By Robert Nichols

As Texas recovers from the destructive storms last week, the legislature is back at work and focused on finding answers to what happened last week. This week we also resumed work on the budget in the Senate Finance Committee. We heard from Article III agencies, including TEA and all of our institutes of higher education. To finish the week, we will hear from Article II agencies, including Health and Human Services Commission and the Department of State Health Services.

Here are five things happening around your state:

1. Six ERCOT board members resign

As of Thursday, six members of ERCOT’s 16-member board announced they would resign Tuesday after massive blackouts affecting millions of Texans during disastrous winter weather left many without power in subfreezing temperatures for days. Five of the six board members that are resigning, including the chairwoman and the vice-chairman, live out-of-state, a fact that many Texans and legislators take issue with.

Several legislators have filed bills to ensure that all ERCOT board members are Texas residents. ERCOT manages the flow of electric power through the state’s power grid. Weeks before the storm, ERCOT assured stakeholders that power plants were prepared for winter storms. It’s obvious that was not the case, and as the vice-chair of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, I look forward to getting answers from ERCOT, the PUC, power generators, and other industry professionals about what went wrong and how to prevent such a catastrophic failure in the future.

2. Governor calls meeting of legislators about electric billing

Over the weekend, Governor Abbott convened an emergency meeting of a group of legislators to discuss the spike in Texans’ energy bills following the power outages across the state. As a member of that work group, I think it’s important for Texans to know that this issue is a priority for all of us. We are working quickly and collaboratively in both chambers to address this issue. The system is complicated and assessing the total cost of these energy bills is ongoing. I look forward to finding a solution to these issues and find ways the state can help mollify this extreme financial burden.

3. Vaccinations get back on track after winter storms

Distribution for the COVID-19 vaccine was disrupted last week due to the intense winter weather Texas faced. Six million doses nationwide, including 450,000 doses bound for Texas, were delayed due to deferred shipments, impassable road conditions, and power outages. However, vaccine providers are confident that Texas can rebound.

This week 1.5 million doses are set to arrive in the state, including last week’s undelivered doses. This comes as vaccine makers told Congress that a big jump in delivery of doses is coming in the near future. By the end of March, Pfizer and Moderna expect to have provided the government with 220 million vaccines. Moreover, both companies expect to deliver 300 million doses each by the end of the summer and Johnson and Johnson assured they would provide 100 million of their vaccines.

4. PUC issues moratorium on utility disconnection for non-payment

In an emergency meeting, the Public Utility Commission issued an order halting utility disconnections for non-payment. These orders are directed at investor owned utilities that fall under the PUC’s jurisdiction, including Oncor, AEP, CenterPoint, and TNMP. Importantly, they do not apply to municipally owned utilities or electric cooperatives.

This is welcome news as many Texas received high electric bills following the widespread power outages during the winter storms. Though many Texans are on fixed rate electricity contracts with their providers, those that are not are facing sky-rocketing bills.  The PUC strongly urged retail electric providers to delay sending invoices out, especially to residential customers.

5. Students learning virtually will not have to take the STAAR test

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced that Texas students who are learning remotely this semester will not be required to take the annual STAAR test. The state logistically can’t administer the test remotely, so those students can opt-out. However, students who are learning in-person will be taking the STAAR test, but without any of the stakes attached.

This year, the test is being used to gauge where students are at after a year of disrupted learning caused by the pandemic. There will be no accountability for school districts or campuses attached to the STAAR this year and it will not be used to evaluate whether or not students can or should progress to the next grade level.

By Robert Nichols

This week has been historic in terms of the severity of the weather across the state. I am praying for the safety of our community and our state.

Here are five things happening around your state:

1. Winter weather cripples Texas

A large winter system blew through Texas this week, dropping 6-8 inches of snow and ice in parts of the state and leaving millions without power for days at a time.

Freezing temperatures coupled with water and snow on the roads led to iced-out conditions, impassable roads and multiple, lasting road closures. These conditions led to a shutdown of most businesses, including the state Legislature, which canceled all the scheduled hearings this week. Those hearings will be rescheduled at a later date.

Local officials and power suppliers have been working hard to get Texans’ power back online.

The governor announced at a press conference this week that he ordered natural gas producers not to export any natural gas outside the state until after this crisis is over to allow power generators to continue working.

Additionally, he encouraged Texans to start reaching out to plumbers to plan repairs if pipes burst in your home. He encouraged the Board of Plumbing Examiners to grant provisional licenses to out-of-state plumbers and those who have let their license lapse in the past two years.

