NEWS IN STATE GOVERNMENT
Governor:
Texas Named as Business Facilities Magazine 2019 State of the Year: For the fourth time, Texas has been named Businesses Facilities Magazine “State of the Year,” which is bestowed upon the best state for capital investment and job creation. Click here to read more.
Comptroller:
State Sales Tax Revenue Totaled $3 Billion in December: Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar today said state sales tax revenue totaled $3.01 billion in December, 4.8 percent more than in December 2018. Click here to read more.
Comptroller Glenn Hegar Distributes $764 Million in Monthly Sales Tax Revenue to Local Governments: Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced today he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts $763.8 million in local sales tax allocations for January, 4 percent more than in January 2019. Click here to read more.
General Land Office:
Commissioner Bush Announces More Than $5 Million Combined for Infrastructure Projects in Harvey Affected Areas: Newly approved funds going to Cities of China, Edna, Groves, Smiley, and Sabine County. Click here to read more.
Railroad Commission:
Texas Oil and Gas Production Statistics for October 2019: Crude oil and natural gas production as reported to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) for October 2019 came from 173,371 oil wells and 86,879 gas wells. Click here to read more.
Environmental Quality:
TCEQ Announces New Round of grants under the Texas Clean School Bus Program: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is currently accepting applications for the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan, Texas Clean School Bus program. Click here to read more.
Public Utility Commission:
Public Utility Commission Invites Water Utilities to Regulatory Workshops: The Public Utility Commission of Texas announced plans for a quarterly workshop series intended to provide vital water and wastewater compliance guidance for mid-sized and smaller retail public utilities. Click here to read more.
OTHER NEWS
State Headlines:
Health and Human Services:
Tenth Talks: Watch Five experts predict the future of health care in Texas: This edition of Tenth Talks, a Texas Tribune video series on the next 10 years of Texas, five of the state’s top health industry innovators predict what’s in store for their field. Click here!
Oil and Gas:
Houston Company Seeks to Develop First 5G-Enabled Oil Drilling Site in Permian Basin: Telecommunication companies will spend the next 12 months rolling out 5G service for cell phone users across the United States while a Houston company seeks to become the first to provide the ultra high-speed technology to oil and gas industry customers in the Permian Basin, the nation’s largest and busiest oil field. Click here to read the Houston Chronicle article.
Rig Count Declines Continue: The decline in the U.S., Texas and Permian rig counts continued this week, according to oil field services company Baker Hughes. Click here to read the Midland-Reporter Telegraph article.
Editorial: What’s the Real Reason Texas AG is Suing Polluters?: A day after a July 31 explosion and fire at an ExxonMobil plant in Baytown injured 37 people — the fourth such incident at a Houston-area chemical facility in as many months — Harris County sued the company for violating the Texas Clean Air Act. On Aug. 5, the state of Texas also filed suit. Click here to read the full editorial article by the Houston Chronicle.
Communication and Technology:
Federal Lawsuit Over 5G ‘Land Grab’ has Texas Roots: Simultaneously, cities across Texas and the country are battling state and federal governments over what they call a corporate giveaway. Click here to read the full Texas Public Radio article.
Alcohol and Tobacco:
Premium Cigar Makers Could Catch a Break from the FDA as White House Applies Pressure: Under pressure from the White House, the Food and Drug Administration gave premium cigar-makers and importers a win last week, indicating it may spare the industry from costly regulation set to go into effect this spring. Click here to read the full CNBC article.
Hemp:
A Man Transporting Legal Hemp Was Jailed for Nearly a Month: A 39-year-old contract driver was transporting a U-Haul rental truck full of hemp across the country — cargo that had gotten him a night’s stay in an Arizona jail before officials determined it was legal. Click here to listen to The Brief podcast or click here to read the article.
Farmers Across RGV Eye Hemp Production: Farmers in boots and cowboy hats rubbed shoulders with CBD enthusiasts clad in shirts emblazoned with marijuana-like leaves at Rio Farms in Monte Alto Saturday afternoon to discuss hemp, a crop that will likely be seen swaying in fields across Texas and the Rio Grande Valley in the very near future. Click here to read The Monitor article.
Politics:
Here are the Seats In-Play in 2020: Republicans and Democrats are ready for the 2020 battle over the Texas House, with roughly 30 of the 150 seats seen as competitive for both parties. Click here to read the full Texas Tribune analysis and map.
Add Texas 2020 Election Dates to Your Calendar: It’s hard to keep up with the day-to-day of this year’s elections, but here are the critical deadlines that every Texan needs to write down on their calendar. Click here!
National Headlines:
Rick Perry Rejoins Energy Transfer Board of Directors: Weeks after resigning as Secretary of Energy, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry has rejoined the board of directors overseeing the Dallas pipeline company Energy Transfer. Click here to read the Houston Chronicle article.
Analyst: Geopolitical Risks, Higher Demand Will Boost Crude: As 2020 gets underway, at least one analyst is forecasting a bearish outlook for energy. But that outlook includes crude oil as a bright spot in energy. Click here to read the Midland-Reporter Telegraph article.
