Latest news with #R-Weatherford
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill that would increase oversight of Texas' largest energy users gets initial approval in Texas House
The Texas House gave initial approval Monday to a bill that would give Texas more oversight over energy transactions between power generators and the state's largest consumers of electricity. Senate Bill 6 also proposes new ways to assess the amount of electricity that is available to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the main manager of the state's grid. The bill now returns to the Senate. Legislators in the upper chamber must agree to the changes made to the bill before it goes to Abbott. The bill would give ERCOT the power to oversee energy transactions between power generators and large consumers that don't involve the state's grid. ERCOT would also have the authority to cut their power and use it during an emergency. State Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, the bill's author, has said his bill will allow the state to better manage electric supply at times of high demand. Power generators and companies said the new oversight measures proposed by the bill would be excessive for a market accustomed to the free trade of energy without requirements imposed by the state. They have said the bill could discourage companies from doing business in Texas. King said the new rules are not meant to do so. 'I think what this bill is seeking to do is set out clear rules where large load customers that want to come to Texas know what they're getting when they get here,' said state Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, who sponsored the bill in the lower chamber. The bill would also require companies to disclose whether they have other projects in the state. Sen. Phil King said this would give ERCOT information to better predict and meet energy demands in the future more accurately. That's necessary to determine the state's electricity needs without overbuilding, which would result in higher rates for everyday consumers, he said. Texas will need almost double the electricity it consumes today to meet a demand driven mainly by data centers and the oil and gas industry, a demand that ERCOT President Pablo Vegas said the grid, in its current state, is capable of meeting when that demand arrives. Lawmakers added and removed some provisions from the bill during a debate in the House on Monday. One amendment got rid of a previously accepted proposal by state Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, which gave new large businesses in Texas the option to get electricity faster from the grid if they let ERCOT reduce their power consumption at will. Another amendment approved Monday, introduced by state Rep. Richard Peña Raymond, D-Laredo, would inject any excess electricity back into the grid and use any money from selling that energy to lower water bills for electricity ratepayers. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas Senate passes bill to require Ten Commandments in public schools
The Brief The Texas Senate passed a bill that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms. The bill passed by 20-11 vote on Wednesday. The displayed copies would need to be at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall. AUSTIN - The Texas Senate passed a new bill that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms. What Happened Senate Bill 10 passed by a 20-11 vote on Wednesday. The vote was along party lines. The bill was filed by Texas State Senator Phil King (R-Weatherford). What's next It now moves to the Texas House, where the identical House Bill 2696 could go up for a vote. The bill was labeled as a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. In 2023, a nearly identical bill passed the Senate, but was not put up for a vote in the House. "I am optimistic that our new speaker, Dustin Burrows, will finally pass these important bills so they become law," wrote Patrick on social media shortly after the vote. If the bill passes the House, it will move to Governor Greg Abbott's desk for approval. Click to open this PDF in a new window. Dig deeper If passed, the bill would require schools to post a "durable poster or framed copy" of the Ten Commandments in every classroom. The displayed copies would need to be at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall and "in a size and typeface that is legible to a person with average vision from anywhere in the classroom." The bill would mandate that schools that do not have posters that meet the requirements to accept donations or use public funds to replace them. If passed, the bill would go into effect starting with the 2025-2026 school year. If the bill passes, it is almost certain to face legal challenges. What they're saying Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at the South Texas College of Law, said there could be a chance a Ten Commandments law would hold up in court. "The case law in the Supreme Court has changed over the last several decades. Recently, Louisiana passed a law providing for the posting of the Ten Commandments. A federal court held that that was unconstitutional. That ruling is now on appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals," he said. Critics argue that a Ten Commandments requirement would create inequality for other religious groups. However, Blackman said a 2022 case in the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in Washington could give Texas lawmakers who support the proposal more confidence. "The court held that you can have prayer for a football game, and if students don't like it, they can, you know, look away and avert their eyes," Blackman said. The Source Information in this article comes from the Texas Legislature and past FOX 4 coverage.
