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.”
state agencies
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Energy
AG Paxton drops Brownsville lawsuit over plastic bag fee
Attorney General Ken Paxton has dropped a lawsuit against the city of Brownsville over a 2010 ordinance that imposed a $1 per-transaction fee on plastic bags offered at grocery stores and other retailers.
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Health care
State fraud investigator forced to resign over ties to Iraqi government lobbying
Stuart Bowen, inspector general for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, resigned amid revelations that he was moonlighting for a private firm that provided services for the government of Iraq.
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Health care
House OKs bill allowing adoption agencies to reject parents on religious grounds
Faith-based adoption agencies in Texas would be able to reject prospective parents on religious grounds under a bill the state House approved Tuesday over objections from Democratic lawmakers.
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Economy
Texas House backs Rainy Day Fund overhaul
The Texas House approved legislation Wednesday that would overhaul the way the state stows away money for tough economic times, advancing a proposal championed by Comptroller Glenn Hegar.
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State Government
TABC commissioner nominee appears before Texas Senate panel
Kevin Lilly is one step closer to becoming a commissioner at the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission — an embattled state agency that’s been in the Legislature’s crosshairs over controversial spending practices in recent months.
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Energy
Feral hog poison in Texas on hold — for now
The company behind the only EPA-approved pesticide for feral hogs has withdrawn its request for registration in Texas. But that doesn’t mean the battle over the warfarin-based poison’s safety is finished.
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State Government
House tentatively backs measure allowing lottery winners to remain anonymous
The lower chamber tentatively approved a measure that would let lottery winners of $1 million or more remain anonymous.
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Health care
For troubled foster kids in Houston, sleeping in offices is “rock bottom”
No child is supposed to sleep or spend more than a few hours at the Harris County Youth Services Center’s Point of Entry in Houston. But Texas’ foster care placement crisis has forced some of the state’s most troubled teens to sleep in a place that isn’t equipped to care for them.
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State Government
House lawmakers approve bill requiring more study for hog poison
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s push to use a warfarin-based poison to kill feral hogs in the state has a long list of opponents that now includes more than two-thirds of the Legislature where Miller once served.
