The Port Arthur refinery violated the Texas Clean Air Act while emitting unauthorized pollutants.
All in State
A Bill Banning Texas Professors Seeking Tenure Could be a Turning Point
While the proposed tenure ban will likely face steep opposition in the Texas House, faculty say lawmakers’ recent attacks on higher education have raised concerns about whether Texas is the best state to build their career.
Texas Legislature Could Weaken Law Designed to Protect Free Speech
First Amendment advocates are fighting a bill to frivolous lawsuits designed to squash free speech.
Texas A&M University Raise “serious concerns” with President Kathy Banks
A poll conducted by the Council of Principal Investigators, an elected group of faculty who help oversee research activity at the school, found respondents distrust the president’s decision making since she took the helm nearly two years ago.
Texas Senate Approves Bill That Would End Faculty Tenure
Senate Bill 18 faces an uphill battle at the Texas House, where Speaker Dade Phelan has expressed concerns with completely eliminating the commonplace job protection.
EPA Rule may Cripple Economic Development
The letter highlights that the proposed rule and its corresponding compliance costs would likely require the closures of existing manufacturing and industrial facilities, hurting the surrounding communities and leaving workers without jobs.
Watch: Texas House Committee Debates Firearms Bills
One of these bills would raise the minimum age to 21 years old to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles.
Texas Power Plants Could Cost $7 Billion More Than Expected
Lawmakers haven’t decided whether to pay for them through state funds or higher charges to electricity customers.
Dairy Farm Explosion in Texas
More than 18,000 cows died and one farm worker is in critical condition following a dairy farm fire in the Texas Panhandle.
Texas House Advances Bill Decriminalizing Fentanyl Test Strips
The bill would take fentanyl test strips off the state’s “drug paraphernalia” list, meaning it would no longer be a crime to carry them.
Federal Judge Suspends FDA Approval of Abortion Pill
The ruling from U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo could potentially upend access to medication abortion nationwide.
Concealed Carry Improvement Act
The amicus brief filed in Hardaway and Boyd’s case highlights that there is effectively no historical basis for a ban on the possession of firearms in places of worship.
Texas has the Fifth-Highest Percentage of Lead Water Pipes
The EPA estimates that 7% of water lines in Texas are lead based.
Lawsuits to Shut Down Illicit Massage Businesses
An estimated 9,000 illicit massage businesses currently operate in the United States, 700 of which are believed to be in Texas.
Paxton Seeks Injunction to Stop $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Bill
Because the $1.7 trillion bill did not lawfully pass in the House of Representatives, it was unlawful for Joe Biden to sign the bill and, following the signing, for his Administration to implement it as law.
Beekeepers Afraid This New Legislation Will Sting
Beekeepers say the proposed legislation is too stiff and doesn’t take into account real-world production issues.
House Committee Clears Bill to Expand Gambling
Gaming advocates are pushing to legalize casinos and sports betting in Texas.
Texas Observer Editors Protest Layoffs
Journalists at the publication expect to be laid off this week. Relations between the board and senior staff have severely eroded.
Texas Observer is Closing
The 68-year-old publication hit financial troubles and wasn’t able to broaden its audience, board members said.
SNAP Recipients Will See a Cut in Food Benefits
During the lockdowns, Texans received extra money on their Lone Star cards through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, also known as food stamps. That extra money ends this month.