House Passes Bill Limiting Local Regulations

[#TexasPolitics365]

In a major escalation of Republicans’ efforts to weaken the state’s bluer cities and counties, lawmakers in the Texas Legislature are advancing a pair of bills that would seize control of local regulations.

A bill backed by Gov. Greg Abbott and business lobbying groups, House Bill 2127, would bar cities and counties from passing regulations — and overturn existing ones — that go further than state law in a broad swath of areas including labor, agriculture, natural resources and finance. It received initial approval Tuesday in the Texas House by a 92-55 vote but must come back before the chamber for a final vote.

(Full story HERE warning: bias)
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Rep. Jackson Lee Running For Mayor of Houston

[#TexasPolitics365]

 
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) revealed on Sunday that she is running for mayor of Houston, entering an already crowded field in the Lone Star State, The Hill reports.

Jackson Lee — who has represented Texas’s 18th Congressional District since 1995 — made the announcement at City Cathedral Church in Houston.

(Full story HERE.)
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Two Bills Regulate Cities' Ability To Legislate

[#TexasPolitics365]

The Texas legislature is debating a pair of bills that would strip cities and counties of the right to set policy on a wide array of environmental, safety and discrimination issues.

These two state bills — House Bill 2127 and Senate Bill 814 — would bar municipalities from passing or enforcing local rules in several critical areas “unless explicitly authorized by statute.” 

(Full story HERE
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Big City Mayors Face Little Re-Election Opposition In May

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The mayors of some of Texas’ largest cities are cruising toward reelection.

The incumbents in San Antonio and Fort Worth face little opposition after the deadline to run for mayor in the May 6 election passed Friday. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson faces no challengers.

It’s a political boon for the mayors. But for nearly 3.7 million residents, there won’t be a real choice on the May mayoral ballot or high-profile debates about their cities’ future as their regions see massive growth and deal with the resulting challenges of housing, transportation and policing.

(Full story HERE.)
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El Paso Launches Site To Track Illegal Immigrants

[#TexasPolitics365]

El Paso has launched a new online migrant dashboard as over 60,000 illegal border crossers have passed through the overwhelmed Texas city in the last six months.

The city’s new Migrant Situational Awareness Dashboard provides weekly statistics on the number of migrant encounters reported by federal agencies as well as data on those released into the community and the number of migrants provided services at El Paso’s Migrant Welcome Center.

(Full story HERE.)
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