Bill to block high-speed rail from altering Texas roads heads to subcommittee
PALESTINE, Texas (KETK) — A bill authored by East Texas State Rep. Cody Harris (R-Palestine) to stop high-speed rail projects from altering state roadways has advanced to a public committee hearing.
Tyler approves study for train services
Harris introduced House Bill 1402 on Nov. 19, 2024. Since then, the bill has been read and referred to the House Subcommittee on Transportation Funding for a public hearing on March 31.
'HB 1402 would stop the use of your hard-earned tax dollars from being spent to alter roadways for this unwelcome project,' Harris said. 'We're one step closer to defending private property rights and protecting Texas taxpayers from this transportation debacle through HB 1402.'
H.B 1402 would amend Section 199.003. of the Texas Transportation Code to say the following:
'This state, a state agency, or a political subdivision of this state may not use public money to pay for the alteration of a roadway related to the construction of a high-speed rail project operated by a public or private entity.'
That section of the Texas Transportation Code was passed as Senate Bill 977 on Sept. 1, 2017. The bill made it illegal for the state to appropriate any money for planning, constructing, maintaining, securing, promoting or operating high-speed rail operated by a private entity.
Trump administration takes aim at $4B in funding for California high-speed rail
Texas Rail Advocates, a non-profit dedicated to promoting freight and passenger rail, rated Harris's bill as counterproductive. The nonprofit noted that the bill would prevent public funds from being used to alter roadways on the public's highspeed rail projects.
State Rep. John Bucy III, a Democrat representing Austin, has filed House Joint Resolution 58, which proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing the state to spend money on transit-oriented projects. Texas Rail Advocates rated Bucy's resolution as productive.
TOWNHALL TENSION: State reps booed off stage during education meeting
Both Harris' and Bucy's proposals are scheduled to be discussed by the House Subcommittee on Transportation Funding in room E2.014 at the Texas Capitol in Austin starting at 10 a.m. on Monday.
Texas residents can submit their own comments for all the bills and topics the subcommittee will be discussing on Monday through the House Public Comment form online. The hearing will be streamed live on the Texas House website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
18 minutes ago
- Axios
House GOP majority to shrink as top Rep. Mark Green plans exit
Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, announced Monday he plans to resign from Congress midway through his term. Why it matters: His departure will further diminish House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) already razor thin majority. Green said in a statement he was "offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up." The Tennessee Republican said he'd resign after the House votes on a final version of the Trump budget bill.
The Hill
21 minutes ago
- The Hill
Mark Green to resign from House after final vote on ‘big, beautiful bill'
Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) on Monday said he plans to resign from Congress after the House holds a final vote on the party's 'big, beautiful bill,' giving up his seat as well as his leadership post on the House Homeland Security Committee. Green said he has already lined up a job outside of Congress. 'It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from Congress. Recently, I was offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up. As a result, today I notified the Speaker and the House of Representatives that I will resign from Congress as soon as the House votes once again on the reconciliation package,' Green said in a statement. 'Though I planned to retire at the end of the previous Congress, I stayed to ensure that President Trump's border security measures and priorities make it through Congress. By overseeing the border security portion of the reconciliation package, I have done that. After that, I will retire, and there will be a special election to replace me.' His decision to stay until the House gives the GOP's tax cuts and spending package a final stamp of approval is a relief for Republican leadership, who are contending with a razor-thin majority and passed the same bill by a single vote last month. Senate Republicans are planning to make a host of changes to the legislation and the House is expected to hold a vote this summer on approving the revised bill. It's the second time Green has said he plans to resign. Green said in February 2024 that he planned to resign from Congress, but he ultimately reversed course and kept his seat, saying he decided to seek reelection after encouragement from the public and President Trump. Green's resignation will leave the House with 219 Republicans and 212 Democrats, meaning the GOP can only afford to lose three votes and still pass party-line legislation, assuming all members are president — the same dynamic that currently stands. Green's departure will open up a sought-after chairmanship on a panel that reviews much of Trump's signature immigration policies. Under former President Biden, Green was a vocal critic of the administration, holding numerous hearings focused on fentanyl deaths and bringing in parents who had lost children in deaths they deemed connected to immigration or the border. Under Trump, the committee has held hearing focused on Biden-era immigration policies as well as budget issues as the White House pushes to vastly expand deportation operations. Green, a physician, is also a veteran, and served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was given the gavel after just two terms in Congress, and will leave during his fourth term.
Newsweek
25 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Republican Leaving Congress for Job 'Too Exciting to Pass Up'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Republican Representative Mark Green of Tennessee said Monday that he is retiring from Congress before the end of his term. Green said in a statement, "Recently, I was offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up ... I will resign from Congress as soon as the House votes once again on the reconciliation package." Green's term as the U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District was set to end on January 3, 2027. He was re-elected in the November 5, 2024, general election. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
