019
The Texas House has passed 115-23 and sent to the Senate a bill creating a disaster reinvestment and infrastructure planning revolving fund outside the state treasury for use in disbursing money following a natural disaster…..
Radioactive Substance Release Notice Bill Moving Through Legislature
April 29, 2019
Quickly notifying local areas where a radioactive substance has been released into the environment is the subject of a bill that’s moving through the Texas Legislature….
Bill for Texas A&M Study of Raising Max Truck Weight Limits In Hauling Sand Passes House
April 25, 2019
Texas needs to study whether raising the maximum weight limits on trucks hauling sand could reduce the heavy traffic seen on a number of state roads, especially in West Texas — that’s the premise of a bill that passed 134-3 from the Texas House on Thursday….
Bill To Establish PUC Broadband Office Passes State House
April 25, 2019
The Public Utility Commission of Texas would expand to include a “Broadband” office that would, among other things, be in charge of grants to facilitate the growth of Internet access to Texas rural areas under a bill that passed the state House 122-8 on Thursday….
Rural Transit District Tax Exemption From Some Fuels, Including LNG and CNG, In Senate Bill Passed Thursday
April 25, 2019
Rural transportation services would be exempt from state fuel taxes under a bill passed by the Texas Senate 92-41 on Thursday….
Electric Grid Resilience Bill Passes Senate
April 25, 2019
Senate Bill 76, aimed at ensuring the resilience of the electric grid in Texas during natural disaster, cyberattacks and other catastrophic events, passed the Texas Senate 24-6 on Thursday….
Second Brackish Water Bill Moves Out of Texas House
April 24, 2019
Rep. Lyle Larson’s HB 724, which would make it easier to obtain some permits for extraction, treatment and use of brackish groundwater passed 124-0 in the Texas House on Wednesday….
Bill Establishing Some One-Way Traffic In Houston Ship Channel Passes Texas Senate
April 24, 2019
A bill passed by the Texas Senate on Wednesday is intended to improve safety along the Houston Ship Channel….
Bill To Study Effects of Renewable Subsidies on ERCOT Markets Moves Toward Senate Passage
April 24, 2019
A bill aimed at studying the effects of federal renewable energy subsidies on the over electricity markets in Texas passed the state senate on Wednesday…..
Bill To Create West Texas Municipal Management District Passes Senate
April 24, 2019
The creation of a management district for a productive West Texas oil and gas area is the subject of a bill that’s passed the Texas Senate….
Human-Influenced “Mass Extinction” of Earth Species Underway, Biofuels Not a Clear Climate Change Solution: UN Draft Report
A new UN draft report says Mankind is undermining the natural resources needed by Nature’s species, with up to a million to go extinct, and something must be done within ten years to head it off, bringing the report in line with last year’s UN call for rapid, sweeping and unprecedented changes in all societies to head off global warming
April 24, 2019
A new draft report from the United Nations will likely seek to blame climate change along with shrinking habitat and changes in land usage — human influenced — for a “mass extinction event” that could result in the end of one million species.
Something must be done within the next ten years to head off the worst, the report states, clearly aligning the UN study with last year’s Fourth National Climate Assessment, which called for rapid, sweeping and unprecedented changes in all societies to head off global warming……
Senate Bill to Separate Harris County Pilot Commissioners from Houston Port Authority Passes
April 23, 2019
A bill to separate the governance of the board of Pilot Commissioners for Harris County courts from that of the port commissioners of the Houston Port Authority of Harris County passed the Texas Senate 30-1 on Monday…
Energy Resources Committee Looks At Bill to Set Back Solid Waste Sites 2 Miles From Public Schools
RRC Permitting Assistant Paul DuBois pointed out that though the RRC and the TCEQ have a memorandum of understanding that the RRC will permit such sites, the RRC does not look at air quality when doing so
April 23, 2019
The Texas House Energy Resources committee heard testimony on a bill to set back commercial solid waste disposal facilities at least two miles from public schools….
Bill To Remove Victoria County from Air Quality List Moving Through House
April 22, 2019
A bill to remove Victoria County from the state list of counties on the “non-attainment” list for air quality is moving through the Texas House….
Bill Requiring Districts Pay Landowners’ Attorney Fees Makes It Out of Senate
April 19, 2019
In an attempt to level the rules for landowners, a bill has moved out of the Texas Senate requiring groundwater conservation districts to pay attorneys fees in cases they lose versus landowners….
Petroleum Hall of Fame Inductees Celebrated By Texas Legislature
April 19, 2019
The Texas House of Representatives and Senate saluted several respected members of the Petroleum Hall of Fame this week….