NEWS IN STATE GOVERNMENT
Governor:
Governor Abbott To Deploy More Texas National Guard To Address Crisis At Southern Border: Governor Greg Abbott announced the deployment of 1,000 Texas National Guard troops to assist the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) with the escalating humanitarian crisis at the southern border. Click here to read the full news release.
Governor Abbott Appointments: This week Governor Greg Abbott announced the appointments of Morris to the Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority Board, Kraft and Hayter to the Sulphur River Basin Board, to name a few. Click here to read more about all the gubernatorial-appointments announced this week.
Attorney General:
AG Paxton Co-Leads Twenty Seven (27) Attorneys General Effort to Protect Against Potential Class-Action Abuse in Opioid Multidistrict Litigation: In a letter he co-authored with California from a bipartisan group of 27 states and territories, Attorney General Ken Paxton asked a U.S. District Court judge presiding over all the federal cases involving opioid lawsuits to delay a ruling that could potentially result in class-action abuse and confusion regarding a proposed novel settlement structure. Click here to read the full news release.
AG Paxton’s Office Honored with National Award for Best Website: The Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG) awarded the Texas Office of Attorney General its 2019 WAGGY for the Best Overall Website during its annual meeting this week in Santa Barbara, California. Click here to read the full news release.
Railroad Commission:
RRC Commissioners Assess Nearly $1 Million in Penalties: The Railroad Commission of Texas assessed $939,780 in fines involving 288 enforcement dockets against operators and businesses at the Commissioners’ conference this week. Click here to read the full news release.
Environmental Quality:
TCEQ Approves Fines Totaling $373,086: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality today approved penalties totaling $321,125 against 21 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Click here to read the full news release.
Health and Human Services:
Texas Health Officials Hold Groundbreaking Ceremony for New State Psychiatric Hospital in Houston: The Texas Health and Human Services Commission along with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) held a groundbreaking ceremony June 26 for a new state psychiatric hospital, the UTHealth Continuum of Care Campus. Click here to read more.
Public Utility Commission:
Chairman Walker Thanks Legislature for Strengthening Protections for Texas Utility Customers: With the governor’s constitutionally mandated 20-day signing period concluded, Public Utility Commission Chairman DeAnn Walker today thanked the 86th Texas Legislature for further equipping the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) to serve Texans and oversee the utilities that provide their electricity, water and telecommunications. Click here to read the full news release.
OTHER NEWS
State Headlines:
Texas Rep. Jonathan Stickland Won’t Seek Re-Election: State Rep. Jonathan Stickland — long known as a firebrand and political bomb-thrower — will not seek another term in office. Click here to read the full Fort Worth Star Telegram article.
Using $2.5 Million in Old Campaign Funds, Former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus Launches a PAC: A statement from the political action committee, called Texas Forever Forward, said, “Texas should embrace diversity and promote inclusive, non-discriminatory policies and laws.” Click here to read the full Texas Tribune article.
The Port of Corpus Christi Seems Fickle About Offshore Floating Oil Terminals: The Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development CEO described the Trafigura plan as a “floating ring” that raises concerns “not just with marine life, but also air quality, which could affect the city’s attainment of federal air standards.” Click here to read the full Caller Times article.
Oil Posts Best Week Since 2016 as Trump Calls Off Iran Raids: Oil rocketed to its biggest weekly gain in more than two years as U.S. President Donald Trump’s aborted air strikes against Iran left Middle East tensions simmering with the endgame uncertain. Click here to read the full Bloomberg article.
Texas, U.S. Construction is Headed for a Slowdown: Construction activity in Texas and the U.S. is headed into a decline. But don’t look for the kind of huge retreat we’ve seen at the end of previous cycles. Click here to read the full Dallas Morning News article.
As World Worries, Energy Companies See Upside to Climate Change: From rising sea levels driving up insurance claims to droughts damaging crop yields, climate change poses an existential threat to virtually every industry on the planet. Click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
National Headlines:
Four Takeaways From the First Democratic Presidential Debate: Amid discussions of immigration, health care, climate change and other issues, no one had what was clearly a breakout moment either. Click here to read the full analysis from the Wall Street Journal. Texas candidates O’Rourke and Castro sparred over the hot-button issue of immigration. Click here to read the full Texas Tribune article on that moment.
A Leader of America’s Fracking Boom Has Second Thoughts: Shale drillers transformed the U.S. into the world’s largest oil producer, churning out roughly 12 million barrels a day, according to the Energy Information Administration. But after years of losing money, they are coming under intense pressure from investors and Wall Street financiers to boost returns. How they respond will shape America’s heady pursuit of “energy independence” and its burgeoning status as a geopolitical oil player. Click here to read the full Wall Street Journal article.
LNG Limited Updates General Contractor Deal for Magnolia LNG Project: Australian liquified natural gas company LNG Limited has updated costs and a general contractor agreement for its proposed Magnolia LNG export terminal in Lake Charles, Louisiana.Click here to read the full Houston Chronicle article.
Supreme Court Overturns Precedent in Property Rights Case — a Sign of Things to Come?: A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that property owners can go directly to federal court with claims that state and local regulations effectively deprive landowners of the use of their property. Click here to read the full NPR article.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Dates toNote:
Fundraising Reception for Senator Flores
11 AM - June 28, 2019
919 Congress Lobby Conference Room
SXSW PanelPicker Registration Period Opens
July 1 - 19, 2019
SXSW Education Program Meet Up
6 - 8 PM - Monday, July 8
Austin Central Library: 710 West Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX
Fundraising Reception for Representative Mary Ann Perez
July 11, 2019
4:30 PM - Austin Club, Austin, TX
TAB (Texas Association of Business) Post Session Update
July 11, 2019
NCSL (National Conference of State Legislatures) Legislative Summit
August 5 - 8, 2019
TIPRO (Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association) Summer Conference
August 7 - 8, 2019
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
Texas Energy Summit at the Capitol
November 12 - 14, 2019
Click here for House of Representatives Capitol Events Calendar.
Click here for Texas Senate Capitol Events Calendar.
