So-called environmental, social and governance policies are often adopted by companies to reduce their carbon footprints. The new Texas bill aims to stop insurers doing business in Texas from using ESG criteria, but it doesn’t include penalties for violations.
Minjae Park
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
Texas has gone big with renewable energy. Why can’t it go all the way?
The biggest barriers to making Texas’ power grid 100% renewable have little to do with politics.
Posted in
Energy
Thousands of pounds of “forever chemicals” have been injected into Texas oil and gas wells, study finds
A new report from a public health watchdog found that more than 40,000 pounds of PFAS has been injected into more than 1,000 wells across Texas — and warned that the chemicals could pose a risk to public health
Posted in
Energy
Port Arthur pollution fight shows how Texas blocks citizen protests
A local activist went before a judge, arguing for lower pollution limits on two new liquified natural gas facilities. The judge sided with him, but the state environmental agency sided with the companies.
Posted in
Energy
Abandoned “dry hole” oil wells are polluting Texas farms, ranches and groundwater. The state won’t fix them.
Wildcatters drilled thousands of wells looking for oil and abandoned the dry holes. Some are spewing contaminated water.
Posted in
Environment
In Texas, thousands in fines paid by oil and gas polluters benefit the fossil fuel industry
The state allows a portion of fines to be directed to projects that remediate environmental harm. Some of those projects benefit the companies that are being penalized.
Posted in
Public Education
Early STAAR Results Are as Expected, TEA Says
In initial results from the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, just more than half of students working on a ninth-grade level met the passing standards for writing, while 87 percent passed biology.
Posted inState Government
For Libertarians, Greens, Convention is Primary
Like the two major parties, the Libertarians and the Greens will also hold conventions this weekend. Neither party has primaries, so the conventions will decide which candidates will be their nominees for state and federal offices.
Posted in
State Government
After Juneteenth Project Stalls, a Replacement Emerges for State Capitol
A Juneteenth monument was built for the Capitol, but it won’t be installed after all. Concerns were raised about the design of one of the statues as well as historical inaccuracies. A new monument is coming to the Capitol instead.
Posted in
Health care
Hunger Study: One in Four Texas Children at Risk
A new study by Feeding America, a hunger-relief charity, says that in 2010, 27.1 percent of Texas children faced food insecurity, defined by the USDA as lacking consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.
