Video & Transcript Research : 'Houston'
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TX
Texas 89th Regular
89th Legislative Session - Second Called Session Aug 20th, 2025
Texas House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Same thing in Houston.
- In Houston, correct? That's Saturday, yes.
- In the Houston area. On mine, are you talking about? On yours.
- In fact, in Houston, over 38% of the population is Hispanic.
- Houston Arlington, yes. That, I don't know.
Keywords:
district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, 997, house, all
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Dave was the founder and executive director of the Houston Area Pastors Council.
- She reps her city of Houston with as much pride as I've ever seen.
- She's a junior at Houston Tillison University.
- Oliver taught there and at Art League Houston for a time.
- Post Office, first in Houston, then in Waco, where he moved in 1984.
Summary:
The House met on sine die and began with prayer, pledges, quorum verification, and a series of announcements and recognitions. The chamber received Senate messages reporting adoption of conference committee reports on SB 268 and SB 2972, and Senate concurrence in House amendments to SB 1637. Members also referred several resolutions and announced the signing of numerous House and Senate measures by the presence of the House. Technical correction resolutions were adopted: HCR 171, authorizing corrections to HB 46, passed 138-0, and SCR 55, making a wording correction in SB 1964, passed 126-12.
A large portion of the meeting was devoted to memorials and recognitions. The House honored Pastor Dave Welch, with several members offering condolences and reflections on his work organizing pastors and engaging in civic life, followed by a moment of silence. Members also recognized the Ganado High School Maidens for winning the 2025 UIL 2A Division I softball state championship, Waco police K-9 Andor after being shot in the line of duty, Region 7 DPS for Capitol Complex security, and various restaurants, staff members, interns, caucus staff, and caucus freshmen of the year across Republican, Democratic, Black, Progressive, LGBTQ, IT, Energy and Climate, and Mexican American Legislative Caucuses.
The chamber also heard a retirement-style address from Rep. Tony Tinderholt, who reflected on his six sessions in the House, his military service, and his decision to step aside to focus on family, while colleagues from both parties praised his service, discipline, and willingness to work across differences. The House then continued with additional staff and caucus recognitions, including committee staff, district office staff, and interns, with members repeatedly thanking their teams for their work during the session.
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Press Conference: Lt. Governor Dan Patrick Feb 12th, 2025
Texas Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I have support letters on this package from Mayor Whitmire back in Houston.
- His killer was arrested thanks to the hard work of the Houston Police Department and Crime Stoppers.
- I'm the Director of Victim Services for Crime Stoppers of Houston.
- I was in the mayor's office for 18 years, at the Houston Police Department, and I'm now running Crime
- We started the Houston Crime Commission a long time ago, long before I was in office.
Keywords:
SJR 2, Senate Joint Resolution 2, constitutional amendment, homestead exemption, property tax relief, school property tax, ad valorem tax, residence homestead, school district taxes, Texas Constitution Article VIII, public school finance, homeowner exemption, elderly exemption, senior tax relief, disabled exemption, tax year 2025, voter approval, November 2025 ballot, local government, Ways & Means
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- For the first time, Dave was the founder and executive director of the Houston Area Pastors Council,
- He went to the University of Houston for undergrad. He also worked in Senator Alvarado's office.
- Oliver taught there and at Art League Houston for a time.
- Post Office, first in Houston, then in... Waco, where he moved in 1984.
- And Yvonne Garcia from the Hooks Epstein Gallery in Houston, who helped us coordinate.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- What does the City of Houston get from these tolls now? This totals down to zero.
- I'm trying to see if we had any testimony from the City of Houston on this.
- Wishing you the best of luck, Kerry Kenry from the Board of Houston.
- I serve as Chief Government and Public Relations Officer of Port Houston.
- I think this is great for Houston. Those ports may also want that, and that's fine.
Keywords:
memorial highway, Captain Kevin Williams, Firefighter Austin Cheek, Smith County, transportation, pedestrian right-of-way, sidewalk users, bicycle safety, micromobility, electric scooter, motor-assisted scooter, electric personal assistive mobility device, skateboard, roller skates, driveway crossing, alley crossing, traffic safety, yield law, Texas Transportation Code, vehicle-pedestrian collision
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- My name is Ruben Mercado Jr., and I'm the founder and chairman of Ipsum General Contractors out of Houston
- founded Impulse Healthcare in 2005 and supported the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston
- I'm with a company called Houston Construction Services.
