Stalwart Strategies is pleased to offer you an easy-to-navigate brief of the week’s activity inside state government, noteworthy items for the upcoming week, and other important news.
News In State Government
Governor:
Governor Abbott Names Chair and Appoints 14 to Texas Health Services Authority Board of Directors, 5 to the Statewide Health Coordinating Council and 3 to Texas Racing Commission: Click here to read more about these and other gubernatorial-appointments this week, including to the Texas Southern University Board Of Regents and Stephen F. Austin State University Board Of Regents and Finance Commission.
Governor Abbott Statement on School Finance Reform Passage in the Texas House: “Texans are demanding meaningful reforms to our school finance system, and today’s passage of HB 3 in the House is a vital step toward that goal. …” Click here to read the full statement.
2018 Barbara Jordan Media Awards Winners Announced: The Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities announced the winners of the 36th Annual Barbara Jordan Media Awards for media content created in 2018. Click here to read the full news release.
Lt. Governor:
Lt. Governor Patrick Released a Statement on Senate Resolution 535 Declaring the Border Crisis an Emergency: “The Texas Senate adopted Senate Resolution 535 today to make it crystal clear to Congress that the crisis at the border is very real…” Click here to read that full statement.
Lt. Governor Patrick Released a Statement on the Passage of Senate Bill 14: “Preparing for tomorrow’s economy is essential, and ensuring all Texans have access to the internet is key.” Click here to read the full statement.
Comptroller:
Sales Tax Revenue Totaled $2.6 Billion in March: Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said state sales tax revenue totaled $2.6 billion in March, 9 percent more than in March 2018. Click here to read the full news release.
Texas Comptroller’s Office Releases a Field Guide to the Taxes of Texas: The Texas Comptroller’s office recently released A Field Guide to the Taxes of Texas, a periodic report providing an overview of Texas’ major state taxes. Click here to read the full news release.
Railroad Commission:
Texas Oil and Gas Production Statistics for January 2019: Crude oil and natural gas production as reported to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) for January 2019 came from 175,056 oil wells and 89,379 gas wells. Click here to read the full news release.
ICYMI: RRC Op-Ed On 100 Years of Regulating Tx Oil & Gas: ICYMI: Yesterday, March 31, 2019 marked the 100-year anniversary of the Railroad Commission being given oversight of Texas’ oil and gas industry. Click here to read the full news release.
Environmental Quality:
Acting on behalf of the TCEQ, attorney general files petition against KMCO, LLC today: On behalf of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Attorney General today filed a petition and Application for Injunctive Relief in the District Court of Travis County against KMCO, LLC in Crosby for violations of the Texas Clean Air Act. Click here to read the full news release.
EPA and TCEQ Announce Story Map Resource: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announce a new interactive resource to help keep the public updated and informed about the response activities for the Intercontinental Terminals Company LLC fire in La Porte, Texas. Click here to read the full news release.
Other News
State News:
Mike Pence to Meet with ICE Officials in Houston During Texas Visit Friday: The vice president’s trip comes as officials grapple with an influx of migrants at the Texas-Mexico border. He will also visit College Station for an event on the vice presidency at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Click here to read the full Texas Tribune article.
Texas House Approves Major School Finance Reform Package, Adds Teacher Raises to the Bill: The legislation would increase per-student funding, mandate $1,850 teacher pay raises and reduce “Robin Hood” payments made by wealthy districts. Click here to read the full Texas Tribune article.
Texas Senate Panel Advances Budget Bill that Mirrors House Plan on Education, Property Tax Reform Spending: The two-year plan, which must still pass the full Senate, includes a $9 billion infusion for public schools and property tax relief and up to $900 million in cuts to Medicaid. Click here to read the full Texas Tribune article.
Offshore Wind for Texas About a Decade Away: The waters off the Gulf Coast could be an attractive place to install offshore wind farms. Electricity prices in Texas are low, thanks to cheap wind coming from West Texas wind farms, and aren’t high enough to justify the expense of engineering and building off the coast. Subscribers can click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
Shell to Leave Oil Lobby Group Over Climate Policy Concerns: Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s position on climate change is misaligned with about half of the trade associations it’s a part of, and the disagreement with one is so severe the company will let its membership lapse next year. Click here to read the full Bloomberg article.
Herman: Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller needed at fuel pumps?: The Texas Department of Agriculture regulates those pumps because in the 1930s it made sense for the Texas Department of Agriculture to regulate those pumps. Not so much anymore, according to state Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth, whose House Bill 1695 would move that function from the Department of Agriculture. Click here to read the full Statesman article.
Hemp Advocates Urge Lawmakers to Allow ‘Cash Crop’ in Texas: The new U.S. farm bill signed by President Donald Trump in December made hemp federally legal, but Texas lawmakers still must legalize it here. Agriculture Commissioner Miller urges support. Click here to read the full Statesman article.
Rig Count Falls in Texas, Colorado: The number of active oil and gas drilling rigs in the U.S. dropped by 10 last week, led by losses in Texas and Colorado. Subscribers can click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
Texas High-Speed Rail Developer Doesn’t Want State Money. But the Senate’s State Budget Could Still Delay the Project: Although Texas Central isn’t planning on using state funds for its Dallas-Houston line, it says language in the spending plan could impede the project until a court definitively affirms the company’s ability to use eminent domain. Click here to read the full Texas Tribune article.
National News:
Trump Backs Off Threat to Close Southern Border Immediately, Says He’ll Give Mexico One-Year Warning on drugs, Migrants: President Donald Trump backed down from his threat on Thursday to close the southern border immediately, telling reporters at the White House that he is giving Mexico a one-year warning before taking action. Click here to read the Washington Post article as published by the Texas Tribune.
Perry Grilled Over Clean Energy Budget Cuts: Republican and Democratic senators alike grilled Energy Secretary Rick Perry Tuesday over the Trump administration’s plans to slash funding into developing carbon-free energy. Click here to read the Houston Chronicle.
Economists Expect Hiring Rise, Wage Gains in March Jobs Report: The U.S. government releases its broad accounting of the March job market on Friday. Subscribers can click here to read the full Wall Street Journal article. You can also click here to view the Friday report to be released by the U.S. Department of Labor.
