As we welcome warmer days ahead, there is a lot of work to do at the Texas Capitol to get to the bottom of what went wrong with the state’s power grid during last week’s storm, and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
The Texas House and Senate will have hearings beginning this week to determine what decisions were made and how they can be fixed. I urge you to watch the hearings and decide for yourself what Texas needs to do. The House hearings will begin Thursday at 9 a.m. You can watch them live (or later, since they are recorded) on the internet at: https://house.texas.gov/video-audio/?fbclid=IwAR0wVyE8OBIZ2S0DcT0uLhQ1fLQjha5PKWHuBLpChZSXtcUo-1Pjv0PE24E
Below is a summary of some of the information that will be useful going forward as we begin to recover from the power outages and burst pipes. I will continue to try to get more information to you as I hear it.
- Committee Hearings on Winter Storm Response
- Legislative Session Update
- Tips for the Recovery
- FEMA & Government Agency Resources
- COVID Vaccine Information
- District Update
View of the Texas Capitol from the north side overlooking the underground rotunda
Committee Hearing on Winter Storm
Although this last week’s storm and prolonged sub-freezing temperatures is unprecedented in modern Texas, there are still serious questions about how it was handled and why ERCOT’s power grid was unprepared to handle the storm.
There are also serious questions about ERCOT’s communications with the state and with the public – when did they know the expected effects of the storm and why didn’t they warn people before the storm hit?
We know that it was more than simply demand for power (which spikes whenever temperatures are severely higher or lower than normal) outstripping our peak supply. Instead, much of Texas’s power supply from all sources (natural gas, coal, nuclear, and wind) froze almost immediately, putting us in a dangerous situation from the very beginning of the subfreezing weather. This is not sustainable and is completely unacceptable. While it may not be feasible to fund a system that is never affected by weather, we cannot live with a system that breaks down within hours every time there is a widespread freeze.
As I stated at the top of this newsletter, both the Texas House and Senate will begin hearings in the coming week to get to the bottom of what happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again. I urge you to follow the hearings and learn for yourself what happened and what we can do about it. In the mean time, I will keep you updated as much as I can.
Chairman Craig Goldman of the House Committee on Energy Resources and Chairman Chris Paddie of the House Committee on State Affairs are hosting a joint committee hearing on Thursday, February 25 at 9:00 a.m.
A live video broadcast of this hearing will be available here: https://house.texas.gov/video-audio/
If you want to electronically submit comments related to agenda items on this notice without testifying in-person, you can do so until the hearing is over: https://comments.house.texas.gov/?c=c450
If you were directly affected by the winter storm by losing power and/or water, I would encourage you to submit your comments at the link above.
ERCOT BOARD RESIGNS: Two days before ERCOT was to answer for their actions in front of state legislators, 5 members of their board – including the President, Vice President, and 3 members – all resigned.
As we continue to work through this investigation, I will be providing information so you stay abreast on the Legislature’s recent findings.
Legislative Update
Meanwhile, the rest of our legislative work continues. So far I have filed 12 bills and 4 House Joint Resolutions.
Some to look out for are HB 1569, which will protect home owners from having their religious displays removed by their home owners’ associations. HB 1705 will freeze all property taxes for homeowners over 65 years old.
To read and follow the rest of my bill package, follow this link to “Bill Authored”: https://house.texas.gov/members/member-page/?district=132
The famous Texas Capitol door hinges that can be seen through out the Capitol
House and Senate committee hearings are gearing up this week on the bills that have been filed so far. All legislation will be referred to a committee, which can hold a hearing or “kill” the bill in committee by taking no action on it. If the bill passes out of the committee, then it heads to the “calendars” committee, which decides whether to set it for a floor vote.
If you would like to watch committee hearings on a live stream, you can follow this link: https://house.texas.gov/video-audio/ or https://senate.texas.gov/av-live.php
Tips for the Recovery
Here are some of the tips we picked up for recovery in the coming days:
BOIL WATER NOTICE: Most of Harris County, along with the City of Katy, has been removed from the boil water notices. Please check with your Municipal Utility District’s website to double check the status of your neighborhood.
BURST WATER PIPES: Restoring water service is not the only water problem we face. If your power was out for a significant period of time, you run the risk of water freezing in your pipes that will expand when the water thaws, potentially bursting your pipes. If you haven’t had water service, or have turned off your water at the valve at the side of your home, you will want to open the faucets so they can drip and clear the water. Gov. Abbott is encouraging homeowners and tenants to line up plumbers ASAP, to avoid long waits for service. In the mean time, he has authorized out-of-state plumbers to come to Texas to help out. Be very careful if you don’t know your plumber; make sure you are not getting gouged or charged up front for work that doesn’t end up being performed.
CONTACT YOUR INSURANCE PROVIDER: Just like in the case of a flood, many people will be contacting their homeowners or renters insurance company all at once. Gov. Abbott has recommended that you contact your insurance company or agent now and set up a file number for your claim, to speed up your recovery once the extent of any damage is discovered. Take plenty of pictures and document everything that was damaged or destroyed by the water.
TDI (Texas Department of Insurance) TDI updated their winter storm resource page which includes tips to help Texans file a claim and avoid scams. Also, their Help Line is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central time this week: 800-252-3439. TDEM (Texas Division of Emergency Management) advises that people without insurance may be eligible for FEMA reimbursement in the coming weeks.
