Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, March 7, 2023:
A vote to secede is among the Texas bills filed before deadline
Activity at the Texas Capitol is gearing up as Texas lawmakers face a Friday deadline to file new bills this session. Here to talk about some legislative proposals making headlines is Jon Taylor, political science and geography professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Texas Tribune announces its 2023 festival
The annual Texas Tribune Festival will take place in and around downtown Austin on Sept. 21-23. For more details on this morning’s festival announcement, we’re joined by Ayan Mittra, Tribune senior managing editor.
Oyster farming industry grows in Texas, as wild oysters struggle to rebound
In 2019, Texas became one of the last coastal states in the U.S. to allow oyster farming. Three years later, the first farms had their initial harvests, and interest in the industry is growing. Houston Public Media’s Katie Watkins takes a look at what this means for the overall sustainability of Texas oysters.
As its China relationship worsens, the U.S. cuts deals with smaller Pacific nations
Strained relations between the United States and China have led the U.S. to sign deals with other Pacific nations. The agreements with these smaller countries are designed to expand American influence in the region, solidify existing relationships, and give the U.S. military more footholds. Jay Price reports for the American Homefront Project.
How will Texas lawmakers reconcile House and Senate property tax cuts?
Top Texas top officials are prioritizing property tax cuts this legislative session. But with the release of competing Senate and House plans, the question of what those cuts will look like is far from settled. Texas Tribune urban affairs reporter Joshua Fechter joins us with the latest.
Protecting the wild ocelots that call the Rio Grande Valley home
Two ocelots were spotted in South Texas earlier last month – a rare sighting on the eve of Ocelot Conservation Day at Brownsville’s Gladys Porter Zoo. Texas Public Radio’s Gaige Davila spoke with an ocelot expert there to learn more about the wild cat:
The road to Austin FC’s game against a Haitian soccer team
Austin FC will be in the Dominican Republic this evening to play Violette AC of Haiti. It is the first game between the two teams in the CONCACAF Champions League tournament; the teams play again next Tuesday in Texas. As KUT’s Jimmy Maas reports, Violette’s participation in the tournament alone is worth a trophy.
Texas outlawed red-light cameras years ago – but this town still has them
Despite state lawmakers outlawing red-light cameras in 2019, the town of Leon Valley, just outside San Antonio, still uses them. The town claims the only way to void the camera contract is to pay out millions. San Antonio Express-News reporter Timothy Fanning joins us with more on the unique situation.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