- I'm not going to read the whole dissertation, but I'm here to tell you that if the Houston HUB program
- , for the chapter in Houston and throughout Texas, we came to support it.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- rise for the invocation which will be offered by Cardinal Daniel Denardo from the Archdiocese of Houston
- Galveston in Houston.
- honor to introduce His Eminence, Daniel Carner Donardo of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Galveston, Houston
- served in Bishop, I'm sorry, Pittsburgh, Rome, and Sioux City before becoming Archbishop of Galveston, Houston
- A University of Houston graduate, he established and operated a real estate firm specializing in farm
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Houston Regional Veterans Chamber of Commerce. Okay.
- Service-Connected Disabled Veteran and I serve as the Government Affairs Task Force Chair for the Houston
- We were named the Subcontractor of the Year for my business with KBR in Houston for work we did for them
- I am on the board of directors for the Houston Regional... ...Veterans Chamber, but also a business owner
- I currently serve on the board of directors for the Houston Regional Veterans Chamber, as well as in
Keywords:
veteran-owned businesses, state contracting, historically underutilized business, economic opportunity, small business, economic development, veterans, certification, Texas legislation, unmanned aircraft, spaceport, criminal offense, aviation regulations, airspace safety, military installations, concurrent jurisdiction, governor's approval, state agency, land acquisition, Veteran Affairs
Summary:
The meeting of the Committee on Veteran Affairs addressed several significant bills aimed at supporting veterans and their businesses. Among the bills discussed was SB390, which seeks to expand the definition of historically underutilized businesses to include all veteran-owned businesses, regardless of disability status. This change aims to create a more equitable economic landscape for veterans and to foster their participation in state procurement opportunities. The committee heard strong testimony supporting this initiative, emphasizing the importance of providing veterans with fair chances in business development.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- I represented South Central and Southwest Houston.
- My name is Rick Noriega from Houston, Texas.
- Area of Houston. And I love Houston. And We won. The Astros won. Yesterday.
- I'm John Culberson from Houston and I was elected in 1986 in my second year of law school and came here
- I was elected in 2000 to represent West Houston in the United States Congress, so I served 1818 years
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- And here in Texas, I did the feasibility studies for the University of Houston and for Sam Houston State
- Sam Houston State, which is in Conroe, which is in Metro Houston, had 3,500 applicants this year for
- I represent Sam Houston State University.
- Sam Houston State University spans more than 2,800 acres and includes 260 buildings, some dating back
- Sam Houston State University currently receives $19 million annually from the HEAF allocation, and HB
Keywords:
special prosecutor, state law, criminal justice, accountability, law enforcement, stormwater management, counties, regulation, environment, water quality
Summary:
The Committee on Higher Education met to hear several bills and first corrected the minutes from its April 1, 2025 meeting to reflect that a committee substitute for HB 271 had been adopted before the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard HB 3326, which would help Texas higher education employees, especially adjunct faculty, qualify for federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness by counting classroom hours toward full-time status, requiring institutions to verify employment within 60 days, and requiring annual notice to eligible employees. No witnesses testified against the bill, and it was left pending.
Members then heard HB 2853, authorizing UTEP to phase in a student union fee increase to fund demolition and reconstruction of its aging student union. Representative Perez and UTEP student and university witnesses said the current facility is outdated and insufficient for a campus of more than 25,000 students, while some members raised concerns about the size of the fee increase and its impact on low-income students. UTEP representatives said most students receive aid, the fee would be phased in over time, and the project was student-approved; the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4066, a one-line bill to abolish the Texas Research Incentive Program after the state cleared its backlog of matching obligations, with the author saying the program was no longer needed in light of newer research funding approaches. The bill was left pending.
The committee spent substantial time on HB 125, which would create the Tarleton State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Supporters, including Tarleton leadership, the founding dean, a rural hospital CEO, and a feasibility consultant, argued the school would address severe rural physician shortages by recruiting Texas and rural students, training them in rural settings, and developing new residency slots rather than competing for existing ones. Members asked about affordability, residency placement, and whether the school would draw students from rural Texas; Tarleton said it would seek to keep tuition and debt low, had already raised private donations, and would request $25 million in state support over the biennium. The bill was left pending.
Finally, the committee heard HB 42, which would increase the annual Higher Education Fund appropriation and adjust its allocation methodology. The chair and university witnesses described rising deferred maintenance, inflation, cybersecurity needs, and enrollment growth at HEAF-eligible institutions, with witnesses from Texas Tech, Sam Houston State, and UNT saying the additional funding would help address aging facilities and technology needs. After testimony, the committee left HB 42 pending and recessed.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- While we've been here, on an average day, about 20 people have moved to Houston.
