Megan Kimble

5 days ago | houstonchronicle.com | Megan Kimble

In an effort to shore up the state’s future water supply, Texas lawmakers have stressed the need to secure new sources and point to desalination as a potential solution to looming shortages. But environmentalists, coastal residents, and some legislators caution that without stronger regulation, the build-out of half a dozen proposed desalination plants threatens to harm coastal bays and estuaries that drive tourism and host dozens of endangered species.

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Megan Kimble

State lawmakers have reached a deal on how to allocate more than $3 billion in new property tax relief, with the bulk of the cuts set to benefit homeowners. The agreement, revealed in Senate and House committee hearings Monday, would increase the homestead exemption to $140,000 for most homeowners and to $200,000 for seniors and those with disabilities.

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Megan Kimble

In response to the state’s growing home insurance crisis, Texas lawmakers are considering proposals that would require insurers to get approval for rate hikes over a certain threshold. “Texans spoke very clearly of their concerns about rising property and casualty rates,” said state Sen. Charles Schwertner, a Georgetown Republican who authored a Senate bill that would require the state to approve rate hikes that exceed 10%.

3 weeks ago | houstonchronicle.com | Megan Kimble

Hurricane Harvey ravaged the Port Aransas Independent School District when it hit in 2017, damaging every classroom and prompting weeks-long school closures. The district is still facing ripple effects today, but in a new form: its insurance costs have skyrocketed, forcing superintendent Sharon McKinney to choose between giving teachers raises and insuring school buildings.

3 weeks ago | houstonchronicle.com | Megan Kimble

Texas lawmakers are pushing a measure that would bar cities from narrowing roadways to create wider sidewalks or protected lanes for bicyclists and buses. The bill, authored by Houston state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, is meant to stop counties and cities from implementing “vehicle bans, street closures, or congestion pricing,” according to his statement of intent.