Month in Review: A Digest of Capitol News

Interim Hearings Continue

Since our previous report, two additional public hearings took place. At the July 9 meeting of the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, Travis County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Sylvia Holmes testified on behalf of the Justices of the Peace and Constables Association on House Bill 842 by Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco). She provided valuable insight on how the bill has helped alleviate driver's license suspensions and suggestions for possible updates during the coming legislative session. Video of the hearing is available here.

Also, the House Culture, Recreation & Tourism Committee met July 16 to monitor legislation passed durng the previous session and hear testimony on the Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program and the coastal shrimping and fishing industries. Video of the hearing is available here.

Governor Issues Disaster Declaration

In response to the widespread power outages caused by Hurricane Beryl, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick formed a new committee, the Senate Special Committee on Hurricane and Tropical Storm Preparedness, Recovery, and Electricity. Thousands of Texans faced multiday power outages in searing temperatures as utilities worked to restore services. The response was criticized by Patrick, then serving as acting governor as Gov. Greg Abbott conducted business abroad.

The committee will be chaired by Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown). No hearings are yet scheduled. Check for updates on the committee's webpage.

For more information about this article, please contact Julie Young or Pete Winckler.