- In the last two years, more than 300,000 people moved to Houston.
- Houston exports things all around the world.
- Jason mentioned trade, moving out of Houston, not more than Laredo.
- to power Houston.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- And as an example of that, the Dolger case from Houston in 2021, they could not... ...the Dolger case
- from Houston in 2021, they couldn't even get the case transferred from one district court in Houston
- That's the Dolger case and Dolinger case from Houston.
- That's the Dolger case and Dolinger case from from Houston.
- It was in 2021, out of the Houston Court of Appeals. As Ms.
Summary:
The committee first adopted its rules, which were distributed in the same form as the prior session’s rules. Members then took up several bills, beginning with SB 711, an HOA/condominium association bill that would extend and conform property-owner protections to condominium associations; the bill’s author and a Community Associations Institute representative testified in support, and the bill was left pending. SB 942 would allow child support and certain prenatal/postnatal medical expenses to be calculated from the date of conception rather than birth; it drew supportive testimony from the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Attorney General’s Child Support Division, and was also left pending after testimony. SB 1448, an estates and probate cleanup bill, would require transfer of original wills by qualified delivery, add notice and electronic-order requirements for statutory probate courts, and make other clarifications; it received supportive testimony from the Texas Real Estate and Probate Institute and was left pending.
The committee also heard SB 1403, the Attorney General’s Title IV-D child support modernization bill, which updates notice, review, remote-hearing, and administrative-process provisions and clarifies several enforcement and evidence rules; the AG’s office testified that it would improve efficiency, and the bill remained pending. SB 1404 would allow courts to require an email address in final SAPCR orders when other contact information is nondisclosed and clarify service and judgment requirements; the Attorney General’s office described it as a good-government measure, and it was left pending. SB 1559 would require transfer of protective orders into divorce or custody cases to avoid conflicting orders; family-law practitioners and a family court judge testified that it would resolve longstanding conflicts identified by multiple courts of appeals, and the bill remained pending.
Finally, the committee considered SB 746, a guardianship bill that would address conflicts of interest in guardianship proceedings, allow guardian ad litem appointment earlier in the process, and require timely court action on annual guardianship reports and accounts; a committee substitute would remove some provisions and extend a reporting deadline from 20 to 30 days. TREP supported the bill, and one practitioner suggested requiring courts to state reasons when rejecting annual accounts. SB 1536 would require dementia and Alzheimer’s training for certain family guardians, with a committee substitute narrowing the scope and reducing the training time from three hours to one; the Alzheimer’s Association supported the measure and the substitute, and the bill was left pending. No bills were voted out of committee during the meeting.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Uh, I first met him when I was 22 years old and he was running for county commissioner in Houston.
- That an individual born and raised in Texas has represented us not just here in Texas and in Houston
- And as somebody from Houston, you never wanted to follow him and you always wanted him to be the last
- Harris, University of Houston Day, HR 226 by Longoria Alalaya Sarabia.
- Green Light Houston Day, HR 387 by Garcia of Dallas.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- David was murdered in a roadway shooting in Houston on July 6th, 2021. He was 17.
- I was in Houston are backed up horribly, and so it took months. And while the bombs were set.
- We're the county immediately north of Harris County, Houston. Thank you, Senator Huffman.
- A day to house Harris County and Houston residents in a Montgomery County jail.
- I'm Director of Victim Services for Crime Stoppers of Houston.
Keywords:
bail reform, defendants, pretrial detention, public safety, criminal justice, charitable bail organizations, criminal procedure, public safety report, victim notification, family violence, bail bonds, public funds, political subdivision, injunction, taxpayer rights, violent crimes, sexual offenses, community safety, constitutional amendment, trafficking
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting Jul 29th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- In Houston, we had well over a thousand attendees for the in-person hearing.
- Yeah, between Houston and... Right, let me draw a distinction here.
- I was in Houston and couldn't speak there.
- Well, we're glad you're able to be with us today from, I guess, Houston.
- In fact, the Houston hearing was at the University of Houston on November the 20th.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Houston looks like that. Dallas looks like that.
- Of Austin and Chief Larry Satterwhite, City of Houston.
- The City of Houston. Thank you all for having us today.
- The city of Houston is pursuing the development of a hospital respite model.
- I appreciate your service to the city of Houston.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- When the community in Houston asked for more information on this, **Houston ISD** (Houston Independent
- The state took over Houston before that.
