Capital Highlights Week of September 2 – 6

Comptroller: Hundreds of new homes needed to cut costs

A 26-page report from the Texas Comptroller concludes that the state needs 306,000 additional homes, a shortage that has sent housing costs soaring, The Texas Tribune reported. Homebuilding hasn’t kept up with the booming economy as millions of new residents have moved here over the past decade, leaving more than half of the state’s homeowners and renters struggling to find and keep affordable housing. 
“Is it a crisis today? I wouldn’t call it a crisis,” Comptroller Glenn Hegar told The Tribune. “But if we don’t find some more solutions, we’re going to be in a crisis.”
Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan have each indicated that addressing the state’s housing affordability issues will be on lawmakers’ agenda when they return in January for the next legislative session. 
One suggestion drawing attention is reducing minimum lot size requirements. A bill to do so passed the Texas Senate last year but died in the Texas House.
Median home prices in Texas rose nearly 40% from 2019 to 2023, the comptroller’s report indicated. Nearly 2 out of 5 Texas households are paying more than 30% of their income on housing. Texas is one of the toughest states for extremely low-income renters, with a shortage of nearly 700,000 units, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. 

More than 1 million ineligible voters stricken from rolls

Texas has removed more than 1 million people from the state’s voter rolls, including people who have moved out-of-state, have died, or are noncitizens.
“Illegal voting in Texas will never be tolerated. We will continue to actively safeguard Texans’ sacred right to vote while also aggressively protecting our elections from illegal voting,” Gov. Greg Abbott said, touting a 2021 legislative overhaul of election laws.
However, some election experts point out both federal and state law already required voter roll maintenance and that this is a routine process.
“Year after year, people are taken off the voting rolls for all manner of innocuous reasons,” said Sarah Xiyi Chen, an attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project.
Some watchdog groups are questioning whether the state is mistakenly removing voters it considers “noncitizens.” In 2019, the state flagged 95,000 voters identified as such. Many of them turned out to be naturalized citizens, and the secretary of state at the time resigned, The Tribune reported.
The law that took effect in 2021 set new rules and penalties for assisting voters. The measure made it a felony for local officials to proactively distribute applications for mail-in ballots, gave partisan poll watchers increased autonomy inside polling places, and banned local attempts to expand voting hours and drive-through voting, among other practices.

Record transportation investment announced 

The state plans to spend a record $148 billion for transportation infrastructure over the next decade, the Texas Department of Transportation and Abbott announced. That includes more than $104 billion in a 10-year transportation plan to improve safety, address congestion and connectivity, and maintain roadways. It also includes more than $43 billion for development and routine maintenance – a $5.6 billion increase from the previous year.
“With a booming population and economy, TxDOT is meeting the moment with a record investment in our state roadway system to ensure Texas remains the preferred destination for families and businesses,” said Texas Transportation Commission Chairman J. Bruce Bugg Jr.
Many of the projects in the 2025 Unified Transportation Program are roadways noted on the state’s most congested roadways list. TxDOT is overseeing a record number of active projects this year.

Regulators approve $5.4 billion in gas plant loans

The Public Utilities Commission has picked 17 companies to move forward with natural gas power plants financed with low-cost state loans, The Dallas Morning News reported. PUC commissioners approved $5.4 billion in proposals for plants capable of generating enough electricity to power 2.4 million homes.
The current $5 billion fund is expected to double to $10 billion as state leaders seek to address the power blackouts of the 2021 winter storm that killed more than 200 Texans.
PUC Executive Director Connie Corona said regulators favored power plant construction proposals that can be completed quickly, are spread throughout the state, and reduce strain on Texas’ electricity transmission network, The News reported.
“The awardee must complete a rigorous due diligence phase, wherein they provide documentation similar to, you know, when you apply for a mortgage,” Corona said last week.

Hunters urged to prevent wildfires during dove season

Dove hunting season began over the Labor Day weekend, and hunters are urged to be mindful of activities that could cause a wildfire, officials with Texas A&M Forest Service said. Hot and dry conditions in August resulted in increased wildfires in North and Northwest Texas, with 281 wildfires burning 24,333 acres.
“Forecast rain will help to decrease wildfire potential across most of the state,” said Jared Karns, Texas A&M Forest Service interim fire chief. “We encourage everyone to be careful with outdoor activities this holiday and throughout the fall.” 
Vehicles, trailers and all-terrain vehicles frequently used while hunting and camping are capable of inadvertently causing wildfires through sparks, hot mufflers and tow chains dragging along roadways. Nine of 10 wildfires are caused by humans, according to the forest service. Hunters are urged to be aware of burn bans across the state, which as of Sunday included 138 Texas counties. The bans cover much of the state except for East and Southeast Texas.

Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: [email protected]