Kiln It: Concrete Plants, Microchip Manufacturers Fight in Closing Days of Texas Legislative Session

A mid-size county north of Dallas became a battlefield within the Texas Legislature between the typically mundane industries of cement and semiconductors.

Last year, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick visited Grayson County for a town hall with residents who are upset about a prospective 600-acre cement kiln near 140-person Dorchester. Following this, Patrick wrote a letter to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requesting that the agency pause the kiln permit process.