By Cyrus Reed, Director of Legislation and Conservation for the Lone Star Chapter.
Well, it took a while, but last week, Texas House lawmakers finally looked into the House floor bill and began moving the bill straight away from the committee. And that’s not uncommon – the Senate moves faster and there’s a more deliberative process at home.
Texas Budget Week: What do SB 1 and HB 500 mean for the environment?
This week is amazing as we plan to cover the state’s two-year budget known as SB 1 (the state’s two-year budget known as SB 1) and HB 500, which sets all the funds for state agencies for 2026 and 2027, as well as the supplementary spending bill for this year – essentially the state’s co supplementary bill. Both bills are held on Thursdays, with most committee meetings being cancelled and we know that “budget” nights are traditionally hear time.
Both bills have many important funds, but we expect some fireworks over education spending, retired teachers, voucher spending, and property tax relief. The Sierra Club is focused on ensuring that there is sufficient funding for the right plug ($100 million with additional funds), air quality monitoring (PM 2.5 and hydrogen sulfide monitoring money), water infrastructure ($400 million for floods, $2.5 billion for water infrastructure), and Bayes salinity research. We work with several offices on potential riders and revisions, including paying attention to taxpayer handouts.
Beyond budgets, Mary Gonzalez (two bills by HB 422 and HB 365) will increase the likelihood of funding and supporting economically struggling regional programs for water and wastewater infrastructure, which will be on the house floor this week, with the Sierra Club supporting them. Another great bill supported by the Sierra Club – HB 1400 by Cody Harris – Funding for groundwater analysis has increased, scientific research is being considered on the house floor this week
Water infrastructure and maintenance bills earn the ground
Speaking of water, the Senate voted 31-0 last week to approve SB 7, the leading Senate version of the Water Infrastructure Bill. Perry made amendments to the Senate floor and opened the Texas Water Fund to fund wastewater and water reuse, a key strategy for water management. The Sierra Club was neutral in the bill, but our major concern is the Senate’s plan to devote up to 80% of money to the “New Water Supply for Texas” fund aimed at projects such as water imports, marine desalination and “fracked” produced water. The bill itself does not have a breakdown of that percentage, but it sets the state through another constitutional amendment known as SJR 66. SJR66 has not yet undergone a hearing.
The House last week heard a version of the Water Infrastructure Bill – HB 16 – and we were there to support it. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives’ constitutional amendments version – HJR 7 – will be sent to the Calendar Committee and could be on the House floor soon next week.
Texas nuclear grant: $750 million handouts or energy BOONDOGGLE?
Also moving forward is to advance HB 14 -14- and its accompanying constitutional amendments – HJR 8-. This could allow up to $2 billion to subsidize taxpayer to risky and expensive new industries as well as the $750 million taxpayer fund found on the HB 500. The Sierra Club and many citizens come out to oppose the bill and work to limit the damage. A similar bill in the Senate – by SB 2967-Schwartner – a hearing took place this week, with the Sierra Club there to oppose it.
SpaceX bill threatens public beach access in southern Texas
Speaking of the Senate, this week they passed two bills aimed at helping Elon Musk be able to shoot his rockets with SpaceX when he wants. Two bills — SB 2168 and SB 2230 — sponsored by state Senator Adam Hinojosa, representing South Texas — have passed Senate 21-10 and 24-7, both of which allow SpaceX to be called “the beach of the poor” and allow shelter to be evacuated. You can read our testimony here. The bill will move to the House, where they will be greeted by representatives of state legislator Johnny Lopez, a Republican from Brownsville. The Sierra Club, local Cameron County officials, Indigenous organizations and environmental activists are all in line with the bill that gives the oligarch musk an unspeakable empowerment.
Ash Juniper Bill sparks controversy over the conservation of local trees
Another horrifying bill by Adam Hinojosa – SB 1927 – to prevent cities from taking action to protect the trees in Ash Juniper – was held on Monday at the Local Government Commission. Interestingly, Hinojosa’s South Texas area has no ashe juniper trees, leaving behind a scratched head. In the house, Troxclair had a bill and fought the final session. Troxclair makes more sense as he is a real estate developer in the west area of ​​Austin, where there are plenty of ash juniper trees. Our own conservation director, Dr. Craig Nazer, was there to oppose the bill.
Energy efficiency moves forward – some major programs are still halting
The bill supported by Menendez by Sierra Club SB 783 this week could be left from the committee and on the Senate floor this week. The bill allows the state Energy Conservation Agency to consider new construction, better energy codes for energy and money savings, both for residential and commercial purposes. The House version – HB 1360 – will also be heard in the committee and the House of Representatives and should leave this week. Another great bill – HB 1359 by Hernandez – creating a state assistance program for electricity rates – was handed over by the committee.
Two more good bills – SB 2771 by Menendez and HB 3827 by Hernandez – get hearing this week. The bill creates the Texas Energy Efficiency Council, consisting of major state agencies dealing with demand-side programs such as PUCC, SECO and TDHCA. Another good bill – HB 3237 by Turner – will also be under hearing. The bill would require universities and certain political subdivisions to report that they intend to lower their energy use and that they would further reduce it. This allows SECO to tackle programs such as energy audits, loans, and grants, to help public buildings reduce energy use.
We are excited about this move in these great bills, but our main priority – an increase in utility rate-based energy efficiency programs – has yet to gain hearing. There are six bills that require improvements to our program, but despite our best efforts, none of them have yet to be heard. This Wednesday we will tell the Senate and the home that enough is enough – we need a move on this now!
Fossil fuel favor: bad energy bills move forward in the Senate
Several other bad bills, especially the SB 388 and SB 819, are moving forward. SB 388 – This sets an arbitrary requirement that 50% of future generations must be “dispatchable” – gas or nuclear – may be handed over from the Senate and referred to the committee immediately. Additionally, by Kolkhorst, SB 819 – a bill aimed at making the development of wind and solar energy more difficult by creating new fees, permits and set fold requirements – passed the committee by 7-3 votes in the Senate. More than 70 individuals and organizations, including the Sierra Club, came out against the opposition at a long hearing last Tuesday. The bill is expected to pass the Senate, but we must fight hard to keep it from passing by our homes.
Plug in orphan wells and collect polluters fines: legislative push
The bill, which is no longer in use and aims to facilitate useful oil and gas wells, is in motion, but difficult. The SB 1150 by Middleton is an industry invoice that attempts to limit the number of years that can “extend” Wells before plugging is a modest improvement, but Middleton is difficult to move it due to the opposition of small operators. The bill is being considered this week by HB 2766-Jeren. The Sierra Club is neutral in the bill. Because we believe it has not progressed well and will work with our allies to improve it.
One bill we support – HB 2891 by Anchia – was held a hearing this week. The bill will ultimately renew the maximum fine the Texas Railroad Commission can impose on operators who break the law, increasing the maximum fine from $10,000 to $25,000 per day. The Sierra Club and many landowners were there to support the bill. We finally changed the maximum fine when I graduated from high school and the “Miami Vice” pilot was sold. We were wearing our best “Miami Vice” outfits to support the bill.
Texas Bay Protection: Salinity Standards, Desalination Monitoring, Plastic Contamination
We are still waiting for hearings on the Water Quality Priority Bill to establish salinity standards, HB 3728, HB 5341 to tighten regulations on seawater decoupling from the bays and estuaries of desalination facilities, and HB 4028 (SB 2441) to control plastic pollution before production.
All three would be better to protect our bays and estuaries from pollution.
Do you want to help? Now perform the action on HB 3728.
