What an unusually strange world in which we live. Earlier this month the discussions were about the President possibly committing genocide and today we have a ceasefire and attempts to negotiate a peace settlement. Tomorrow, who knows. How this impacts Texas, other than higher gas prices and our military’s increased risk, remains to be seen. Even though Texas has significant amounts of oil refining capacity and produces a large percentage of the gas, diesel and jet fuel for the US, oil being an international commodity, ensures that per barrel price increases will impact our state economy as well.
And increase our state’s tax revenue, the state’s oil severance tax is based on the market value of oil. Certainly a mixed blessing.
Closer to home, here in Texas we have a runoff for a US Senate seat between the incumbent US Senator John Cornyn and our current Attorney General in what will probably be a very close primary runoff to be decided in May. Most experts agree this race is probably a toss-up especially since President Trump did not make an endorsement, at least not yet. Early on the President suggested if he endorsed, the candidate not receiving the endorsement should withdraw, neither Senator Cornyn nor General Paxton would agree to that stipulation, so no endorsement. Therefore close race.
The March primary produced some other surprising results, we will have a new AG Commissioner. Commissioner Sid Miller lost his reelection bid to primary opponent bee keeper/honey producer Nate Sheets from McKinney. He will face democratic primary winner, Lampasas rancher Clayton Tucker in November. We also have runoffs for AG (office vacated by AG Paxton) in both the Republican and Democratic tickets. Current state Senator Mays Middleton will face Congressman Chip Roy on the Republican ticket and State Senator Nathan Johnson will face Galveston attorney Joe Jaworski on the Democratic ticket.
There is also a runoff for Lt. Governor on the Democratic ticket between State Representative Vicki Goodwin and Marcos Velez, the winner will face current Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright will face Bo French in the Republican primary runoff for Commissioner Wright’s current Railroad Commissioner seat as well.
There are also several regional runoffs for both Texas Senate and Texas House seats on both the Republican and Democratic side. To access additional information on the runoffs in your area go the Texas Secretary of State Elections division which offers an easy to use update on all our statewide, regional and local elections.
Both the House and the Senate have published the Interim Charges for their respective chambers. The issues covered in these charges range from high profile subjects like Data Center power usage and fraud and abuse within the state’s Medicaid system down to the obscure study of the state’s Cultivated Oyster Mariculture (which if you are in the oyster business or like to eat them is not obscure at all). If you are interested in seeing all the Interim Charges you can find these documents on the State House and Senate websites.
The hearings on these Interim Charges have already begun, the House hearing on data centers actually occurred late last week. If you are interested in either attending or just watching any of these hearings you can get scheduling information on both the House and Senate websites. The video is free and easy to use. I am including the website here: capitol.texas.gov
A very specific charge in the Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Interim Charges deals with desalination.
The Texas Desalination Association has been contacted to provide testimony at this upcoming hearing as have several other members of the Texas Desal family. The hearing is on Monday May 11th beginning at 9:00am. You can either attend the hearing in person at the Texas State Capitol or watch online on the website referenced above.
This interim promises to be an active and possibly impactful one for the future of desalination in Texas. Our ongoing drought conditions have focused state leadership on the need to find meaningful and long term answers to Texas’ water needs. Desalination, both inland brackish and marine will be part of that answer.
Kyle