January 16, 2012 Update: North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD)

Reports to industry and state personnel from NTMWD said the vote on January 26th was imminent to take the District to Stage IV water restrictions. Late last week TNLA received word that the NTMWD is now just planning to take public testimony at the January 26th meeting and not vote on this measure. The pressure being placed by TNLA efforts and TNLA Members seems to have them reconsidering their actions. MORE.

January 9, 2012  Please read these three studies in references to NTWMD proposal to implement Stage 4 water restrictions early:

                              Dallas Urban Heat Island Study

                              Earth-Kind Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

                              Economic Impact of Green Industry in Texas

December 23, 2011 Update on Cell Phone Use and Commercial Vehicles

Effective January 3, 2012 drivers of commercial motor vehicles (see definition below)  will be prohibited from using of hand-held mobile telephones.  Specifically, drivers are banned from holding a mobile telephone to conduct a voice communication, from dialing a mobile telephone by pressing more than a single button, or reaching for a mobile phone in an unacceptable and unsafe manner. 

The new rule affects all commercial motor vehicles operated in interstate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more or a vehicle transporting any amount of hazardous materials requiring a placard. Also affected are drivers of vehicles operated solely in intrastate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more or a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more carrying any amount of hazardous materials. 

The use of hands-free devices is allowed; however, drivers can only use hands-free phones and headsets if the phone is in their reach while being restrained by a seat belt in the driver’s seat. Dialing a hands-free phone while in motion is allowed only if it can be done by striking a single button.

The use of CB radios, other two-way radio communication or electronic devices are not included in the ban. MORE.

November 21, 2011 Update on H2B Legislation

The new language of the bill completely prohibits implementation, administration, or enforcement of the new wage rule until January 1, 2012.  This contains the powerful proscriptive language that was recommended by the H2B community; however, it also provides for an additional month delay, which could provide the judges deciding the litigation another month in which to issue a ruling. MORE.

What is a PAC?

Many times in material from associations, political entities, or political campaigns you hear the word PAC.  PAC stands for “political action committee.”  Within the country, most any group (depending on IRS profit and non profit status) is allowed to form a PAC. The groups usually form a PAC around a common purpose or to support a common initiative. Click here to read more.

Breakdown of Texas’ Drought

The Texas Senate Natural Resource and Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee convened the first week of November and heard gripping testimony about the State’s drought, funding of water projects and irrigation of agriculture.  The House Committee on Natural Resources also had hearings.  A statewide water plan was established in the early to mid 2000s to help meet the state’s water needs until 2060.  TNLA was at the table during that process. 

At these recent hearings, experts stated that it will cost $53 billion to implement the statewide water plan.  Texas currently does not have the funds to meet the needs of these water projects, but Proposition 2 on the November 8th ballot would give the state bonding authority for $6 billion to implement some of the infrastructure changes to our water systems.

The State Climatologist John Neilson-Gammon said, “This drought has been the most intense one-year drought in Texas history,” and continued on to say the 2011 summer was the hottest on record by 2.5 degrees.

Carlos Rubinstein, Commissioner for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, reported that 956 of the State’s 4,721 water systems were on some level of water restriction and 23 of those were in dire straits; either unable to determine how much water they had left or facing dry taps within three months.

The Texas Water Development Board reported that they track the levels of 109 of the state’s 175 major water supply reservoirs, defined as reservoirs greater than 5,000 acre-feet.  Those 109 reservoirs represent 96% of the total conservation storage capacity.  At the end of September, the statewide conservation storage was just below 60%, and that is the lowest since 1978 when they started this tracking system.

Drew DeBerry, Deputy Commissioner, Texas Department of Agriculture, testified that $5.2 billion in agriculture losses occurred due to the drought.  Agriculture cash receipts were only 26% of what they normally are for the year.  He went onto say that fire caused $217 million in agriculture losses

TNLA will continue to involve itself in hearings and planning sessions with the state.  If you have comments or questions contact Jim Reaves at jim@tnlaonline.org or 512.579.3851.

September 2011
A TNLA delegation and staff visited Congressional offices in D.C. this September to discuss labor issues that affect the Nursery/Landscape industry.
 

October 25, 2010

TNLA members at Governor Perry's endorsement reception in Houston