With the damage from Hurricane Harvey in mind, lawmakers approved two bills aimed at better preparing the state for natural disasters.
Charles Perry
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Texas Legislature 2019
In wake of Houston-area chemical fires, Texas Senate panel weighs input on stronger storage tank regulations
The Senate Committee on Water and Rural Affairs took public testimony on a bill that would strengthen state oversight of above-ground tanks that hold hazardous hydrocarbons.
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Politics
After helping defeat the “bathroom bill” in 2017, business groups are back to oppose “discriminatory and divisive measures”
The groups are targeting two priority bills in the Texas Senate.
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Texas Legislature 2019
After Hurricane Harvey, Texas senator eyes using state’s savings for flood control
State Sen. Charles Perry, chairman of the Senate Committee on Water and Rural Affairs, has a package of bills that could create Texas’ first statewide flood plan. He says coastal Texans aren’t the only ones at risk of property loss.
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Blocked Out
Section 8 vouchers are supposed to help the poor reach better neighborhoods. Texas law gets in the way.
Under Texas law, landlords cannot be punished for discriminating against families with federal housing vouchers. The impact is clear in Houston, where one in four families who receive housing assistance never gets to use it.
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Health care
Senate gives early OK to bill regulating do-not-resuscitate orders
The Senate gave early approval to a measure Tuesday night that would require physicians to take certain steps before issuing do-not-resuscitate orders to patients.
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Demographics
El Paso County files lawsuit seeking to halt Texas “sanctuary” law
A lawsuit in federal court charges that Senate Bill 4, if enacted, would violate several provisions of the U.S. Constitution.
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Energy
West Texas churches pray to Legislature for electricity rate relief
Facing sky-high electricity rates, several West Texas churches hope lawmakers will answer their calls for relief in the final days of the Legislative session, but the odds look slim.
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Energy
In private meeting, Sid Miller says hog poison safeguard not “doable”
In a March 3 meeting with a constituent, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller suggested that his agency could change the label on a hog poison to eliminate important warnings and a requirement to bury the carcasses of poisoned animals, which he said simply wasn’t “doable.”
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Criminal Justice
“Sanctuary cities” bill clears latest hurdle, heads to Abbott for signature
The Texas Senate on Wednesday voted to send to Gov. Greg Abbott a bill that would ban “sanctuary” jurisdictions in Texas and allow police to inquire about the immigration status of people they lawfully detain.