Government
BY JAMES T. NORMAN
Officials optimistic about coastal protection district funding
The outlook Paul said he thinks there is support for the bill, and making the needed changes should be “an easy fix.” He added he expects a follow-up bill to come up at some point during upcoming special sessions with different wording. However, it will likely come after the state finishes dealing with a few other priorities, Paul said. At this point, he thinks the opportunity to get it on a special session agenda—of which Abbott has total control—might not come until October. “What we need is for the community to support the trust fund and ask the governor to stick it on a special session,” Paul said. Nicole Sunstrum, executive director of the Texas Gulf Coast Protection District, agreed with Paul that it would be “very easy” to amend the bill to fix the wording. “It was to prevent any unintended conse- quences,” Sunstrum said.
Despite receiving almost unanimous support from the Texas Legislature, Gov. Greg Abbott has vetoed a bill that would have created a funding account to help pay for Gulf Coast protection projects due to concerns over how it was worded. The overview House Bill 2416, sponsored by state Rep. Dennis Paul, R-Houston, aimed to create a trust fund to allow extra federal funds to be deposited for future and current Gulf Coast protection projects. The goal was to begin depositing money to be invested to help fund those projects further, Paul said. “We didn’t fund anything [with the bill],” Paul said. “But it’s a start to get something going on it and showing the seriousness of the state.” However, due to some technical wording within the bill, Abbott vetoed the bill in June. “I look forward to working with the author on enacting language that will achieve its intended purpose,” Abbott said about the veto.
Mapping it out The Texas Gulf Coast Protection District covers about 5,220 square miles of land across five counties, including Chambers, Galveston, Harris, Jefferson and Orange counties.
COUNTIES
Harris County Jefferson County Orange County
Galveston County Chambers County
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SOURCE: TEXAS GULF COAST PROTECTION DISTRICT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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