Legislative Update – April 2015
April 29, 2015
Pro-Polluter Bills Move Forward Despite Concerns; Budget Conferees Named
April was indeed the cruelest month (so far). It saw advances in bills that serve the interests of the oil and gas industry and Texas Chemical Council, despite legitimate...
Stop the Assault on Individual Rights
April 29, 2015
To all of you who have taken action in April, thank you so much for contacting your State Representative and Senator on HB 40. Unfortunately, the assault on individual and community rights continues. The House is about to vote on another bad bill...
Sign the Petition - Trans-Pecos Pipeline Through Big Bend Is A Bad Idea
April 24, 2015
The Big Bend area is what some consider the last frontier of Texas; with its clean air, open spaces, and natural beauty. But that beauty is being threatened by a large natural gas pipeline that is slated to run through the region to supply natural...
Texas House Votes to Restrict Rights in Favor of Oil and Gas Development
April 17, 2015
In a shameful display of kowtowing to the power of the oil and gas industry, the Texas House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to restrict the rights of citizens and cities to protect themselves against pollution and hazardous activities. In a...
Statement: Texas Senate Passes SB 709, Takes More Individual Rights Away
April 17, 2015
Yesterday, the Senate passed SB 709, a bill designed to make it more difficult for citizens to contest permit applications at the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ), on a 22-9 vote. The bill’s author, Sen. Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay...
Sierra Club Statement on the Recommitting of HB 40 to Committee
April 14, 2015
State Representative Drew Darby (R-San Angelo) recommitted the controversial HB 40 back to the House Energy Resources Committee today due to a technicality. The bill would take away the rights of citizens and cities to protect themselves against...
Sierra Club Statement on HB 40, Arlington Gas Well Leak
April 13, 2015
As the Texas House of Representatives prepares to vote on HB 40, which would take away the rights of communities and citizens to protect themselves against pollution and hazardous oil and gas drilling activities, a gas well leak in Arlington, Texas...
Action Alert: We Need You Right Now or the Frackers Win Big in Texas
April 10, 2015
The Texas Legislature is close to passing a bill that would take away the rights of citizens and cities to protect themselves against pollution and hazardous activities. HB 40, a bill heavily influenced by the oil and gas industry, would...
2015 Legislative Update - March - Bevy of Bills Filed as Legislature Picks Up Steam; Efforts to End Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and Undermine City Authority Move Forward
April 9, 2015
Friday the 13th marked the official deadline to file bills in the Texas Legislature. By then, over 4,000 bills were filed in the House and some 2,000 in the Senate, as well as multiple “resolutions” and even a few proposed constitutional amendments...
Shop at HEB in April, Help the Sierra Club Foundation!
April 8, 2015
Do you like food? Do you like the environment? If you answered yes to both questions, shop at H-E-B during the month of April and tear off coupons to support our work! It's fast, simple, and helps organizations like ours a lot!