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 Takes Action To Keep Texas State Board Of Plumbing Examiners Active: Governor Greg Abbott Thursday issued an executive order to extend the activity of the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners past its set expiration of September 1, 2019. Click here to read the full order.
Governor Abbott Waives DMV Regulations in Aftermath of North Texas Storms: I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, do hereby certify that severe storms occurring on June 9, 2019, have caused widespread damage to the electrical infrastructure in North Texas.Click here to read the full proclamation.
Governor Abbott Signs Pivotal Property Tax Reforms Into Law:Governor Greg Abbott today signed into law Senate Bill 2, which delivers significant property tax reforms that will cap property tax increases without voter approval and provide tax reform to homeowners and businesses across Texas. Click here to read the full press release.
Governor Abbott Signs Landmark Legislation to Reform School Finance, Increase Teacher Pay, and Provide Property Tax Relief: Governor Greg Abbott signed into law landmark legislation to reform school finance, increase teacher pay, and provide property tax relief. Click here to read the full press release or view the video.
To follow along with the latest signed and vetoed legislation click the links.
Attorney General:
AG Paxton Urges FTC to Consider the Role of Consumer Privacy and Data in Antitrust Enforcement: Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and 41 other state attorneys general, filed a bi-partisan comment with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urging a renewed focus on consumer privacy and data in antitrust enforcement actions against dominant technology platforms that collect and leverage consumer data. Click here to read the full press release.
AG Paxton Leads 16-State Brief in Support of Expanding Health Coverage Options for Small Businesses: Attorney General Ken Paxton, joined by 15 other states, filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the U.S. D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the U.S. Department of Labor’s rule allowing millions of Americans employed by small businesses to access quality, affordable health coverage via Association Health Plans. Click here to read the full press release.
Railroad Commission:
Texas Drilling Permits and Completions Statistics for May 2019: The Railroad Commission of Texas (Commission) issued a total of 1,050 original drilling permits in May 2019 compared 1,243 in May 2018. Click here to read the full news release.
Texas Oil and Gas Production Statistics for March 2019: Crude oil and natural gas production as reported to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) for March 2019 came from 174,582 oil wells and 89,335 gas wells. Click here to read the full news release.
Environmental Quality:
Bi-National Collaboration Along Texas-Mexico Border: Environmental projects were highlighted at the 74th meeting of the Joint Advisory Committee for the improvement of air quality in the Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua/El Paso, Texas/Doña Ana County, New Mexico air basin. Click here to read about those projects.
TCEQ Approves Fines Totaling $338,952: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality today approved penalties totaling $272,492 against 23 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Click here to read the full news release.
Health and Human Services:
Executive Commissioner Dr. Phillips’ Message to Staff: Executive Commissioner Dr. Courtney N. Phillips held her first all-staff meeting, which focused on her leadership style, the legislative session, employee engagement and next steps for HHS. Click here to view the full video.
Other News
State Headlines:
Gov. Greg Abbott Signs School Funding Bill, but Teachers Still Waiting on Pay Raise Details: Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday signed into law the Legislature’s prized school funding overhaul — but teachers and school staff standing by to celebrate the news said they still don’t know what size raise to expect from the new law. Click here to read the full Dallas Morning News article.
Coming to A Gulf of Mexico Near You: A ‘Dead Zone’ The Size Of Massachusetts: An oxygen-sapping, fish-killing swath of algae is headed to the Gulf of Mexico this summer.Click here to read the full Houston Public Media article.
Hemp Production is Now Legal in Texas but it Needs Guidelines Before it Can Grow: Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law legislation legalizing hemp production and hemp-derived CBD products. But it could be awhile before there are fields of hemp across the Texas landscape. Click here to listen and read more from Texas Public Radio.
Trade, Tariffs, and Turmoil in Texas: Local Officials ‘Concerned’: When it comes to trade with Mexico, no state has more to gain, or lose, than Texas. With San Antonio on the literal crossroads of that trade, recent federal proposals to curb immigration by imposing tariffs would have been catastrophic for a city that eagerly awaits passage of a new long-term trade agreement. Click here to read the full Rivard Report.
Cheap Construction, Government Targets, Lots of Wind Spur Wind-Development:Lots of wind, cheap construction costs and government targets to boost the percentage of power generated from renewable sources gave several states, including Texas, an incentive to invest in wind generated power. Subscribers can click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
Analyst: Future of Permian Production is in Global Markets:“We’re going to have to export significant amounts of incremental production, not just from Texas, but from elsewhere in the U.S.,” Greg Haas, director, integrated oil and gas at Stratas Advisors, told his audience at the Hart Energy Midstream Texas conference, last week at the Horseshoe. Click here to read the full Midland Reporter Telegram article.
Report: Texas Ranks Last In U.S. In Health Care Access And Affordability: The 2019 edition of a report on health care by The Commonwealth Fund ranks Texas last in access and affordability. Click here to read or listen to the full Houston Public Media report.