2. ERCOT and why Texas has its own electric grid

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas runs Texas’ electric grid. ERCOT was formed in 1970 and was tasked with managing grid reliability in accordance with national standards.

Importantly, ERCOT is an entity that is unique to Texas as our electric grid is entirely within our borders, so it is not regulated by the federal government. Most of Texas is covered by ERCOT, except for El Paso, northern parts of the Panhandle, and parts of Southeast Texas — including the majority of Senate District 3.

The ERCOT grid remains beyond federal regulation because it is not under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s jurisdiction as FERC can only regulate interstate electric transmission.

Though Texas’ grid remains independent, it does have ties to other grids, including Mexico’s power grid and a few connections to the Eastern Interconnection through Oklahoma. Texas’ grid has its roots in the way electric utilities developed in the early 20th century. Small plants sprouted up throughout Texas as a way to supply power to the cities. They began linking to each other and furthered these connections during WWII to move power from dams along rivers to power factories that were helping with the war effort. These combined efforts formed the Texas Interconnected System, which eventually became ERCOT.

3. Texas ranked No. 1 exporter for 19th year in a row

Texas was ranked the No. 1 exporter of all goods and products in the United States for the 19th year in a row.

Texas ended 2020 with $279 billion in export trade, which is more exports than the next three highest ranked states combined, including California, New York and Louisiana.

Texas also ranked No. 1 in exporting technology products for the eighth year in a row. Those exports totaled $44.8 billion.

This is just another reason Texas is the No. 1 state for business.

4. Senate Business and Commerce Committee to host hearing on ERCOT, power outages

Due to the failures of the ERCOT system and power outages across the state, Business and Commerce committee chair Sen. Kelly Hancock has called a hearing of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee to investigate extreme weather preparedness and circumstances that led to the widespread power outages as directed by ERCOT.

The committee also will examine generator preparedness and performance, natural gas supply, the reliability of renewables during this crisis and overall ERCOT resilience.

The committee will meet at 9 a.m. Thursday in the Capitol building. To tune into this hearing, please visit senate.texas.gov/events.php.

5. Best practices during winter storm

During this extreme weather event, it’s important to keep in mind some best practices to ensure the health and safety of you and your community.

Keep your thermostat at 68 degrees or lower if possible to conserve energy. Draw your curtains to preserve heat. Try and reduce your electric footprint by unplugging devices not in use. If you lose power, do not bring in any grills or outdoor cooking devices to heat your home or run your car in your garage. That can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, which is a silent killer. Wear loose layers of clothing. Go to a warming shelter if possible. Find these tips at tdem.texas.gov/warming-center/.

By Robert Nichols

Things are picking up at the Capitol this week. Senate Finance has begun hearing testimony about the budget and Senate Redistricting is continuing to hear testimony from across the state about the redistricting process. We have a few weeks before the bill filing deadline on March 12, but we are certainly busy.

Here are five things happening around your state:

1. Senate Finance Committee hearings begin

This month the Senate Finance committee began meeting to discuss the budget for the next biennium. Though this work is long and takes several weeks, it is one of the most important processes we engage in as a legislative body. The fifteen-member committee hears from every state agency about their budget requests and priorities. The committee has the opportunity to ask questions of the agency and the Legislative Budget Board, or LBB.

LBB puts together detailed information about state agencies and their budgets to give members a complete picture of the state’s financial situation. The budget is organized into eleven articles. Each article pertains to a different subject matter, like Business and Economic Development, Education, and Public Safety. Our responsibility is to find greater efficiencies in our state budget, ensuring we get the most out of every state dollar.

2. TDHCA Emergency Rental Assistance fund to start accepting applications Feb. 15

The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs has launched the Texas Rent Relief program. This is a statewide rent and utility assistance program for qualifying households. The program can help renters with up to 11 months of past due, current, and up to 3 months of expected rent costs, utility and home energy expenses, and up to 3 months of additional assistance if funds are still available. The state received $1.3 billion from the federal government in the latest COVID-19 relief bill for this program.

TDHCA will begin accepting applications for the program on February 15. To qualify, households must be at or below 80% of the area median income as well as meet other qualifications found online. TDHCA will prioritize applications for households at or below 50 percent of area median income level where one or more members are currently unemployed and have been for at least 90 days. Landlords are encouraged to apply on behalf of tenants, who must co-sign the application. Please go online to TexasRentRelief.com for more information. To apply, starting February 15 you can visit that website or call 1-833-9TX-RENT Monday – Friday, 8am – 6 pm.

