NEWS IN STATE GOVERNMENT
Governor:
Governor Greg Abbott Extended The State Disaster Declaration In September 2019 For Texas Counties Affected By Hurricane Harvey: Governor Abbott, issued a disaster proclamation on August 23, 2017, certifying that Hurricane Harvey posed a threat of imminent disaster to counties listed in the proclamation. Click here to read more.
Governor Abbott Appoints Six to Texas Medical Board: Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Arun Agarwal, Devinder S. Bhatia, M.D., Vanessa Hicks-Callaway, Satish Nayak, M.D., and Jason Tibbels, M.D. and reappointed Robert David Martinez, M.D. to the Texas Medical Board for terms set to expire on April 13, 2025. Click here to read more.
Environmental Quality:
TCEQ approves fines totaling $309,286: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality today approved penalties totaling $257,991 against 20 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Click here to read more.
Health and Human Services:
HHSC Announces Health Care Funding to Help Texans: The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has been notified by the federal government that up to $3.87 billion in funds will be available for Texas each year for the next three years to help reimburse health care providers for charity care they deliver to patients. Click here to read more.
Texas Kicks Off Construction of New Austin State Hospital: Texas Health and Human Services and Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin broke ground today on the construction of a new hospital to replace Austin State Hospital, the oldest psychiatric hospital in Texas. Click here to read more.
Railroad Commission:
Railroad Commission Launches New Interactive Statewide Maps - Provides Oil & Gas Production Data & Plugged Abandoned Well Locations: The Railroad Commission of Texas this week launches its first-ever interactive data maps providing oil and gas production and the locations of abandoned wells plugged by the Commission statewide and by individual counties. Click here to read more.
Railroad Commission Exceeds Goal for Cleanup of Abandoned Oilfield Sites - More than 400 Sites Assessed & Cleaned Up in FY 2019: The Railroad Commission in Fiscal Year 2019 (Sept. 1, 2018 – Aug. 31, 2019) assessed and cleaned up more than 400 abandoned oil field sites. Click here to read more.
Public Utility Commission:
PUC Imposes More Than $110,000 in Penalties; Revokes Two Certificates: The Public Utility Commission of Texas approved a settlement agreement, ordering the payment of $110,600 in administrative penalties. The Commission also revoked a service provider certificate of operating authority (SPCOA) for a telecommunications utility and a certificate of convenience and necessity (CCN) for a sewer utility. Click here to read more.
OTHER NEWS
State Headlines:
Vote in November to Fund Our State Parks for Future Generations of Texans:Proposition 5 is a constitutional dedication of revenue from the existing sales tax so that those dollars can be used only by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission to maintain public parks and historic sites, and not for any other purposes. Click here to read the full Dallas Morning News article.
Texas Economic Sectors Still Growing, but More Slowly, Dallas Fed Says: Growth has slipped in some major sectors of the Texas economy from a year ago but remains positive, according to the latest measures of business activity in the state, bucking recent signs of a bigger slowdown nationally as the ongoing U.S.-China trade war saps exports.Click here read the full Statesmen article
Gov. Abbott asks President Trump for Disaster Declaration for Imelda: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has requested a presidential disaster declaration for six counties — including Harris County — slammed by Tropical Storm Imelda last month. Subscribers can click here to read the full San Antonio Express News article.
Texas A&M Bans Vaping and E-Cigarettes Amid Growing Health Concerns: A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp banned all vaping and use of e-cigarettes on Tuesday. Click here to read the full Statesman article.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Threatens to Intervene in Austin’s “Homelessness Crisis”:Abbott’s office lamented reports of “violence, used needles, and feces littering the streets of Austin and endangering Texas residents.” Click here to read the full Texas Tribune article.
National Headlines:
Shale Boom is Slowing Just When the World Needs Oil Most: The American shale boom is slowing as innovation plateaus—and just when shale’s importance in global markets has reached new highs following an attack on the heart of Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure. Click here to read the full Wall Street Journal article.