Apparent Tanker Attacks Jolt Oil Market: Oil prices climbed Thursday after 2 tankers were reportedly attacked in the Gulf of Oman, a major oil shipping region. Click here to read the full Axios article.National News:
National News:
How Mexico Talked Trump Out of Tariff Threat with Immigration Crackdown Pact:Mexican negotiators persuaded President Trump to back down from his tariff threat by agreeing to an unprecedented crackdown on Central American migrants and accepting more-expansive measures in Mexico if the initial efforts don’t deliver quick results, according to officials from both governments. Click here to read the full Washington Post article.
Former EPA Administrators, Republican and Democrat, Urge Action on Climate Change: Former EPA administrators, Republican and Democratic alike, urged Congress Tuesday to take swift action to fight climate change, in a clear rebuke to President Donald Trump’s questioning of the severity of the crisis. Click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
Oil Rises as Forecast Drop in U.S. Stockpiles Beats Demand Woes: Oil rose amid estimates that U.S. crude inventories fell, tempering concerns that a drawn-out trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies is putting pressure on demand. Subscribers can click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
Sen. Rick Scott: China’s Growing Influence in Latin America is a Threat to Our Way of Life: China is taking every opportunity it can to gain influence and exert control. Latin America is the new battleground in the greatest geopolitical conflict of our time. Click here to read the full CNBC article by Senator Scott.
Sarah Sanders Leaving White House Job; Governor Run Ahead?: White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, whose tenure was marked by a breakdown in regular press briefings and questions about the administration’s credibility, as well as her own, will leave her post at the end of the month, President Donald Trump announced Thursday. Click here to read the full AP article.Dates to Note:
Dates to Note
LAST DAY for Governor to Act on Bills
June 16, 2019
Fundraising Reception: Representative Ben Leman
June 18, 2019
11 AM - 919 Congress Ave: Lobby Conference Room
Fundraising Reception: Representative Ray Lopez
June 18, 2019
11 AM - The Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception: Representative Giovanni Capriglione
June 18, 2019
1 PM - 919 Congress Ave: Lobby Conference Room
Fundraising Reception: Representative Sheryl Cole
June 18, 2019
4 PM - The Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception: Representative Nicole Collier
June 18, 2019
4 PM - 919 Congress Ave
Fundraising Reception: Representative Tom Oliverson
June 18, 2019
4 PM - The Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative James Talarico
June 18, 2019
8 AM - The Austin Club - Stacy Room
Fundraising Reception for Representative Shawn Thierry
June 18, 2019
4 PM - 919 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Jon Rosenthal
June 19, 2019
12 PM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative John Cyrier
June 19, 2019
4 PM - 919 Congress Ave: Lobby Conference Room
Fundraising Reception for Representative Dan Flynn
June 19, 2019
4 PM - 919 Congress Ave: 1st Floor Conference Room Lounge
Fundraising Reception for Representative Leo Pacheco
June 19, 2019
4 PM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Phil Stephenson
June 19, 2019
4 PM - 919 Congress Ave: 1st Floor Lobby
Fundraising Reception for Representative Terry Canales
June 20, 2019
11:30 AM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Lynn Stucky and Keith Bell
June 20, 2019
11:30 AM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representatives Burrows, Goldman and Springer
June 20, 2019
4 PM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Ana Hernandez
June 20, 2019
4 PM - 919 Congress Ave: Conference Room
Fundraising Reception for Representative Jarvis Johnson
June 20, 2019
4 PM - 919 Congress Ave: 1st Floor Lobby
Fundraising Reception for Senator Beverly Powell
June 21, 2019
10:30 AM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Roland Gutierrez
June 24, 2019
11 AM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Armando Walle
June 24, 2019
11:30 AM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Senator Jose Rodriguez
June 24, 2019
4 PM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Hubert Vo
June 24, 2019
4 PM - The Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Calanni
June 25, 2019
8 AM - Austin Club, Third Floor, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Senator Lois Kolkhorst
June 25, 2019
11:30 AM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Chris Paddie
June 25, 2019
11:30 AM - Lily and Company, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Senator Kelly Hancock
June 25, 2019
3:30 PM - Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Governor Gregg Abbott
June 26, 2019
6 PM - Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Michelle Beckley
June 26, 2019
8 AM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Senator Dawn Buckingham
June 26, 2019
4:30 PM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Phil King
June 26, 2019
11 AM - 919 Congress Ave: Lobby Conference Room
Fundraising Reception for Representative Andy Murr
June 26, 2019
2:30 PM - 919 Congress Ave: Lobby Conference Room
Fundraising Reception for Senator Judith Zaffirini
June 27, 2019
4:30 PM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Comptroller Glenn Hegar
June 27, 2019
11:30 AM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Trent Ashby
June 27, 2019
1 PM - InterContinental Stephen F. Austin, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Jarred Patterson
June 27, 2019
3:30 PM - The Austin Club, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Richard Raymond
June 27, 2019
4:30 PM - Westgate Building, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Mary Ann Perez
July 11, 2019
4:30 PM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
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
Click here for House of Representatives Capitol Events Calendar.
Click here for Texas Senate Capitol Events Calendar.
