TSCRA Govt Affairs Roundup: Election results, an eminent domain meeting and WOTUS

Tuesday’s general election brought changes to both the federal and state legislative landscapes. In Washington, Democrats won control of the House of Representatives, but Republicans held on to the Senate gaining three seats. Two Republican incumbent U.S. Representatives from Texas, Pete Sessions and John Culberson, lost their seats to Democratic challengers. The shift in the U.S. House will likely have implications on many issues important to cattle raisers, from the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill to the approval of NAFTA 2.0.
In Texas, Republicans retained all statewide elected positions, but Democrats made gains in both the Texas Senate and Texas House. In the Senate two Republican incumbents lost to Democratic challengers, and Democrats picked up 12 seats in the Texas House. For the upcoming legislative session Republicans will retain the majority by just 16 seats in the House.
Several races remain too close to call and TSCRA leaders and staff continue to analyze impacts from the election. Thank you to everyone who considered the voting recommendations released by the TSCRA PAC. Of 174 candidates endorsed by the TSCRA PAC, 150 won their respective races thanks to your support.
TSCRA leaders and staff continue to engage with state lawmakers on the issue of eminent domain reform in preparation for the 2019 Texas Legislative Session, which is less than two months away. Visit www.texansforpropertyrights.com and sign up for our weekly newsletter to stay up to date on eminent domain reform efforts!
TSCRA also participated Wednesday in an eminent domain landowner meeting in Blanco. The meeting, organized by a local landowner, was similar to the one held by TSCRA in Fredericksburg the prior week. Both meetings provided valuable information to landowners who are facing the threat of eminent domain with the building of the Permian Highway Pipeline.
In regulatory news, USDA is expected to soon release a new Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. TSCRA has long fought the implementation of the 2015 WOTUS rule proposed by the Obama Administration. The 2015 rule gave the Environmental Protection Agency a vast increase in control over private lands. The new rule would replace the 2015 version and will hopefully be much more narrowly focused. For more information and to stay up to date check out https://watersadvocacy.org.