Brad Johnson

4 days ago | thetexan.news | Brad Johnson

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar has removed BlackRock from the list of “fossil fuel boycotters” from whom the state is required to divest its funds. For nearly three years, BlackRock — one of the world’s largest investment firms — has been top of the target list for Texas Republicans who’ve viewed the company as having pushed Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics in the financial world. kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 %6I2D {68:D=2EFC6 A2DD65 $6?2E6 q:== W$qX `b :? a_a`[ H9:49 :?

5 days ago | thetexan.news | Brad Johnson

Good morning,The 89th Legislative (Regular) Session is now in the rearview mirror. Much of it did not really turn out as I thought it would at the beginning; for one, there were a lot fewer punches thrown than I expected… though there were far more broken gavel heads tossed into the well like live grenades than I anticipated. kA 5:ClQ=ECQmqFE x 5:8C6DD] %92?<D E@ 6249 2?5 6G6CJ @?6 @7 J@F 7@C 7@==@H:?8 2=@?8 5FC:?8 E9:D H:=5 C:56]k^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQm%9:D ?6HD=6EE6C :D >J 72G@C:E6 E9:?8 x 86E E@ 5@ :?

5 days ago | thetexan.news | Brad Johnson

A final deal was struck in the closing days of the 89th Regular Session on a $338 billion biennial budget, the one constitutional requirement of the Texas Legislature each time it convenes for the first five months of every odd-numbered year.

6 days ago | thetexan.news | Brad Johnson

State judges will get their 25 percent pay raise after the Texas House and Senate resolved their differences in a standoff over elected official pension benefits tied to the base judicial salary. Under the deal, judicial base pay will rise to $175,000, and that number will also serve as the basis for lawmaker pensions. However, following this pension increase, decision-making over future increases will be shifted to the Texas Ethics Commission for five-year reviews beginning in 2030.

6 days ago | thetexan.news | Brad Johnson

The 89th Legislative Session will come to a close Monday after 140 days in Austin full of policy fights over education, the Texas Lottery, infrastructure, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products, and the state budget. This legislative session began on January 14 with an intense, brutal fight over the House speakership that left more questions than answers about how this session was going to go. kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 3:886DE BF6DE:@? H2D 9@H ?6H w@FD6 $A62<6C sFDE:?