NEWS IN STATE GOVERNMENT
Governor:
Governor Abbott Reappoints Bickerstaff to Board for Lease of Texas Parks and Wildlife Lands: Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed Clifton “Cliff” Bickerstaff to the Board for Lease of Texas Parks and Wildlife Lands for a term set to expire on September 1, 2021. Click here to read more.
Governor Abbott Appoints Mundy to Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission: Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Jeff Mundy to the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission for a term set to expire on September 1, 2025. Click here to read more.
Governor Abbott Announces Senior Staff Retirement: Tommy Williams retires as Senior Advisor. Click here to read more.
General Land Office:
GLO Homeowner Reimbursement Program Getting Recovery Funds in the Hands of Survivors; Program Success Means Application Soon to Close: the Texas General Land Office (GLO) is announcing time and funding is running out for the Homeowner Reimbursement Program (HRP). This landmark program marks the first time federal recovery assistance has been available to reimburse Texas homeowners for up to $50,000 for out-of-pocket expenses for eligible repairs. Click here to read more.
Agriculture:
Getting Rid of Pesticides the TDA Way: The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service joined forces Wednesday, November 6 to host a Pesticide Waste Collection and Pesticide Container Recycling event in Weslaco, Texas. This free, public event allowed agriculture producers to safely dispose of unwanted pesticides and pesticide containers. Click here to read more.
Railroad Commission:
Texas Drilling Permits and Completions Statistics for October 2019: The Railroad Commission of Texas (Commission) issued a total of 971 original drilling permits in October 2019 compared 1,149 in October 2018. Click here to read more.
Health and Human Services:
Texas Breaks Ground on Construction at Rusk State Hospital: Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Dr. Courtney N. Phillips, along with state and local officials, broke ground on a $200 million construction project at Rusk State Hospital. Click here to read more.
Health and Human Services Commission Executive Council Meeting: The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Executive Council held a meeting on Thursday, November 14, to discuss the current vaping issues in Texas and the proposed definition for a condition recently added to the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP), incurable neurodegenerative diseases. Informed Texas’ Executive Director Jax Finkel attended the meeting and these are his notes.
Water Development:
TWDB Executive Meeting: The meeting held on Thursday, November 14 lasted only a few minutes, but within that time Director Jackson moved to authorize the publication of a proposal to repeal existing Title 31 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 363, Subchapter D and a proposal of new Title 31 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 363, Subchapter D Code relating to the funding of flood mitigation projects, as recommended by the Executive Administrator. The timeline for public comment on proposed rules is January 13, 2020. Click here to see the video of the meeting. And click here to read the meeting minutes.
OTHER NEWS
State Headlines:
Watch: Conversations on the Future of Urban Texas: Ensuring Urban Health and the Future of Urban Texas. Click here to view the livestream, two-day event in Houston.
Texas Will Have Ample Power Supplies for Winter, Spring: The state grid manager predicts Texas will have enough power to meet peak demand during winter and spring. Click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
Tarrant County Approves Game Room Regulations, Requiring Permits, Fees and More: Tarrant County commissioners approved a long list of requirements for game room owners Tuesday in an effort to regulate the businesses that many residents believe attract crime. Click here to read the full Forth Worth Star-Telegram article.
Analysis: For Texas Candidates, 2020 Officially Started Last Weekend: The starting gun wasn’t loud, but the 2020 elections in Texas began — officially — last Saturday, when candidates could start filing for office. That’s the start of a sprint from now to the March primaries. Click here to read the full article from the Texas Tribune.
Brewers battle for Shiner Bock’s niche corner of craft beer: A Houston beer brand. The world’s largest brewer. Texas’ best-known craft brewer. Add some fighting words and you have a marketing clash that is taking on overtones of the Texas Revolution. Click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
Data breach Costs Texas Health Agency $1.6 Million: The federal government announced Thursday that it has slapped the Texas Health and Human Services Commission with a $1.6 million fine for a data breach that made the personal health information of 6,617 people available online. Click here to read the full Austin Statesmen article.
Deal with Dollar General Revives Concerns Texas Lottery is Targeting Low-Income Players: State lotteries have long been dogged by accusations their games prey on the poor, who studies show tend to play more often and spend more money than high-income players. Click here to read the full San Antonio Express News article.
National Headlines:
Gas Storage Sees ‘Near Record’ Increase: With natural gas production continuing to rise, U.S. gas storage facilities saw “near-record” increases this year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Monday. Click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
Frackers Prepare to Pull Back, Exacerbating a Slowdown in U.S. Oil Growth: After pushing U.S. oil and natural-gas production to record levels, some shale companies plan to pump less. Click here to read the full Wall Street Journal article.
Two of U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s Political Supporters Won “Potentially Lucrative” Ukraine Energy Deal, Report Says: The Associated Press reports that the oil and gas exploration contract was awarded after Perry recommended one of his backers as an energy adviser to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. Click here to read the full Texas Tribune article.
