Background
Where politics, government and energy intersect.
Where politics, government and energy intersect.
If you’re in Austin Monday evening, please join us at our new studios for a special listening session and panel discussion of Forged in Flames: An Oral History of the Labor Day Wildfires, a special project on the 2011 fires by KUT News and StateImpact Texas. We’ll be listening to segments of the Forged in Flames […]
How Texas almost lost the seeds that will be used to reforest the lost pines in Bastrop.
Four Central Texas Salamanders have recently been proposed to be listed on the endangered species list by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. You can learn more about the salamanders, and where they live in the region, in the slideshow above. These salamanders are local to specific areas within the Edwards Aquifer region and have […]
As the anniversary of the Labor Day fires approaches, we’re beginning to get some answers on what was at fault. As we reported earlier this week, the conditions at the time were the epitome of ‘perfect storm.’ Extreme heat, record drought, high winds and little humidity created a virtual powder keg. Compounding those well-known issues […]
A buck may not sound like much but when you add up what’s collected annually from millions of Texas residential and commercial customers, it’s serious money.
For the third time, The Texas Supreme Court has ruled against a pipeline company’s use of eminent domain. But the oil and gas industry did not give this one up without a fight. Here’s some background: In a landmark ruling at the Texas Supreme Court last August, a rice farmer in Beaumont (along with a […]
Earlier today, a federal appeals court overturned a new EPA rule, the Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), that would have affected coal power plants in several states, including Texas. The rule was defended in a suit from the American Lung Association, several cities and states, and several environmental groups, including the Environmental Defense Fund, […]
Just a week after a court victory against the EPA, Texas AG Greg Abbott gets another notch in his belt.
It’s a battle that has gotten ugly at times. Residents, businesses and recreational enthusiasts lament low levels in the Highland Lakes of Travis and Buchanan in Central Texas, as each year massive amounts of water are sent downstream to rice farmers in Southeast Texas. When lake levels go down, business on the lake suffers, home […]
Speaking at a conference this morning in Houston, Texas Attorney General Gregg Abbott talked a bit about what he likes to do for fun. “What I really do for fun is I go into the office,” Abbott said at the Texas Hispanic Leadership Forum, “[and] I sue the Obama adminstration.” Abbott has openly bragged of […]
StateImpact seeks to inform and engage local communities with broadcast and online news focused on how state government decisions affect your lives.
Learn More »