Texas News

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Reminds Retailers of New E-Cigarette Law Designed to Protect Youth

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar

(AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar is reminding retailers that beginning Jan. 1, 2024, it will be a crime in Texas to market, advertise, sell or cause to be sold an e-cigarette product in certain containers that are designed to appeal to minors. “It is illegal to sale e-cigarettes to minors — these products are dangerous and most contain nicotine, heavy metals and cancer-causing materials — yet these products are intentionally designed to attract minors,” Hegar said. “Texas […]

Chronic Wasting Disease Detected in Free-Range Coleman County Deer

AUSTIN — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) received confirmation of a case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Coleman County, marking the first detection in the county. A two-year-old whitetail buck harvested by a hunter on a low-fenced property tested positive through sampling conducted voluntarily to assist with the state’s CWD surveillance. The sample was collected by a TPWD Wildlife Biologist as part of the statewide surveillance effort. Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory initially analyzed […]

How Farmers in Texas Can Increase Their Profits

Business owners have enough responsibilities on their shoulders that would overwhelm a majority of the population. Add in the factor of running an agricultural entity and you quickly see why farmers tend to be quite resilient folks. Farming is perhaps the most important industry on the planet, providing a huge portion of the food supplies to the population. It doesn’t matter if you manage crops or livestock, your job helps feed thousands if not millions […]

Attorney General Ken Paxton Responds to Travis County TRO

Attorney General Ken Paxton

AUSTIN – The Temporary Restraining Order (“TRO”) granted by the Travis County district judge purporting to allow an abortion to proceed will not insulate hospitals, doctors, or anyone else, from civil and criminal liability for violating Texas’ abortion laws. This includes first degree felony prosecutions, Tex. Health & Safety Code § 170A.004, and civil penalties of not less than $100,000 for each violation, Tex. Health & Safety Code §§ 170A.005, 171.207-211. And, while the TRO […]

Texas Tech Meat Judging Team Claims Reserve National Champion

Shelton Luedke won top individual honors as part of the team’s efforts.   Texas Tech University’s Meat Judging Team was named Reserve National Champion at the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) International Meat Judging Contest in Dakota City, Nebraska. Tyson Fresh Meats was again the host of the Nov. 12 national championship for intercollegiate senior meat judging teams. “The heart and passion of this team is contagious,” said Mark Miller, coach of the Meat Judging Team and the […]

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Announces Update to List of Companies Engaging in Scrutinized Business Operations in Iran

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar

(AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced today he has updated the list of companies engaging in scrutinized business operations in Iran. Listed companies are subject to the provisions outlined in Texas Government Code Chapter 2270, which prohibit state governmental entities from contracting with these listed companies and require state and local governments to divest from these companies. “I am proud of the work we have done to ensure Texas tax dollars do not go to companies supporting […]

‘A Major Win for All of Texas’

Cruz Provision Advancing New Texas-Mexico Bridges Set to Become Law  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Texas and Mexico are one step closer to better transportation connections thanks to bipartisan legislation championed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Last night, House and Senate lawmakers announced an agreement on an annual defense authorization bill that includes language authored by Cruz, and pushed by a bipartisan and bicameral coalition of Texas legislators, to streamline a presidential permitting process for new and expanded […]

Comptroller Glenn Hegar Distributes $1.1 Billion in Monthly Sales Tax Revenue to Local Governments

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar

(AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced today he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts $1.1 billion in local sales tax allocations for December, 2.5 percent more than in December 2022. These allocations are based on sales made in October by businesses that report tax monthly. LOCAL SALES TAX ALLOCATIONS (Dec. 2023) Recipient Dec. 2023Allocations Change fromDec. 2022 Year-to-dateChange Cities    $681.6M ↑2.4% ↑4.7% Transit Systems $229.8M ↑1.5% ↑4.8% Counties $66.2M ↑3.7% ↑9.2% […]

Sen. Cruz’s Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Name Ports-to-Plains Corridor “Interstate 27” Passes House

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, John Cornyn (R-Texas), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Ben Ray Luján (D- N.M.), along with U.S. Reps. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) and Henry Cuellar(R-Texas) introduced legislation to rename the Ports-to-Plains corridor as “Interstate 27” that passed the House yesterday. The amended legislation will now head back to the Senate to be considered again. About the victory, Sen. Cruz said, “In Texas, we are leading the […]

Sens. Cruz, Scott Demand Answers on the Biden Administration’s Latest Iran Sanctions Waiver

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Tim Scott (R-S.C), members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, as well as other colleagues sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin calling for the administration to clarify and re-evaluate its policy granting Iran access to tens of billions of dollars through sanctions waivers. In the letter, the senators said, “A strong signal […]