The bill would require the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to focus enforcement and increase penalties on repeat violators and increase public outreach. Still, environmental advocates say the effort was too “modest” in its reach.
Rafael Anchia
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
Immigrant rights advocates waited over 9 hours to testify against a proposed Border Protection Unit to “deter and repel” migrants
House Bill 20 introduced by Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, would create a unit whose officers can “arrest, apprehend, or detain persons crossing the Texas-Mexico border unlawfully,” and deter those attempting to cross the border.
Posted in
Broken Border
“The federal government has really dropped the ball”: Texas lawmakers express concern about conditions for migrants in U.S. custody
Two Texas House committees met for hours to discuss the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. And some Democratic lawmakers said the state has a responsibility to provide humanitarian assistance. But what options they have remained unclear.
Posted inState Government
Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a proposed Texas law banning guns in secure airport areas. Supporters say it’s still needed.
Federal law already makes it illegal for most people to possess a weapon on secure parts of an airport tarmac. The bill was aimed at also allowing local law enforcement, especially at smaller airports, to take action in the face of an emergency.
Posted in
Politics
Clock ticking toward 2018 as court to mull redistricting questions
A three-judge panel will start mulling big redistricting questions in San Antonio on Thursday, including how rulings finding discrimination in Texas’ political maps might affect the 2018 election cycle.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
To fight anti-“sanctuary” bill, Democrats may highlight “sanctuary industries”
Outnumbered and with time running out, Texas Democrats hoping to kill anti-“sanctuary” legislation are open to shining a spotlight on so-called “sanctuary industries” that often turn a blind eye toward hiring unauthorized labor.
Posted in
Politics
Anchia and Huffines on how legislative issues impact Dallas (video)
Full video of Evan Smith’s 2/24 conversation with state Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, and state Sen. Don Huffines, R-Dallas.
Posted in
Energy
Texas Facing Major Climate Change Impacts, According to New Study
A sharp increase in heat-related deaths and storm-related losses. A decrease in worker productivity and crop yields. A new climate change study paints a bleak picture for Texas over the coming decades — if nothing is done to address the much-debated warming trend.
Posted in
Health care
With Marriage Decided, Adoption Rights Next
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has legalized same-sex marriage, family law attorneys in Texas are gearing up to make sure same-sex couples who adopt children get full parental rights.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: May 5, 2015
Early voting in the San Antonio mayoral election wraps up today ahead of Election Day on Saturday. And the gloves have come off in the increasingly rough-and-tumble election.
