LIV is asking for your input and consideration of the following bills. We will keep adding to these as the session proceeds until sine die, the last day, June 2.​
 

Water

 

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March 23, 2025: We just received this excellent water update from SAWDF: 

 

SB 1190 Sen. Charles Perry / HB 2605 (Rep. Stan Gerdes) Municipal Water Loss
This legislation requires the top fourteen cities in the state to begin repairs on their leaky water mains that are responsible for water losses of more than 250,000 acre-feet— lost before the water even reaches a customer’s meter! We are honored that committee Chairman; Senator Perry and Representative Gerdes filed this legislation as a way to reduce the need for largescale groundwater projects like Vista Ridge. 
 

SB 624 Sen. Lois Kolkhorst / HB 1633 (Rep. Stan Gerdes) – Exempt Wells
This is SAWDF's priority bill to include “consideration of domestic and livestock wells [exempt wells] when a Groundwater Conservation District grants or denies a permit. SB 624 was recently “referred to the Senate Committee on Water Agriculture, and Rural Affairs.” We are honored that Senator Kolkhorst is the first senator to file this bill, and we thank Representative Gerdes for faithfully filing the bill again, having passed it in the House last session.​

 

                                                ​Land Contamination

 

​​Rep. Helen Kerwin's HB 1674, Sen. Kevin Sparks' companion bill in

the Senate, SB 886. Rep. Kerwin laid out he bill for us on Zoom

that we're happy to share with you. 

 

Counties are passing resolutions to support action:

See Johnson County here. Wise County here. S. See Ellis County here.

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This is our proposed Resolution on Biosolids we suggest you take to your county.  We can help you do it. Read this on

 

"What Are Biosolids" for help to understand the terms, not for the safety -- which is under vigorous debate and litigation! 

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And, on that very note, the City of Ft. Worth recently filed suit againt the Department of Defense and companies involved in alleged PFAS contamination. Read this article in Newsweek and watch the video here.

 

Farm & Ranch -- Small Farms

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March 10, Update from FARFA here, urging calls to your State Senator.
 

Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance supports these bills. Visit this alert for more. 

• Expand cottage food laws: Creating more opportunities for home-based food businesses to sell more types of foods in more places, under SB 540, HB 520, and HB 2588.

• Support egg sales: Removing the unnecessary grading permit for small farmers to sell their eggs to local restaurants and retailers, under HB 2953.

• Establish fair property tax policies for small farmers: Addressing the inequities that burden small farms and prevent them from qualifying for agricultural valuation, under HB 2930.

• Create more flexibility for direct-to-consumer sales of raw milk, under HB 1669.

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Bad Bills!

HB 524: Carl Tepper (R-Lubbock), this is an anti-I&R Bill, giving the Attorney General the opportunity to stop measures via citizen's petitions from getting a public vote he. or she doesn't like. 

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SB 76: Can someone explain how Senator,, Bob Hall (R-Rockwall) could advocate against
countywide voting with a straight face? 

Show Bills!

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SJR 14: This is a new category for bills we know legislators are not serious about. We are big supporters of I&R (Initiative and Referendum), but this legislation calls for a constitutional amendment and has no Republican sponsors. Don't waste our time. Come to us when/if you're serious as we love I&R!