Will Trump Help Houston Prepare for Hurricane Disaster?

A car swamped by flood water in Houston, Texas.

A car swamped by flood water in Houston, Texas.

 

Connecting state and local government leaders

Also in our State and Local Digest: Louisiana tax plan halted; class-action lawsuit over N.Y. subway accessibility; and dry conditions prompt venomous snake warning in Florida.

RESILIENCY | In Texas, officials across the political spectrum agree that Houston needs better protection from a major hurricane. The nation’s fourth-largest city, which is a major port and petrochemical hub, is extremely vulnerable to storm surge and has been lucky that a worst-case scenario hasn’t become reality yet. It’s just a matter of time, though. A group of Texas officials, including Land Commissioner George P. Bush, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, other Houston-area mayors and legislative members, have signed a letter that asks President Trump for $15 billion to construct a massive coastal barrier to protect the Houston area. [The Texas Tribune]

TRANSPORTATION | Cars without people in them could be moving through public streets in California before the end of the year. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles plans to issue rules this year that will allow companies to test autonomous vehicles—without humans standing by behind the wheel—for the first time. [The Sacramento Bee]

A proposed transportation sales tax died in the Colorado Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, meaning that any effort to put a measure in front of voters would have to be done outside the legislature through the citizen initiative process. [Denver Business Journal]

Two lawsuits filed Tuesday allege the Metropolitan Transportation Authority discriminates against people with disabilities, due to a lack of elevators and lifts in the New York City subway system. More than 75 percent of the city’s 472 subway stations don’t have elevators or other equipment to make them accessible for people in wheelchairs and others who are unable to go up and down stairs. The plaintiffs who filed the lawsuits include disability groups and disabled residents. [amNY; New York Post; The New York Times]

STATE LEGISLATURES | A tax reform package being pushed by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has hit a roadblock in the legislature. Edwards, a Democrat, had proposed the Corporate Activity Tax as major part of his fiscal package, but lawmakers, including some fellow Democrats, have cooled to the plan, which would raise taxes on corporations while reducing them for most state residents. The CAT proposal, like some of the governor’s previous fiscal proposals, has been opposed by anti-tax groups, including an entity affiliated with a conservative political action committee. [WAFB-TV; The Advocate]

Illinois’ Democratic-controlled House approved legislation that would see the state cover abortions for state employees and Medicaid recipients. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has gone on record saying he opposes publicly funded abortions, despite advocating for expanded access to abortion services on the campaign trail. [Pantagraph]

North Carolina’s legislature is once again pushing to have local government notices and legal items posted on websites instead of in newspapers, a bill passing the state Senate. Zoning proposals, contract bids and foreclosures are all covered, and counties could charge for them to be viewed to fund local teacher pay. The difference seems to be between saving taxpayers money or hurting local newspapers while making info less accessible. [The Associated Press via Winston-Salem Journal]

WILDLIFE | In central Florida, an ongoing drought that has caused low water levels in lakes and swamps could lead to more venomous snake sightings in neighborhoods. Herpetologist Bob Cross said the dry weather is forcing snakes like cottonmouths to relocate as they search for water and that they’re “going to be traveling like the gators.” [WFTV-9]

A stretch of the New Jersey Meadowlands that was once a garbage wasteland has been transformed into a treasure of the natural world—the area attracts bird enthusiasts with its variety of species. But within that haven danger lurks. Kingsland Landfill, as the aree was once known, has been closed for thirty years, but one vestige of the dump remains: a flare created to deal with methane created by decomposing trash that burns continuously, reaching heights of 20 feet and temperatures of nearly 1,000 degrees. That flame—which is invisible—can prove fatal to birds. Large birds have been found in the area with singed wings, and some bird-watchers believe smaller species are simply incinerated. [The New York Times]

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.