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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
A $20 billion effort to avoid calamity: Here's what Texas lawmakers did to save the state's water supply
Texas lawmakers took steps big and small to help save the state's water supply. A big one: investing $20 billion in water projects over the next two decades. A small one: banning homeowners' associations from punishing residents who don't have bright green lawns. The state's water supply is in peril. Legislators saw this year as their last chance to invest before the state faces calamity. Rapid population growth, aging infrastructure and extreme climate events like drought and flood have put pressure on the state's lakes and rivers. A Texas Tribune analysis found that cities and towns could be on a path toward a severe water shortage by 2030 if there is recurring, record-breaking drought conditions across the state, and if water entities and state leaders fail to put in place key strategies to secure water supplies. 'One of the great things about the legislative session around water is it is more of a bipartisan issue,' said Jennifer Walker, director for the Texas Coast and Water program with the National Wildlife Federation. 'And there's a great community of folks working together to find solutions.' Here's a look at some of the actions lawmakers took on water. A significant victory was House Bill 29 by Rep. Stan Gerdes, R-Smithville, which targets water loss in large utilities with over 150,000 service connections. The bill requires regular water loss audits, external validation of the data, and the development of mitigation plans. Utilities that fail to comply face administrative fees. 'We need to make sure that we are using the water supplies that we already have as efficiently as possible,' Walker said. A recent report by the National Wildlife Federation found that 516 water utilities plan to save over 270,000 acre-feet of water per year by 2034 — enough water to meet the annual water needs of 1.7 million Texans — through conservation strategies like leak detection and minimizing water loss. Another bill, House Bill 517 by Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, R-Round Rock, prohibits homeowners' associations from penalizing residents for having brown or dormant lawns when water use is restricted. This bill would ensure that homeowner associations participate in water conservation measures. It was signed by the governor and goes into effect Sept. 1. One bill by Sen. Juan 'Chuy' Hinojosa seeks to address flood mitigation and drought concerns. Senate Bill 1967 expands what kinds of projects that can be awarded money from the flood infrastructure fund. Starting Sept. 1, money will be eligible for projects that construct multi-purpose flood mitigation systems and drainage infrastructure systems to use flood, storm and agricultural runoff water as an additional source of water supply once it's treated. This bill will be especially helpful in South Texas, where there is ongoing drought and a rapidly growing population. The Delta Region Water Management Project, which Chuy discussed during legislative hearings, aims to address its water problems by capturing and treating water. Senate Bill 1253 by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, requires local subdivisions to provide credits for water and wastewater impact fees, which are one-time charges to a company developing in an area. The fees will be waived for new developments that incorporate conservation and reuse strategies. The goal, Walker said, is to encourage smarter growth that puts less of a strain on existing water infrastructure. This bill is awaiting the governor's signature. Lawmakers approved $7.5 million to support groundwater conservation districts in collecting better data and conducting scientific research. Groundwater — water that is trapped between rock formations under ground — makes up more than half of Texas' overall water supply. The state water plan projects a decline by 32% by 2070, which will make water even more scarce for communities that depend on groundwater. The Texas Water Development Board, the state agency that oversees Texas' water supply and funding, will administer grants to local groundwater districts — particularly those with limited budgets — to carry out projects focused on groundwater modeling, data collection, and science-based planning. Vanessa Puig-Williams, senior director of climate resilient water systems at Environmental Defense Fund, said Texas lacks localized data that helps groundwater districts understand how to manage and plan. 'This kind of information would allow them to make better permitting decisions, better planning decisions as part of the desired future condition process, and helps to improve our regional water planning process,' Puig-Williams said. She added that 68% of Texas' groundwater conservation districts operate on annual budgets under $500,000 and have struggled to fund robust scientific research. In a related move, the Legislature also included a provision in the new infrastructure package that restricts public funds from being used to export fresh groundwater from rural areas — aimed at protecting local aquifers and the communities that depend on them. Lawmakers also took strides toward ensuring the quality of Texas' water is protected. House Bill 3333 by state Rep. Eddie Morales prohibits the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from issuing new wastewater discharge permits into The Devils River in Val Verde County. The river contributes 30% to Lake Amistad, which supplies water to the Rio Grande River. Senate Bill 1302, by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, brings more changes for the state's environmental agency. Currently, if a facility or entity has its permit to dispose of wastewater suspended due to violations, they can later reapply through the system and get an automated approval. Kolkhorst called it a loophole. Beginning Sept. 1, Texas law will prohibit these facilities from obtaining a discharge permit until it is actively authorized by the TCEQ executive director. The bill also prohibits the executive director from using an automatic process to authorize the use of a general permit. Kolkhorst referenced a sand mine discharging waste into the water at Cook's Conservatory and how the permit was denied. However, it was later secured through the same process. Even as lawmakers showed interest in solutions for the water crisis, several bills researching different methods died in the legislative process. One is House Bill 1501 by state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington. The bill would have instructed the Texas State University Meadows Center for Water and the Environment to study the feasibility of seawater desalination processes. House Bill 3728 by Rep. Penny Morales Shaw, D-Houston, which would have required salinity studies and standards to protect coastal bays and estuaries from seawater desalination, failed to pass. Walker said it highlighted growing concerns about the environmental impacts of desalination. 