3. Texans can use Google Search function to find COVID-19 vaccine information

Texas is one of the first states in the nation to have COVID-19 vaccine sites updated on both Google Search and Google Maps. Last week, Google launched the program. The platform has been populated with validated information from the Texas Department of State Health Services, major national grocery chains, and pharmacies. It is an easy way to find vaccine locations near you along with appointment requirements, hours, locations, and contact information.

4. Texas to receive more than 400k doses of vaccine this week

The state of Texas will receive over 400,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the federal government this week. Those doses will be shipped to 358 providers in 135 counties across the state. Of those providers, 85 are hub providers that focus on broader community vaccination efforts, including the hardest hit populations and areas.

The other 273 providers will receive doses that focus on those that serve older adults, like health departments, pharmacies, health centers, community and rural clinics, and medical practices that specialize in care for older adults. The Department of State Health Services is encouraging providers to prioritize people 75 and older who are at the highest risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Importantly, this does not change or restrict groups already eligible for vaccination.

5. Walmart to start COVID-19 vaccination in Texas, 21 other states

Last week, Walmart announced that Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies will start a vaccination program in Texas and 21 other states.  More than 1,000 locations across those states will receive vaccine allocations from the federal government. There will be an emphasis on locations that reach customers in underserved communities with limited access to health care. The vaccine supply is still limited and will vary by location. You can schedule a vaccine appointment directly through the Walmart and Sam’s Club websites. A Sam’s Club membership is not required to make an appointment. There are several locations in East Texas. For a list of locations and more information on how to sign up, visit https://corporate.walmart.com/covid-vaccine.

By Robert Nichols

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog Day, signaling 6 more weeks of winter. Since 1887, the groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania has been central to the legend of Groundhog Day, celebrated every February 2. Let’s hope he’s wrong this year.

Here are five things happening around the state this week:

1. Texas Water Development Board authorized $44.5 million in Flood Mitigation Assistance

Last month, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) approved $44.5 million in FEMA grants for their Flood Mitigation Assistance program. The Flood Mitigation Assistance program is a competitive grant program that provides funding to states and local communities for projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage. TWDB administers the FEMA grant program for Texas. Eleven grants for Texas projects were approved, including four in Senate District 3. Montgomery County was awarded $10.07 million for acquisition projects, Orange County was awarded $1 million for elevation projects, the City of Pearland was awarded $1.35 million for elevation projects, and the City of Vidor was awarded over $400,000 for acquisition projects. That totals over $12.5 million for Senate District 3 flood mitigation projects, a much needed investment in our more flood-prone areas.

2. Texas economy ranked 9th largest in the world

According to the most recent GDP data from the International Monetary Fund, Texas entered 2021 as the worlds 9th largest economy, overtaking Brazil who was ranked 9th since 2015. This ranking places Texas in front of other large global economies such as Canada, South Korea, and Russia. Texas has a GDP of $1.9 trillion, whereas the US total GDP totals around $21.4 trillion, making it the worlds largest economy. It’s a good time to be in business in Texas and we look forward to continued growth in 2021.

3. Governor Abbott Names Broadband as an Emergency Item in State of the State Address

This week, Governor Abbott delivered his State of the State address in Austin. During the half-hour speech, he touched on topics ranging from the pandemic and the vaccine effort to the Texas economy and job growth. In the speech, he named five emergency items, a designation that will allow legislators to vote on and pass legislation before the 60-day mark. One of the emergency items was expanding broadband access. Lack of rural broadband has been an issue in the state for a long time and something I’ve been working on for several years. The global pandemic has only shown us just how necessary high-speed internet is for telehealth, education, and business. This session I have filed legislation with Rep. Ashby that would expand broadband access. I’m thrilled the governor has made this subject an emergency item and know that we will be working diligently to pass meaningful reform to get rural Texans the high-speed internet they need.

4. US Military Medical Professionals Treating COVID-19 Patients in Lufkin

Lufkin is one of three cities across the state that military medical personnel are deploying to in response to the ongoing pandemic. They will also be deploying to Abilene and Eagle Pass. The medical personnel will be supporting local hospitals and frontline workers in treating COVID-19 patients. The military medical professionals will be working at St. Luke’s Lufkin. The hospital is also planning to expand by opening a third COVID-19 unit in preparation for another influx of cases. This all comes as two new vaccination hubs opened in East Texas. The newest hubs in Jasper and Palestine join existing hubs in Liberty County and Montgomery County.