SNAP FOOD PROGRAM: If you lost the food in your fridge due to the power outage, and you are on the state’s SNAP food program, you can request replacement benefits for this month only. Submit a signed 1855 form and upload to your portal at yourtexasbenefits.com
RENTERS: If you are renter and your apartment or rental home was damaged last week, please click the link to learn more about renter’s rights so you can move forward with your management company: https://bit.ly/37wt8Zt
BUSINESS OWNERS: If you were impacted by the severe winter storms and are located in a declared disaster area, you may be eligible for a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration. For more info and how to apply, visit bit.ly/3dFEiPl
PRICE GOUGING: Under Texas law, no company or provider may raise the cost of a service or good due to a natural disaster. An example of this is if a gas station rose the cost of gas well over the state’s average, or if a grocery store charged well over the cost of the good. If you saw price gouging, or currently see if as we move through recovery, please report it at the following link: bit.ly/2Nas0Ut
FEMA Response
Governor Abbott announced that the White House has partially approved Texas’ request for a Major Disaster Declaration (DR-4586-TX). The Governor requested the Major Disaster Declaration on Thursday for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance in all 254 counties. The White House approved the request for Individual Assistance in 77 counties (including Harris County) and for Public Assistance (Emergency Protective Measures Only) in all 254 counties.
Individuals and business owners in counties included in the President’s declaration who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585
Government Agencies
Here are a few Texas government agencies you can contact if you need help or have a complaint:
YOUR WATER COMPANY: If you live in the city of Katy, you can call the water department. For everyone else who lives in my district (Katy and Cypress), your water is provided by your Municipal Utility District (MUD). Call them with any problems with your service. We are told that over half of all Harris County residents are still having problems with water service as of Friday afternoon, whether a lack of water, low water pressure, or unsafe water.
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION – The PUC advises that the number of phone calls they are receiving is greatly exceeding their capacity to answer them. If you have a complaint or a question about how the storm will affect residential power bills, they have asked that you email PUC at customer@puc.texas.gov or dial 211.
YOUR STATE REP: As always, there are several ways to reach me.
If you’d like to get in contact with our office, please feel free to go onto my webpage and click the “Email” button to fill out the form. The page can be found here: https://house.texas.gov/members/member-page/?district=132
You can also call our Capitol office at 512-463-0528 or our Katy district office at 281-492-0684. Our district office is located in the Houston Community College building at 1550 Foxlake Drive. We aren’t there right now, because HCC has closed the campus on Fridays and weekends.
I encourage everyone to stay connected this session on legislation, committee hearings, and floor debates through the following website: https://capitol.texas.gov/
COVID Vaccinations
Although it has been next to impossible to dispense COVID vaccines during the storm, the need for vaccinations for those seniors and at-risk individuals who qualify for them has not gone away. The information below is still good regarding how to sign up to receive the vaccine.
Please contact the provider and/or location you were scheduled to get the vaccine to see when your new appointment time has been set.
COVID-19 Vaccine Information
I have been working closely with the Governor’s office, Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), and a number of representatives from the healthcare field to get information out about the COVID-19 vaccine.
So far it has been too difficult to find out where vaccines will be available and to know where to sign up to get vaccinated. Many people have told me that by the time they hear that a location will have the vaccine and go to sign up, they are told that location is already out of vaccine. It needs to become a lot easier to locate places that have the vaccine and to be able to sign up in time to get vaccinated.
We will try to push information out about how to sign up to get the vaccine as soon as we receive that notice. Unfortunately, the process for vaccine distribution is rapidly changing week to week. There is no one single, centralized location to sign-up or register for a vaccine. I would encourage you to reach out to your healthcare providers, particularly any hospital where you have previously sought medical care, to find out if they are expecting any vaccines and how you can sign up.
You can also reference DSHS’ website where a map is provided with the most current and up-to-date locations of vaccine distributions. Follow the prompts through the following link: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/
VACCINE PROVIDERS: If you work at a medical facility or pharmacy that can support the storage and distribution of the vaccines, DSHS is taking requests to become a vaccine provider. You can find more information and fill out the application through the following link: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/provider-enrollment.aspx
COVID-19 Updates
As of Tuesday, 7,109,875 doses of the vaccine has been distributed, which has been administered to 4,485,029 people in 254 counties.
To see the latest Executive Orders issued by the Governor, follow this link:
To see the Governor’s report to open Texas, follow this link:
TDHCA (Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs) has launched the Texas Rent Relief Program — the first statewide rent and utility assistance program for qualifying households throughout Texas. This program has been created to administer the more than $1 billion allocated to Texas through the latest federal COVID-19 stimulus bill. TDHCA will begin accepting applications for the program on Monday, February 15th, but Texans can visit TexasRentRelief.com starting today to learn more about qualifications, required documents, and the application process.
District 132 Strong!
Although this last week was difficult for so many, I am greatly inspired by those who went out of their way to help our fellow Texans. Whether it was sharing food and supplies with the neighbors, to organizations going out of their way to provide water – I am very proud to see our community come together to help each other out.
Last week I had the honor to help pass out over 1,000 cases of water to those most in need with the Katy Christian Ministries. I also was on hand as the city of Katy handed out 17 pallets of bottled water on Monday. These water distribution efforts are just one example of how our community worked together to overcome such an incredibly difficult time.
Thank you to any and all organizations and businesses that provided food, supplies, warmth, and hope to our community. I would also like to thank all the linemen, plumbers, electricians, and service personnel who worked through the cold to help turn the lights and water back on and clear up the roads.
I hope you, your family, and your loved ones continue to stay safe.
Thank you and God Bless Texas,