'It's a delicate balance,' Walker said. 'If we screw it up, we risk having problems with the habitat for the plants and animals that are there — and it may be difficult or expensive or impossible to fix. We need to go in with our eyes wide open and make good choices so we can have water for our communities without damaging our coastal ecosystems.' Disclosure: Environmental Defense Fund has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer. Get tickets. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill would overhaul vape tax in Louisiana
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana lawmakers are advancing legislation that would significantly change how vapor products are taxed in the state, potentially raising prices for users and revenue for public services. House Bill 517, sponsored by Rep. Ken Brass (D-Vacherie), proposes shifting the state's excise tax on vape products from a flat rate to a percentage of the invoice price. Currently, Louisiana levies a tax of 15 cents per milliliter of nicotine liquid. If passed, the new rate would be 33% of the invoice price of these products. Brass told the House Ways and Means Committee that the measure is not only a way to raise funds for state programs, including public safety, but also a means of curbing youth vaping. 'What HB 517 does, it actually changes the taxation from 15% per milliliter to 33% for e-cigarettes and vaping. I bring this before you guys as a health initiative. Primarily for our youth and students,' Brass said. The bill narrowly passed the committee in a 9-6 vote on Tuesday. Lawmakers who opposed the bill questioned whether raising prices would deter underage use, especially when many teens access these products illegally. Some called for more investment in enforcement and education efforts. Brass said he would continue working with colleagues to strengthen those elements as the bill moves forward. If approved by the full legislature, the new tax structure would take effect on July 1, 2025. Retailers and wholesalers would be required to file an inventory of all vape and e-cigarette products they have on hand before that date. The deadline for submitting the inventory to the Department of Revenue would be Aug. 1, 2025. According to the bill, previously taxed or stamped inventory would be exempt from the higher rate, but all new purchases after July 1 would be subject to the 33% tax. Trump vows to 'save vaping' despite previous support for ban Former child actress Sophie Nyweide dies at 24 From Sedan Chairs to Electric SUVs: The Evolution of the Popemobile Harvard takes lead in fight against Trump's higher ed agenda Artificial dyes to be phased out of US food supply, RFK Jr. announces Bill would overhaul vape tax in Louisiana Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas bill aims to protect homeowners from getting fined for brown lawns during water restrictions
The Brief A bill in the Texas House aims to protect homeowners the next time their city says its residents need to cut back on water use HB 517 would prevent HOAs from fining homeowners for brown grass or vegetation when their water supplier asks them to conserve during a drought WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - A bill in the Texas House aims to protect homeowners the next time their city says its residents need to cut back on water use. When it's time to turn the sprinklers off because of water restrictions, Williamson County State Representative Caroline Harris Davila (R) thinks homeowners shouldn't be at fault for their dreary-looking yards. What they're saying "We want to incentivize people to obey water restrictions and not make it difficult because they're getting fined or something," said Davila. She filed House Bill 517. It would prevent HOAs from fining homeowners for brown grass or vegetation when their water supplier asks them to conserve during a drought. "We're all concerned about water and drought, especially right now in Texas, and so that's another part of it is, everyone's on board with water conservation, and we all understand in times of drought, we all have to do our part," said Davila. Water restrictions often happen in Williamson County. Right now, Georgetown is under a Drought Stage 2 restriction, which is a one-day-per-week irrigation schedule. "It's very hard to keep the grass green all year long, especially when we want to respect the water restrictions that we have in place," said Maricruz Acuna, a realtor in Austin. FOX 7 Austin asked her if she had heard of HOAs handing out fines during water restrictions. "I don't have clients who have told me they have been fined for this, but it's good to know they can't be fined for this. You know, I think a lot of HOA's are mindful of the fact that we have water restrictions in place," said Acuna. Fines were one concern brought up in the house's public comments. "Ridiculous waste of time. During drought, there WILL BE discoloration of vegetation. Get busy!" a homeowner from Denison, Texas, said. But Davila said these concerns about fines are real. "I heard from my constituents a lot about it," said Davila. "We even had some town halls in my district about HOAs in my community and so it was important for me to answer those requests." What's next If this bill passes, it would also give homeowners a 30-day grace period to get their lawns back to code before an HOA can issue a fine. It recently passed its committee and will now head to the calendar committee. Then, the Texas House will vote on it. If it gets enough approval from other representatives, it will go to the Senate for a vote before landing on Governor Greg Abbott's desk. It could become law on September 1, 2025. The Source Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Lauren Rangel
