TSCRA government and public affairs staff spent much of last week participating in the TSCRA Policy Conference near Austin. Each policy committee and subcommittee met to review and revise TSCRA policies on important issues. Numerous guest speakers also addressed attendees on a wide variety of agricultural and political issues. Eminent domain took center stage at two general sessions where attendees were briefed on the association’s efforts and heard from experts and lawmakers on the subject.
Monday, TSCRA staff met with Brooke Paup, who was appointed earlier this year to the Texas Water Development Board. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss water issues, particularly brackish groundwater.
The House Land and Resource Management Committee announced two interim hearings for next week. We encourage TSCRA members who have had experience with eminent domain (including the threat of eminent domain) to make plans to attend and provide public testimony.
Those hearings are:
Dallas
Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, at 9 a.m.
Dallas City Hall
1500 Marilla Street
Dallas, TX 75201
Corpus Christi
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, at 9 a.m.
Soloman P. Ortiz International Center
Nueces Room
402 Harbor Drive
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Thursday, government affairs staff was in Lubbock for an important meeting on agricultural finance that included numerous legislators, legislative staff and stakeholders. We expect that legislation will be filed in the upcoming legislative session that could impact ag finance.
And finally, TSCRA testified on Thursday at an interim hearing of the House Committee on Natural Resources. The primary subject was the appropriate consideration of the service area of a water supplier when groundwater resources are allocated based on surface ownership.