NEWS IN STATE GOVERNMENT
Governor:
Governor Abbott Delivers Remarks at Texas Oil & Gas Association Lone Star Energy Forum In Austin: Governor Greg Abbott delivered remarks at the Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA) Lone Star Energy Forum in Austin. The Governor thanked oil and gas industry leaders for their contributions to Texas’ economic success and congratulated TXOGA on its 100th anniversary. Click here to read more.
Governor Abbott Announces Senior Staff Departure: Governor Greg Abbott announced the departure of his Special Advisor, David Whitley, from the Office of the Governor after nearly 15 years of state service. Click here to read more.
Governor Abbott Ceremonially Signs Workforce Development Legislation: Governor Greg Abbott today delivered remarks and ceremonially signed into law House Bill 2784 (Phelan/Romero) at S & B Engineers and Constructors’ Craft Education and Skills Enhancement Center in Baytown. Click here to read more.
Attorney General:
Attorney General Paxton Joins Bi-Partisan Coalition of Attorneys General Raising Concerns About Illegal Online Alcohol Sales: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joined a bipartisan coalition of 47 state and territory Attorneys General, led by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and Maine Attorney General Aaron M. Frey, in calling on Facebook, Craigslist, and eBay to take proactive measures against alcohol sales on their platforms, which frequently violate state laws. Click here to read more.
AG Paxton: Four Lead State Attorneys General Release Statement on Opioid Settlement News: Attorneys General Ken Paxton (TX), Josh Stein (NC), Herbert Slatery (TN), and Josh Shapiro (PA) released the following statement in response to news of an opioid settlement with two Ohio counties and McKesson, Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen, and Teva. Click here to read the statement.
Comptroller:
Texas Comptroller Visits University of Houston and Texas A & M for Good for Texas Tour: Cybersecurity Edition: In the southeast Texas stop of his Good for Texas Tour: Cybersecurity Edition, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar visited the University of Houston (UH), an emerging leader in cybersecurity education and research. He has also visited Texas A & M as part of this series. Click here to read more.
General Land Office:
Abilene Veteran Cemetery to Receive Grant for Additional Expansion: Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairman George P. Bush released the following statement celebrating the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) plans to award $1.5 million in additional grant funding for expansion improvements to the Rio Grande Valley Texas State Veterans Cemetery. Click here to read more.
Media Advisory: Cmr. Bush to Recognize Veterans at Temple Chamber of Commerce Military Appreciation Banquet: On Tuesday, October 29, Texas Veterans Land Board Chairman, George P. Bush will recognize Veterans including Veterans from William R. Courtney Texas State Veterans Home at the Temple Chamber of Commerce Military Appreciation Banquet. The banquet will be held at the Frank W. Mayborn Convention Center. Click here to read more.
Oil and Gas Revenues Generate Record Shattering $1B for Permanent School Fund: Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush released a statement announcing a historic $1 billion in revenue generated by oil and gas leases on Permanent School Fund (PSF) land. Click here to read that statement.
Health and Human Services:
HHS Announces New Financial Services Chief: Elizabeth Prado has been named to lead the Texas Health and Human Services Financial Services Division, effective Nov 6. Click here to read more.
OTHER NEWS
State Headlines:
Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen Won’t Seek Reelection After Recording Scandal: By Tuesday morning, more than 30 House Republicans had either called for the speaker’s resignation or had stated they no longer supported him. Click here to read the full Texas Tribune article.
Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen won’t face criminal prosecution, Brazoria County DA says: District Attorney Jeri Yenne called Bonnen’s behavior “offensive, lacking in integrity” and “demeaning to other human beings.” Click here to read the full TX Tribune article.
Texas Supreme Court to Decide Epic Legal Battle Between Enterprise, Energy Transfer: For one side it was a partnership; for the other, it was simply “a feasibility study.” Now, two of the state’s biggest pipeline companies are near the culmination of an eight-year court battle that legal experts say is one of the most important business disputes to be decided by the Texas Supreme Court since the epic fight between Pennzoil and Texaco in the 1980s. Click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
Landowners Got One Hill Country Oil Pipeline Moved. But Can They Do It Again?: A month after news surfaced that a pipeline proposed by a Texas-based petroleum juggernaut would run across the Edwards Aquifer, the primary source of water for San Antonio and other cities, the company said it would shift the pipeline’s path. Click here to read the full Observer article.
Texas Voters Could Give Cancer Research Organization $3 Billion in November: If passed, Proposition 6 on the Nov. 5 ballot would allow the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to take out an additional $3 billion in debt, doubling its initial bonding authority since its creation in 2007. Click here to read the full TX Tribune article.
Shale Slump: Oil Field Service Sector Braces for More Pain: The Houston oil field services company Halliburton is bracing for a prolonged slump in demand for hydraulic fracturing services in the United States and Canada as the latest version of the shale boom loses momentum and the oil and gas industry again faces the prospects of another downturn. Subscribers can click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
With Proposition 8, Texas Would Set Money Aside for Future Flooding: If approved by voters next month, the constitutional amendment would set aside $800 million from the state’s rainy day fund for flood mitigation efforts. Click here to read the full Texas Tribune article.
Ready to Hunt?: If you’re looking for a primo place to hunt, check out the over 1 million acres of Public Hunting Areas available with a $48 Annual Public Hunting (APH) Permit. Use the interactive legal game finder to find an area to hunt, a specific animal, like quail or deer, or search for public and leased hunting lands in a certain county or region. Click here to read more.
National Headlines:
Industry to USDA: Where are the Federal Hemp Regulations?: The hemp industry continues to look for federal guidance on production for 2020. Click here to read the full H.I. Daily article.
Dean Stansel: Mexico’s tax crackdown could harm Texans: The Texas and Mexico economies are inextricably linked. As my colleagues Michael Cox and Rick Alm found, Texas and Mexico trade more with each other than with any other country or state. So, when Mexico implements anti-growth policies, Texans should be concerned. Click here to read the full Dallas Morning News article.
Last-Minute Opioid Deal Could Open Door to Bigger Settlement: A $260 million late-night settlement between four drug companies and two Ohio counties averted a trial here over who is to blame for the opioid crisis, clearing the way for broader talks aimed at resolving thousands of opioid-addiction cases nationwide. … Texas plaintiffs lawyer Mark Lanier expressed disappointment outside of court Monday that a jury wouldn’t hear the narrative he had crafted for the counties’ opening statements. Click here to read the full Wall Street Journal article.
Julián Castro to End Presidential Campaign if He Can’t Raise $800K Quickly: Julián Castro said Monday morning that he needs an immediate influx of cash or he’ll end his quest for the Democrats’ 2020 presidential nomination. Click here to read the full National Review article.
TCEQ Invests More than $1.5 Million to Improve Air-Pollution monitoring: The state’s environmental agency is investing more than $1.5 million to improve real-time air monitoring following Hurricane Harvey and several chemical fires in the Houston area. Subscribers can click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
Global Automatic Number Plate Recognition System Market 2019 Trending Players – ARH, Bosch Security Systems, Digital Recognition Systems: The comprehensive market study on Global Automatic Number Plate Recognition System Market Growth 2019-2024 by Fior Markets sheds light on the need for the up-to-date market data for the business management, offering progress and profitability of the global market. Click here to read the full New Coed article.
Tobacco Products Market Report (2019-2026) Focuses on Top Companies Research Methodology, Consumption and Opportunities: The latest market evaluation report on Tobacco Products market explores how the Tobacco Products market will continue to expand for the forecast period 2019 – 2026 . Click here to read the full Chronicle Voice article.