5. Big Thicket National Preserve Issuing Free Feral Hog Trapping Permits

The Feral Hog Trapping Program is offering free hog trapping permits in the Big Thicket National Preserve. The feral hog population is becoming a problem in that area, which covers parts of Jasper, Polk, and Tyler counties. Feral hogs can be aggressive and outcompete other native animals for food, water, and resources, throwing the existing ecosystem out of balance. Hunters are allowed to trap and kill as many hogs as they can. Last year, around 250 feral hogs were removed and the preserve is hoping for even more removals this year. The program issues 50 free permits on a first-come, first-serve basis. Hunters are allowed to bring one trap and one feeder and hogs in the trap must be killed with a firearm only. No hunting dogs are allowed while hog trapping in the area. The program runs until the beginning of general hunting season in November. Permits are available at the Big Thicket’s Visitor Center.

By Robert Nichols

The third week of session is coming to a close. The Redistricting Committee has been meeting every day this week to hear testimony from the public and Senate Finance will start meeting next month.

Here are five things happening around your state:

1. Texas Gun and Ammo Sales Rise

Gun and ammo sales are skyrocketing in Texas again this year. Some retailers said their sales doubled in 2020 when compared to 2019 and they’re struggling to keep inventory on the shelves. According to a National Shooting Sports Foundation report, there were about 5 million new gun owners in 2020 nationwide. Manufacturers are saying they have enough orders to fill the next three years of production. One man who has been in the gun industry for six years said, “People can buy ammo and shoot ammo faster than they can make it.”

2. Southeast Texas Regional Operations Center Vaccine Website

The Southeast Texas Regional Operations Center (SETROC) has created a new website to allow residents in a five-county region to sign up to be notified when there are COVID-19 vaccines available. The regional operations center serves Orange, Jefferson, Hardin, Jasper, and Newton Counties.

There is a four-step process involved for citizens who want to get vaccinated. First, complete the sign-up form on the SETROC website. That web address is https://vaccine.beaumonttexas.gov/. After signing up, you will receive a confirmation email. Importantly, just signing up does not mean you have an appointment. The next communication you receive from SETROC will inform you that you are eligible to schedule a vaccination appointment. This will come as an email and an automated phone call. You can return to the above web address to schedule your appointment and complete necessary paperwork.

After you receive the first dose of the vaccine, you will receive a card indicating an approximate time when your next dose is due. A few days prior to that date, you’ll receive another email and automated phone call to schedule your second appointment. We are working to stand up additional vaccine hubs throughout East Texas as quickly as providers are able to source more vaccines.

3. Driver’s License Expiration Waiver Ends in April

The Texas Department of Public Safety is reminding Texans that the waiver that allowed people to put off renewing their expired driver’s licenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic is set to expire April 14. If you are driving with an expired license make an appointment to renew your license or renew your license online. Many Texans can use the online renewal process, an easy and safe option that doesn’t require you to ever set foot in an office. Currently, driver’s license offices are operating on an appointment only basis, so DPS is encouraging Texans to make an appointment as soon as possible to avoid fines or other penalties. You can make an appointment online at https://dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense.

4. Cleveland Hospital Selected as COVID-19 Vaccine Hub

Texas Emergency Hospital in Cleveland has been selected as a vaccination hub by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The first shipment of vaccines were set to arrive at the hospital last week. Vaccines are still being prioritized for Phase 1A and Phase 1B of the roll out. Phase 1A includes frontline healthcare workers, residents at long-term care facilities, home health workers, and first responders. Phase 1B includes persons 65 and older, or 16 and older with chronic medical conditions. The vaccine is being provided free of cost. To schedule an appointment please call 281-806-7370 or 281-806-7380.

5. Senate Budget Proposal Highlights

Last week, Senate Finance Chairwoman Jane Nelson filed SB 1, the Senate’s base budget. This is the first step in the legislative process for developing the states budget for the next two years. As filed, the bill appropriates $251.2 billion in All Funds and $119.7 billion in General Revenue. The bill funds public education and the changes made to the school finance formulas last session including $3.1 billion to fund enrollment growth and $1 billion in state aid related to property tax compression. There is also $8 billion allocated for mental health funding across 24 state agencies, including $19.5 million to maintain operations for the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium. The Texas Department of Transportation would receive $30.4 billion to address the state’s transportation needs, including $26.4 billion dedicated for highway planning, design, construction and maintenance. This is a great starting point for the budget process and I look forward to working on the budget as a member of the Senate Finance Committee this session.