Texas News

TEXAS NEWS

ALL BILLS THAT PASSED IN THE 88TH TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN 2023 ARE LISTED HERE:

https://legiscan.com/TX/legislation/2023?status=passed

ALL bills that were VETOED are listed here:

https://legiscan.com/TX/legislation/2023?status=vetoed

TEXAS NEWS

NEW: From @GovAbbott:

POSTER REQUIRED IN NAIL SALONS, HAIR SALONS, ALL COSMOTOLOGY BUSINESSES, MASSAGE BUSINESS

STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING - Two Notes

"Proud to unveil the ‘Stop Human Trafficking’ specialty license plate. I encourage all Texans to join us in our mission to eradicate human trafficking as we raise awareness, educate the public, and support survivors." Governor Abbott

Governor Abbott's Story Here.

@TexasHHSC Texas Official Health and Human Services

From @tdlrlicense: https://twitter.com/tdlrlicense

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Several professions regulated by TDLR can intersect with persons who are being trafficked. This poster - required to be posted in cosmetology and massage establishments - is useful.

Story here.

Download required poster it here.

BUDGET SURPLUS

From @GregAbbott_TX: "Texas is sitting on a historic budget surplus. We owe that surplus to our taxpayers. I want to provide Texans with the largest property tax cut in the history of our state. It’s your money – you deserve to keep it."

Update: January 22, 2023, from Senator Bryan Hughes (FB), from District 1, representing 16 northeast Texas counties, reported on social media Monday,
stating, "I am grateful to Lt. Governor Dan Patrick for reappointing me as Chair of the Senate Committee on State Affairs and for giving me the additional honor of serving as Chair of the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence. I will use these positions of leadership to support the limited government and free market policies that have made Texas a beacon of hope in our nation and the world."

Hughes continued, "It is an honor to serve on the Senate Committee on Finance with Chairwoman Joan Huffman as our state seeks to steward a $33 billion surplus. Texans can rest assured that under her leadership, we will produce a balanced, conservative budget."

"I also am honored to serve," Hughes added, "as a member of the Committees on Health and Human Services, Natural Resources and Economic Development, and Nominations. Each of these committees plays a vital role in our state. I look forward to working with Chairs Huffman, Lois Kolkhorst, Brian Birdwell, and Dr. Donna Campbell to advance policies for Texas' brightest future."

TEXAS BORDER SECURITY

From @GovAbbott: "More Texans have a job today than EVER in the history of our state! That puts more Texans on the path to prosperity through higher wages and unparalleled opportunities.
BORDER CRISIS Update: From @TxDPS: As part of Gov. @GregAbbott_TX's Operation Lone Star, DPS' Aircraft Operations Division is helping secure the border by combating the smuggling of people and drugs into Texas. The goal: keep Texas communities safe." Governor Abbott

[READ THE STORY HERE]

TEXAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

From @TexasEconDev: https://twitter.com/TexasEconDev

JOBs and BIZ News: From @GoBigInTexas: Two Manufacturing Projects Will Invest $150M In Texas Read the story.
Texas is the gateway to global trade for the nation.

@LaredoEDC Texas’ central location and state-of-the-art ports, infrastructure and transportation network provides unmatched access to domestic and global markets by land, air and sea >> Read more here.

"Exxon prepares to start up $2 BILLION Texas oil refinery expansion. Great news for our mighty oil and gas industry. Oil production is expected to reach a new high in 2023 thanks to hardworking Texans. Texas energy powers the world." >> Read more here, as provided by the Governor's office link to Reuters story.

EMPLOYERS & SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FUND

EMPLOYERS: From @TXWorkforce: Take advantage of this winning formula: Join 4,800 TX businesses that have partnered with local community colleges and workforce development boards to offer job training grants from the Skills Development Fund! Read more here!

GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL EARLY?

NEW STATE SCHOLARSHIP

From @TXHigherEdBoard: Students graduating early could receive the Texas First Diploma, a Distinguished Level of Achievement and a scholarship toward their first year at a select Texas university. Learn more about this opportunity for graduating high school students! [Read about this program here!]

The program brochure is downloadable here.

TEXAS VETERANS (MILITARY)

From @TexasVeterans: As of January 17, veterans in suicidal crisis can go to any VA or non-VA health care facility for free emergency health care. Read more.

jANUARY 19, 2023

FROM THE GOVERNOR'S STAFF SUMMARIES

From @TDEM:

Texas Emergency Management Professionals and First Responders can register for the Texas Emergency Management Technology Summit here (SLATED FOR FEB. 13-14).

January 16, 2023

FENTANYL DANGERS

JUST TWO MILLIGRAMS CAN KILL

- TIED TO BORDER CRISIS AND

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

(From the Governor's staff on state updates.)

#OnePillKills message from @TxDPS: DID YOU KNOW? Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal. That's why DPS is working to raise awareness about the dangers of this deadly drug, as tasked by Gov. @GregAbbott_TX . Learn more about the dangers of fentanyl at dps.texas.gov/onepillkills.

"To combat the rise in fentanyl across Texas, DPS continues to combat the smuggling of this deadly drug into our state, particularly as part of Operation Lone Star. Since Operation Lone Star began in March 2021, DPS has seized more than 346 million* lethal doses of fentanyl across the state. This is enough fentanyl to kill every man, woman and child in the United States."

Editor's note: This is milligrams in weight, not fluids. "Milligrams are very small measurements of solid weight in the international metric system. Specifically, a milligram is one-thousandth of a gram; to put it in concrete terms, the common mosquito weighs around 2 milligrams."