News in State Government
Governor:
Governor Abbott Sets Special Election for Texas House District 100: Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation announcing Tuesday, November 5, 2019 as the special election date to fill the Texas House of Representatives District 100 seat recently vacated by former Representative Eric Johnson. Click here to read the full news release.
Governor Abbott Appoints Tarlton-Shannon and Kuebler to Board of Pilot Commissioners for Galveston County Ports: to read more about this and other gubernatorial-appointments from this week including to the Family Practice Residency Committee and the Evergreen Underground W.C.D. click here.
Lieutenant Governor:
Lt. Gov. Patrick Announces 2021 Redistricting Committee: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced his appointments to the 2021 Redistricting Committee. Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, will serve as Chair. Click here to read the assignments.
Attorney General:
State Sales Tax Revenue Totaled Nearly $2.9 Billion in June: Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar today said state sales tax revenue totaled $2.86 billion in June, 3.3 percent more than in June 2018. Click here to read the full news article.
Health and Human Services:
Big Spring State Hospital to Host Job Fair: Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s Big Spring State Hospital is hosting a job fair offering onsite interviews and help with applications Wednesday, July 10. Click here to read more information.
Other News
State Headlines:
Rep. John Wray Announces He Will Not Seek Re-Election: “This session was a highlight of my time in public service,” Wray said. “We put the needs of our children and families first by passing landmark school finance reform and securing property tax relief for the next two years.” As Reported by Quorum Report.
Weatherford Files for Bankruptcy Protection: The oilfield services company Weatherford International filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, after struggling to assimilate the companies it bought during a quest for growth, taking on too much debt and fighting to recover from falling oil prices in 2014 that hammered the energy industry. Click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
The Chemical Downturn No One Wants to Talk About - and How it Will Affect the Gulf Coast: Petrochemical companies have enjoyed a golden age of expansion, fueled by cheap natural gas from Texas shale fields and marked by soaring profits and multi-billion dollar capital projects generating thousands of jobs. Executives from Gulf Coast’s biggest chemical makers have been relentlessly optimistic about the world’s appetite for plastics and the prospects for their chemical businesses. Click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
Oil Up, Gas Down — Rig Count Stays Flat: The Permian Basin, Gulf of Mexico and Oklahoma all saw increased drilling activity this week, but they were offset by declines in natural gas basins. Click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
Hemp Rush Begins on West Texas Farms: With the recent easing of both state and federal restrictions on growing hemp, it is now converting some of the greenhouse capacity for the state’s hottest new crop, with more expansion likely to follow. Subscribers can click here to read the full San Antonio Express News article.
Politics Led Dallas-Owned Offshore Oil Equipment Out of Middle East to Work in Renewable Energy: Tensions in the Middle East have led a longtime Dallas oil and gas drilling service provider to expand into the growing renewable energy business away from the region. Energy Equipment Resource is moving two liftboats from the Middle East to Taiwan to help build offshore wind farms, said Mike Mullen owner of the company.Subscribers can click here to read the full Dallas Morning News article.
Oil Sector Cutting Spending as Wall Street Turns its Back: Rising production. Weakening demand. Skeptical investors. The U.S. energy sector, while not entering a downturn, is facing an extended period of lower oil prices, lower profits and tighter spending, ultimately leading to slower growth, fewer companies and fewer jobs in Houston and across the oil and gas industry. Subscribers can click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
National Headlines:
Electricity Storage Could be the Next Technology that Changes Life on Earth:Remember the transformation cellphones made to the communications industry? For the telecom industry — and for all of us customers — life before cellphones was entirely different from life after. Electric storage technology, that is, batteries, could have a comparable effect on the electric industry. Click here to read the full Dallas Morning News article.
States Move Ahead With Digital License Plates: Some state vehicles in Maryland will be outfitted with digital license plates as part of a two-year pilot program to see if the developing technology could work for customers. Click here to read the full Route Fifty article.
Mark Your Calendars
Dates to Note:
SXSW Education Program Meet Up
6 - 8 PM - Monday, July 8
Austin Central Library: 710 West Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Senator Johnson
4 PM - July 10, 2019
The Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Mary Ann Perez
July 11, 2019
4:30 PM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
TAB (Texas Association of Business) Post Session Update
July 11, 2019
RGA Senior Staff Retreat
July 12, 2019
Carlsbad, CA
NCSL (National Conference of State Legislatures) Legislative Summit
August 5 - 8, 2019
TIPRO (Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association) Summer Conference
August 7 - 8, 2019
August 14 - 16, 2019
Energy Trade Mission to Israel 2019
September 16, 2019 to September 20, 2019
September 26 - 28, 2019
Stalwart Strategies Capitol Appreciation Party
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Texas House Republican Caucus Fall Golf Tournament
October 17 - 18, 2019
Texas Energy Summit at the Capitol
November 12 - 14, 2019
Click here for House of Representatives Capitol Events Calendar.
Click here for Texas Senate Capitol Events Calendar.
