How the Texas Legislature reacted as citizens across the state took action on bills and amendments in the final week

The 82nd Session may be remembered for the drama of its final days–and the absence of a clear ending given the special session that Governor Perry called the following day. But the regular session did, in fact, come to an end on May 30th, and the governor’s veto period will end on Sunday, June 19th.

In the last week of the 82nd Session, ACT was fighting the Bonnen amendment to SB 875 and working to make HB 3328 (the fracking disclosure bill) as strong as possible. We also continued our work on the TCEQ Sunset bill (HB 2694). By standing up for stronger environmental protection and regulation in Texas, citizens influenced the final version of each of these bills and had a significant impact on the legislative process

The great news of the final week was that the Bonnen amendment was stripped from SB 875 in conference committee. This was a significant victory for all Texans who believe we have the right to protect our property and our health from harmful neighbors–in this case, those who cause harm by their permitted activities (also known as polluters). Once the reach of the Bonnen amendment began to be understood, the bill’s author Sen. Troy Fraser stood on the Senate floor and promised to strip the amendment. He even requested that Sen. Kirk Watson (not know as Sen. Fraser’s top ally on environmental issues) serve on the conference committee.

The final week also brought changes to HB 3328 that ACT opposed, in particular, the change to the implementation timeline. The Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter has an excellent recap of this bill in its May 31 State Capitol E-Report. As the Sierra Club says, “While HB 3328 is not what the Sierra Club would consider “model” legislation, it is a significant step forward.” The national debate on fracking fluid disclosure is just beginning; what we did and did not achieve in the Texas Legislature will set the stage for future bills. ACT strongly urges all Texans concerned about the health effects of fracking to stay involved in the issue, to educate their neighbors and fellow Texans who are just learning about fracking, and to continue advocating for regulations, enforcement, and the public good.

ACT will continue to review how environmental issues were handled by the 82nd Legislature. Once the governor’s veto period is over, we will publish updates on the following issues: TCEQ Sunset, energy efficiency and renewable energy, water and land, electronic waste and recycling, and gas drilling.