In Time for Shark Week, Fin Ban Takes Effect
A ban on the trade of shark fins in Texas goes into effect Friday — just in time for the popular string of Discovery Channel programming known as “Shark Week.” Full Story
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![A law banning the trade of shark fins goes into effect in Texas on Friday.]()
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Paxton Drops Challenge as Exxon Mobil Probe Shifts
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his Alabama counterpart have dropped their legal bid to squelch a U.S. Virgin Islands investigation of Exxon Mobil after the U.S. territory agreed to with draw a subpoena for company documents. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during a May 25, 2016, press conference.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
New in Trib+Water: Utilities and Water Conservation
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: New opportunities for water utilities to promote conservation, a new water quality study of the Pedernales River and an interview with Chelsea A.J. Hawkins of the Alliance for Water Efficiency. Full Story
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Laredo's Bag Ban Becomes Flashpoint in Debate Over Local Control
On Tuesday, lawyers for Laredo merchants argued the city's plastic bag ban conflicts with state law. The case has become a flashpoint in a roiling debate over the limits of local control, and the ruling could strike bag bans across Texas. Full Story
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Texas Awarded $50 Million in Massive Volkswagen Settlement
Volkswagen has agreed to pay Texas $50 million as part of what is being described as the largest auto-related class-action settlement in U.S. history. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is shown at a news conference in Austin on Jan. 13, 2016, to announce a new unit of the attorney general’s office dedicated to combating human trafficking.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles/ Texas Tribune -
A Closer Look at the Texas Twist in Fight Between Exxon, Virgin Islands
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is trying to intervene in an effort to thwart an investigation into whether Exxon Mobil misled investors about the risks of climate change. Here’s a guide to Paxton’s effort and how it fits into the much broader climate change battle in the United States. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton testifies how his faith is getting him through his recent legal woes during a speech to a gathering at the Republican Party of Texas gathering in Dallas May 14, 2016.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune/Bob Daemmrich -
Texas Budget Spared in Court Ruling on Drilling Tax Case
A Texas Supreme Court ruling has spared the state from having to issue billions of dollars in tax refunds to oil and gas drillers — a prospect that had threatened to shake up the next legislative session. Full Story
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![An oil driller had filed a lawsuit over sales tax refunds. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar's office warned that a Texas loss could have spurred up to $4.4 billion in refund filings for 2017 alone.]()
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New in Trib+Water: Ranchers Frustrated by Frack Ponds
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Ranchers have a new problem in frack ponds, water utilities find possible vulnerability to cyberattack and an interview with Tim Loftus of Texas State University and the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. Full Story
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Texas Lawmaker's Startup Sells Help Shaping Local Policy
Rep. Jason Villalba, a Dallas Republican, is helping launch LightSwitch Solutions, an Austin-based public relations and consulting firm with plans to shape opinion about local policy. Full Story
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![Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, takes questions from reporters after filing the Protection of Texas Children Act on Feb. 6, 2013.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Former Mayor's "Clean Coal" Effort Struggles
Since leaving office in 2007, former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller has been championing "clean coal" technology, but these days plans for a West Texas gasification plant appear to be on life support. Full Story
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![A pump at an Alvin, Texas oilfield uses carbon dioxide, piped in from Mississippi, to help extract oil.]()
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Report: Texans Finding Better Deals on the Electricity Market
Texans who shopped for electricity in 2014 paid more on average than folks who only had one power option — but the difference was smaller than in years past. Full Story
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Lawyers Say Ruling Bad For Landowners
A recent Texas Supreme Court ruling favoring a South Plains ranch was described by some as a major win for private property rights, but others painted it as more of a win for developers. Full Story
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As Petroleum Royalties Dwindle, Questions Target Property Assessments
If there’s any silver lining for those royalty owners in these cloudy times, it’s this: Their property tax bills should also plummet. But some advocates are wondering whether many local governments are assigning values that are too high. Full Story
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New in Trib+Water: Greater Peril in Flash Flood Alley
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Development has increased flooding dangers in Flash Flood Alley, amazing video of a recharging aquifer and an interview with Samuel Brody of the Texas A&M University at Galveston. Full Story
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Despite Oil Bust, Midland is Still Bustling
Amid the worst oil bust in decades, the energy capital of West Texas hasn’t slowed down much. Full Story
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![Mayor Jerry Morales stands by the counter in Mulberry Cafe, which he bought months after oil prices tanked. The Midland native made the purchase not without some trepidation, he said, but knowing that things would bounce back eventually.]()
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Conservative Appeals Court Hands Win to Texas Environmental Groups
Texas environmental groups have scored a major victory in a six-year legal battle with the world’s largest oil company. Full Story
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In Weighty Water Ruling, Texas' High Court Backs Landowner
The Texas Supreme Court has strengthened protections for landowners who don’t have rights to the water underneath their property. Full Story
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New in TribTalk: Could Texas Face California-Sized Water Woes?
Texas is no stranger to drought and flooding, but at least it isn’t as bad off as California. Or is it, Ponderosa Advisors' Samantha Fox asks? Full Story
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Christian Defeats Gates in Railroad Commission's Republican Runoff
Former state Rep. Wayne Christian won the Republican nomination late Tuesday in the race for Texas railroad commissioner, edging out Houston-area real estate mogul Gary Gates in a race that turned heated in its final stages. Full Story
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![Republicans Wayne Christian (left), and Gary Gates (right) are facing off in a May 24 primary runoff for Texas railroad commissioner.]()
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At the Top of Texas, Town Offers Lessons In Oil Bust Survival
Nearly three decades ago, Perryton's town-wide celebration for $20-per-barrel oil made news across the country, delivering a hopeful message to those mired in an oil bust. The Panhandle town faces a modern day oil bust, but residents are sure they'll stay on the map. Full Story
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![Bruce Jones, president of Perryton-Ochiltree Chamber of Commerce, offered a sip of a non-alcoholic sparkling beverage to a man from Woodward, Okla., on June 16, 1987. The driver was passing by during a town celebration of rising oil prices.]()
Credit: Perryton Herald