News broke this weekend that the number of people missing from Hill Country floods is down to three and officials say that many had been found safe.
While that’s comforting – and it surely is – the most recent death toll is now 135 statewide.
The Texas Tribune reported Sunday the revised missing total is the result of countless hours of coordinated search and rescue operations, careful investigative work and, quoting Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice. “An unwavering commitment to bringing clarity and hope to families during an unimaginable difficult time.”
Monday marked the start of the state legislature’s 30-day special session, July 2, called by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Flood dangers, which I think should have been the sole topic of the special session, is joined by several other conservative priorities.
Those include consumable THC, new congressional districts – even though the last GOP-drawn redistricting plan is still mired in the courts – and abortion pills.
In addition, the special session will include banning cities and counties from hiring lobbyists to advocate for them at the Capitol, and requiring people to use bathrooms that align with the sex they were assigned at birth, the Tribune said.
I’ve noted this before, but the state’s leaders really are at war with local government.
Last Friday, an appeals court overruled a district court decision that a new state law diluting the policy-making power of blue urban areas was unconstitutional.
That came from Texas lawmakers 2023 House Bill 2127 – called the “Death Star” bill by opponents – which aims to overturn cities’ progressive policies and prevent them from enacting future ordinances that aren’t aligned with broad swaths of state law, the Tribune noted in another article.
That law prevents cities and counties from creating local ordinances that overstep state laws, such as those passed in Dallas and Austin mandating water breaks for construction workers.
Houston, San Antonio and El Paso will review legal options that include raising constitutional issues again if a specific challenge arises under HB 2127.
To clarify things, I resent Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick telling Texas cities and counties how to run things.
The Texas Hotel & Lodging Association takes the lead in advocating the responsible use of Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue – ensuring it’s dedicated to promoting tourism and the hotel industry.
Why not invite them to Bay City and lay out how the City of Bay City uses its HOT revenue?
Somehow, I don’t see the city opening up the hood, so to speak, and letting THLA have a look, even if it’s just for suggestions on how to make the city’s tourism industry work better.
