Marvin Nichols proposal ‘running out of time' to become Texas law
RED RIVER, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — A bill in the Texas Legislature that would eliminate plans for a controversial reservoir in East Texas has cleared an early hurdle, but it still has a long way to go.
Marvin Nichols is a proposed reservoir project that would flood 66,000 acres of the Sulpher River Basin, located in Northeast Texas, encompassing all or portions of Fannin, Hunt, Lamar, Hopkins, Red River, Franklin, Titus, Morris, Bowie, Cass, and Delta counties.
'Every year, Region C, which is the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, they put the Marvin Nichols reservoir in their plan. Since 1968, they've been doing that. Region D, which is Northeast Texas, doesn't put it in their plan, and there's this conflict that is unsettled,' says Cass County Judge Travis Ransom.
House Bill 2109 would settle that conflict once and for all, requiring the removal of projects that have been part of a Texas Water Development Board water plan for more than 50 years without starting construction.
Texas House bill could bring the end of Marvin Nichols Reservoir plan
'I think you would agree that it's unreasonable to think that the state has the right to call dibs on private property to be taken at some point, more than 50 years in the future. This is not fair to these hardworking Texans, and this runs counter to the very spirit of what it means to be a Texan,' said the bill's author, District 1 State Representative Gary VanDeaver, during the Natural Resources Committee's hearing on the bill on May 2nd.
Judge Ransom was one of many who went to Austin, TX., to testify in favor of the bill.
'I felt like the House Committee hearing on natural resources was the most substantive discussion, specifically about the Marvin Nichols reservoir, that I've seen in over 20 years fighting about this issue,' says Judge Ransom.
Water has been a big issue during this Texas legislative session, and opponents of the bill say that it would limit Texas's ability to meet the growing state's needs. Proponents argue that there are options that reservoirs are an outdated water supply method and that the state should be looking at new ways to meet the need that do not infringe on property rights.
Homes and dreams of NE Texas residents could end up underwater
'Desalination is on the horizon at a reasonable rate, and reuse is available, and leaky infrastructure can be fixed and repaired with modern technology. Necessity is the mother of invention. I have confidence that we'll innovate and figure this out without… putting a big shallow mud puddle, 66,000-acre mud puddle, in Northeast Texas,' says Judge Ransom.
The bill passed through the committee by a twelve-to-one margin but has yet to be placed on the calendar for full-floor discussion in the House.
'I'm optimistic. I think those that say we're going to be outspent and out politicked are wrong. I think that right's right and private property rights should matter in Texas and they still do and, and I think we're winning slowly but surely, I think we're winning,' says Judge Ransom.
The one dissenting vote in the Natural Resources Committee, State Representative Ramon Romero Jr. of Tarrant County, also sits on the calendars committee. That is the group responsible for adding bills to the the house's schedule.
Judge Ransom says they are exploring multiple avenues to pass HB 2109 before the session ends on June 2nd.
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
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump calls for protesters who burn the American flag to be jailed for 1 year
The Brief President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for one year in jail for protesters that burn the American flag. This comes amid five days of protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles and smaller protests that have popped up in other cities like Dallas and Austin. Flag burning is considered a form of political expression and protected under the First Amendment after the Supreme Court ruled in the 1989 Texas v. Johnson case. FORT BRAGG, N.C. - President Donald Trump called for those who burn the American flag to spend a year in jail while speaking at Fort Bragg in North Carolina on Tuesday. What they're saying "They proudly carry flags of other countries, but they don't carry the American flag. They only burn it," Trump said. "People that burn the American flag should go to jail for one year. And we'll see if we can get that done." READ MORE:Trump visits Fort Bragg amid criticism over military deployment in response to immigration protests President Trump said his administration is working with some senators to pass a law that gives jail time to flag-burning protesters. The backstory The comments come amid a series of protests against immigration raids in major cities like Dallas and Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, the city is preparing for its fifth day of anti-ICE demonstrations, which have seen cars burned down, smoke bombs deployed and pepper bullets fired. Trump ordered the deployment of 4,100 National Guard troops and 700 Marines, which he says is to protect federal officials and property. The move drew objections from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who filed an emergency motion in federal court seeking to block the use of federal troops to assist in immigration raids. Newsom said the request was a response to a change in orders that had been issued for the Guard. In Dallas, one person was arrested after hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the Margaret Hunt Bridge on Monday night. The demonstrations were tense at times, with protesters throwing water bottles, fireworks and rocks at officers. In Austin, 12 people were arrested Monday night after protesters defaced the JJ Pickle Federal Building with graffiti. The protest started at the Texas State Capital before moving to the federal building. As officers began to break the group up, Austin police said "tensions escalated" and protesters threw rocks at officers. Officers briefly withdrew in an attempt to deescalate, but the crowd advanced, leading to officers using pepper balls and DPS using gas to disperse the crowd. Four officers were injured, and all were treated and released. Tuesday's comments weren't the first time that Trump as suggested that demonstrators be jailed for burning the American flag. In August, while on the campaign trail, Trump proposed passing a law to jail anyone who burns the flag for one year. It would be more difficult than it seems on the surface, with a 1989 Supreme Court decision, stemming from a case in Dallas, protecting the right to burn an American flag as a form of political expression under the First Amendment. In his comments in August he mentioned the constitutionality of such a law. "They say it's not constitutional," Trump said. "Well, make it constitutional." In 1989, the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 ruling in favor of Gregory Lee Johnson. Five years prior, Johnson was arrested after burning a flag outside the Republican National Convention in Dallas. Johnson was charged and later convicted of breaking a Texas law that prohibited the desecration of the flag. Johnson was sentenced to one year in prison and fined. His conviction was overturned by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, whose decision was later upheld by the Supreme Court. In the decision, the majority held that Johnson was engaging in political expression, which is protected under the First Amendment. In the years following the decision, the United States Congress passed a law banning flag burning, which was struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The Source Information on Trump's comments about jail time for protesters who burn the American flag comes from a speech given at Fort Bragg on June 10, 2025. Information on anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, Dallas and Austin comes from previous FOX 11, FOX 4 and FOX 7 reporting, respectively. Information on the Supreme Court decision in Texas v. Johnson comes from the National Constitution Center.