- It also then sounds like what's happening in Houston is, let's say, sounds like what's happening in Houston
- I'm a former Houston ISD teacher who Houston ISD tried to terminate twice and failed, and a candidate
- What has happened in Houston ISD and in Fort Worth, Beaumont, What has happened in Houston ISD and in
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- For example, in the Houston Police Department (HPD), the Houston Police Department has 143 meetings.
- Part of their contract between HPD and the City of Houston is to provide protections to officers when
- You're also speaking on behalf of the Houston and Austin city officer associations, is that what you
- City of Houston.
- And like Houston, we do have a unit inside our office.
Keywords:
gender designation, civil penalties, private civil rights, multiple-occupancy spaces, Texas Women's Privacy Act, law enforcement, confidentiality, personnel files, employee records, misconduct, abortion, civil liability, abortion-inducing drugs, qui tam actions, Texas Citizens Participation Act, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, healthcare regulations, impact fees, water conservation, reuse projects
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- As a law student, I interned in the child abuse division in Houston.
- I'll just say as someone, Sierra Club has community organizers and Houston, Dallas, the Valley, and other
- I know both the city of Houston and the Texas Assisted Living Association are here to share more about
- I am Brian Mason the director of emergency management for the city of Houston and we are testifying in
- House Bill 1588. would codify what we've been working towards in the Houston region by requiring the
Bills:
HB14, HB 106, HB146, HB267, HB274, HB 1127, HB1359, HB1393, HB1584, HB1640, HB1710, HB2152, HCR101, HJR8, HR51
Keywords:
nuclear energy, advanced reactors, energy security, grant programs, Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, HB 106, oil and gas, Railroad Commission of Texas, overhead electrical lines, electrical distribution system, power line maintenance, administrative penalty, Natural Resources Code, oil and gas lease, well operator, energy safety, utility infrastructure, regulatory compliance, cleanup fund, oil and gas regulation and cleanup fund
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- We show you registered as Leticia Gutierrez on behalf of Air Alliance Houston and on behalf of yourself
- My name is Letitia, and I'm with Air Alliance Houston in favor of HB 1904.
- As I said on the Mayors Keep Houston Clean Commission, and we do a lot of litter pickups.
- And so let's say the city of Houston has a 4% fee, which it seems is probably reasonable.
- And so let's say the city of Houston has a 4% fee, which it seems that's probably, uh, reasonable.
Summary:
The committee first heard House Bill 1904, which would classify intentionally released helium balloons as litter and create criminal penalties for balloon releases. The author and supportive witnesses argued that balloon releases harm wildlife, livestock, waterways, and infrastructure, and that the bill would close a loophole in current litter law. Several members questioned whether criminal penalties were appropriate, and the author said he was willing to work toward civil penalties and fines instead. No vote was taken, and HB 1904 was left pending.
The committee then took up several pending bills and reported them favorably to the full House, including HB 3249, HB 3866, HB 4112, HB 1768, HB 1499, HB 573, and HB 464. These measures dealt with topics such as TCEQ contested-case procedures, outdoor storage containers, high-level radioactive waste, concrete plant permitting and grants, unannounced concrete batch plant inspections, and a scrap tire grant program. Most were adopted with substitutes and passed on recorded votes, generally with unanimous or near-unanimous support.
A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 3997, which would create expedited permitting timelines for LNG facilities and related wastewater permits. Industry witnesses said the bill would provide certainty for multibillion-dollar projects without eliminating public participation, while environmental groups opposed parts of the bill that they said could limit contested-case participation and be unrealistic for SOAH timelines. TCEQ staff described the current wastewater permitting process and said some of the bill’s timing provisions could be workable, especially with an expedited fee. The bill was left pending after the author said he would continue working on committee substitute language.
The committee also heard HB 1237 on extending the renewal window for expired TCEQ occupational water licenses, and HB 4519, a TERP consolidation bill that would combine several clean transportation grant programs into fewer programs. HB 1237 was left pending without testimony, while HB 4519 drew broad support from environmental and industry witnesses who favored simplifying the program, though some asked for stronger emphasis on particulate matter and hydrogen funding. The committee withdrew the substitute on HB 4519 and left it pending. Finally, HB 5033, which would eliminate the motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program if federal authority changes, drew opposition from environmental and inspection-industry witnesses who warned it would weaken air-quality protections and could remove an important enforcement tool. The author said the bill was intended as a trigger mechanism and would be refined, and HB 5033 was left pending. The committee also heard HB 1227 on municipal solid-waste franchise fees and private-provider access; the author said he would bring a substitute after hearing concerns from cities, and the bill was left pending.