The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.
Republican House Speaker Joe Straus stopped in El Paso on Monday to continue his statewide push for Prop 6, a ballot initiative that would tap into the state’s savings account to finance a water development bank. Full Story
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M. Smith on wasted private tutoring efforts, Satija on government protection for the lesser prairie chicken, Root finds a new nest of Democratic trial lawyers, Malewitz finds a border skirmish featuring mollusks, Hamilton with the latest on politics at the University of Texas, Batheja on the link between vehicle traffic and bond ratings, Aguilar finds some promise in a juvenile justice program in Eagle Pass and Aaronson covers the court fight over new abortion regulations: The best of our best for the week of Oct. 21-25, 2013. Full Story
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Texas regulators signaled Friday that they would pursue a major overhaul of the wholesale electricity market in hopes of ensuring the long-term reliability of the state’s electric grid. Full Story
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On Oct. 22, I talked about the coming constitutional referendum on funding the state water plan with state Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, and Carlos Rubinstein, chairman of the Texas Water Development Board. Full Story
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Texas is poised to reopen discussions about its border with Oklahoma after an episode involving a mollusk invasion, an idle water supply and a missing 74-year-old map. Full Story
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Gubernatorial candidates Wendy Davis and Greg Abbott are throwing their support behind Proposition 6, the constitutional amendment that will fund projects designed to help the state meet its growing need for water. Full Story
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The federal government has endorsed a plan that Texas and four other states have worked on for years to protect the lesser prairie chicken, a rare bird threatened by oil and gas interests in West Texas and the Panhandle. Full Story
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Despite efforts by the U.S. and Mexico to clean up the Rio Grande, millions of gallons of raw sewage still enter the river each day in Laredo, threatening water supplies for some Texas border towns. Full Story
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Ted Nugent has agreed to be the treasurer and co-chairman of former state Rep. Sid Miller's campaign for agriculture commissioner, the musician said Tuesday night, promising to "raise as much hell" as he can in the campaign. Full Story
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Swift renewal of a generous federal tax incentive for wind energy producers appears unlikely after Congress directed most of its recent attention to finding a way to turn the government back on. But the industry may not fare as bad this year as it has in the past. Full Story
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UPDATED: The North Texas city of Denton has dropped its request for a restraining order against a local driller, according to court records. Full Story
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Dallas is considering new rules that industry backers say would effectively bar drilling within city limits, in a debate that shows cities' power to shape the footprint of the oil and gas industry. Full Story
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During the federal government shutdown, Texas agricultural producers were unable to access key pricing data, low-cost loans for their operations or disaster relief payments that many have been hoping for. Full Story
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Some state officials and farmers and ranchers in West Texas worry that efforts to provide federal protection for the yellow-billed cuckoo will hurt their industry. Full Story
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The race for agriculture commissioner got a shake-up on Wednesday night, as state Rep. Brandon Creighton announced he would instead run for state Senate and former state Rep. Sid Miller said he would enter the ag commissioner's race. Full Story
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State homeland security rules have frustrated public safety officials in Texas seeking to learn more about potentially hazardous dams and the risk of flooding in their areas. Full Story
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By virtue of its proximity to three major Texas cities, nearly half of the state’s population relies on the Trinity River for some of its water needs. Full Story
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The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Texas' challenge of federal regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources like power plants and factories. Full Story
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The world cannot afford to wait any longer for climate action, especially when we already have commonsense climate solutions that will benefit our economy, health and future. Full Story
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If science doesn’t support a link between extreme weather events and climate change, why do politicians and so many in the media keep making exaggerated claims? Full Story
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