CBS News
4 hours ago
- CBS News
Dallas police shock park-goers with early shutdown of park, walking areas near Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge
Dallas Police Officers told people coming to the park on Tuesday evening that it was closed early. The shutdown comes after officers had a showdown with a protest against ICE and immigration tactics. Before parkgoers could take an evening stroll near the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Dallas Police Officers turned them away. An officer who did not allow CBS News Texas to identify himself first stated that the department's command staff was shutting down the park at 7 pm. The officer did not say how long the curfew would be in effect. "The park is closed. The park is closed," could be heard blaring repeatedly from another officer's vehicle. The effort comes after a night of conflict on the same grounds. DPD clashed with protesters during a mostly peaceful protest. Gerardo Velasquez faces charges of assaulting a police officer and attempting to take a weapon from an officer. Before the showdown with the officers, protesters chanted and gave speeches. Then, some took off into the street before 9 pm. Afterward, the chants turned to chaos; police said Velasquez was hitting a marked DPD vehicle. Lost in the showdown with the police, the messages of the protest, like Sara Martinez. "I'm the daughter of immigrants, so this issue is very important to me," Sara Martinez said. "People come here seeking a better life, and immigrants have contributed so much to this country, and for them to be vilified as people that just take from the country is unfair." Marissa Lopez's words were not either. She has a personal stake in the solidarity with Los Angeles. "So seeing that I'm from L.A., and although these raids have been happening before this, it's personal, it's home," Lopez said. "And seeing ICE there in my hometown brought me out here. But not only that, but just to help support those who don't have a voice and are going through this horrific time."
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
FBI Director Kash Patel sues MSNBC columnist Frank Figliuzzi for ‘fabricating a specific lie' with outlandish nightclub claim
FBI Director Kash Patel has filed a lawsuit in Texas against an MSNBC columnist who falsely claimed the official spent more time in 'nightclubs' than inside the Bureau's headquarters in Washington, DC. Patel is suing Frank Figliuzzi for 'fabricating a specific lie' about him, according to court documents, namely that 'reportedly (Patel has) been visible at nightclubs far more than he has been on the seventh floor of the Hoover Building.' Defendant knew that this was a lie when he said it,' Patel's attorneys alleged. '…Since becoming Director of the FBI, Director Patel has not spent a single minute inside of a nightclub.' The suit also claimed 'there was no basis for Defendant's fabrication, and Defendant's use of the weasel word, 'reportedly,' is itself a fabrication.' 'Defendant did not rely on reporting by any other person,' attorneys said in the filing. 'Defendant made up the story out of whole cloth, and by using the word 'reportedly,' attempts to distance himself from what is a maliciously false and defamatory statement.' The attorneys allege Figliuzzi's claim constituted defamation, noting that Figliuzzi previously wrote, 'Patel is one of the most ill-suited Cabinet nominees—not just now, but of all time.' 'Defendant fabricated this story to discredit Director Patel because of Defendant's clear animus toward Director Patel,' his attorneys said. 'Defendant previously wrote, 'Patel is one of the most ill-suited Cabinet nominees—not just now, but of all time.' And, 'The FBI's motto is Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity. The record suggests that Patel doesn't possess any of those traits.'' 'Defendant also wrote, 'It isn't just that Patel is wholly unqualified to lead the pre-eminent law enforcement and intelligence agency in the nation and perhaps the world … Patel's particular problem goes far beyond competence: His record shows no devotion to the Constitution, but blind allegiance to Trump.'The FBI director's suit also alleged that 'as a partisan commentator, (Figliuzzi) was motivated to sensationalize, and in this case, fabricate a story to self-promotingly advance his own name recognition, at the expense of Director Patel.' Representatives for Patel declined to comment. The lawsuit came just a month after MSNBC was forced to retract Figliuzzi's claim on May 5. 'This was a misstatement,' MSNBC anchor Jonathan Lemire said at the time. 'We have not verified that claim.' The NBC and MSNBC national security analyst had alleged that Patel's absence from the FBI headquarters was 'a blessing and a curse.' 'Because if he's really trying to run things without his experience, without any experience level, things could be bad,' Figliuzzi said. 'If he's not plugged in, things could be bad. But he's allowing agents to run things, so we don't know where this is going.' Figliuzzi didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
