Two issues have dovetailed together more than most others in the Texas Capitol this session: water infrastructure and nuclear power. Both bills were heard in House committees on Wednesday, and both are authored by the same person.
State Rep. Cody Harris’ (R-Palestine) laid out the nominally unrelated but inextricably linked package of bills in two committees. In the Natural Resources Committee, which Harris chairs, testimony was heard about House Joint Resolution (HJR) 7 that would dedicate $1 billion of state sales taxes per year to the Texas Water Fund. That fund was created in 2023 when the Legislature and statewide voters approved the constitutional fund, intending to return in 2025 to appropriate money for it.
