August 2, 2026
NEWS DIGEST
by Brandon Waltens
Good morning,
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick [[link removed]] and Senate Business and Commerce Committee Chairman Charles Schwertner [[link removed]] are urging state regulators to reject the pending applications for Texas’ controversial 765-kilovolt transmission line project, arguing the approval process is fundamentally flawed and should be overhauled before the proposals move forward.
“This week, the Senate Business and Commerce Committee held a 15-hour hearing to examine the state of Texas’ electricity market and the proposed 765kV ultra-high voltage transmission lines intended to support load growth in West Texas,” Schwertner said in a statement [[link removed]].
He said testimony [[link removed]] from landowners and their representatives highlighted “significant concerns” about the approval process, including inadequate notice from utilities, shortened timelines for Public Utility Commission proceedings, and due process concerns at the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
“These concerns demonstrate the need for a complete overhaul of the [Certificate of Convenience and Necessity] process before these applications can advance,” Schwertner said.
“Accordingly, I am calling on the PUC to deny the existing CCN applications. Any reapplications need to take into consideration the concerns raised during our hearing. The Legislature will reform the CCN process next session to ensure future projects are fair and transparent.”
Shortly afterward, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick publicly backed [[link removed]] Schwertner’s request and pledged to make the issue a priority during the 90th Legislative Session.
“I agree with Chairman Schwertner in calling on the PUC to deny the pending applications for 765-kV transmission lines, and not consider re-applications, until the transmission companies can address the serious concerns raised by landowners at Wednesday’s hearing,” Patrick wrote.
Patrick said testimony before the committee made it “abundantly clear” that the current approval process is “broken and must be reformed.”
While acknowledging that Texas needs additional transmission infrastructure to meet growing electricity demand, Patrick argued that expanding the grid should not come at the expense of private property rights.
“If these lines are going to be built, which many believe must be built, then the PUC’s transmission approval process must not only prioritize strengthening the grid, but also protect Texas landowners and communities,” Patrick wrote.
The statements follow Wednesday’s 15-hour Senate hearing, where lawmakers questioned regulators over the proposed 765-kV Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan and its projected costs, route selection, and impact on private property.
Lawmakers also heard hours of testimony from landowners who argued the current process deprives property owners of adequate notice and due process while allowing transmission companies to advance routes that could result in the use of eminent domain.
The issue is also drawing attention in the Texas House. On Friday, Speaker Dustin Burrows [[link removed]] announced that the House Committee on State Affairs will hold an interim hearing on the proposed 765-kV transmission lines on Aug. 19. Burrows said the hearing would help ensure Texans “have a meaningful voice in the planning of this project.”
Featured Don Huffines Sworn In as Texas Comptroller, Vows Aggressive Audits [[link removed]]
Don Huffines was sworn in Saturday as Texas comptroller in a private ceremony, immediately pledging to forgo his state salary while promising aggressive audits of government agencies and renewed efforts to expose wasteful spending.
“The first official act I took as Comptroller was to refuse a state salary,” Huffines told Texas Scorecard in his first interview since taking office. “I did not come here for a paycheck. I’m here because I love Texas, and I want to serve the people who make this state the greatest in America.”
The comptroller’s salary in Texas is currently $111,330. Huffines similarly did not take a paycheck when he served in the Texas Senate.
Huffines’ ascension to the office follows a series of political twists that began when former Comptroller Glenn Hegar left the position last year to become chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.
Read More [[link removed]]
State Shelley Luther Draws Texas GOP’s Top Leaders to Massive Sherman Rally [[link removed]]
The Sherman rally brought together nearly every major Republican statewide official and candidate, with speakers urging conservatives to maximize rural turnout ahead of November. Texas’ Online Child Safety Law Upheld by Federal Appellate Court [[link removed]]
Plaintiffs had challenged the law as content-based discrimination, but the court disagreed. Republican AG Candidate Mayes Middleton Pledges Texas Investigation of Anthony Fauci [[link removed]]
GOP nominee says a presidential pardon would not prevent Texas from investigating the former White House COVID adviser.
Read more in State news... [[link removed]]
Local Houston ISD Has Yet To Reconcile Contradictory Stance on Graphic Content [[link removed]]
The district removed a conservative activist from a school board meeting for reading from a book made available to students. Judge Weighs Whether Lorena ISD Can Depose Sex Abuse Victim [[link removed]]
Attorneys for the school district argue they are “entitled” to question a 10-year-old girl who was 5 when repeatedly molested at school by her teacher. Baytown Officer Under Investigation for Alleged Flock Camera Misuse [[link removed]]
Baytown Police Chief John Stringer says an internal affairs and a criminal investigation are underway after allegations that an officer misused the city's Flock license plate reader system.
Read more in Local news... [[link removed]]
Federal
Talarico Said Islamic Mystics Shaped His Faith as Much as Christians [[link removed]]
The remarks, made during a 2024 podcast, come as the Democrat Senate candidate increasingly emphasizes his Christian faith on the campaign trail. El Paso Woman Pleads Guilty To Smuggling Children [[link removed]]
The case is an example of Biden-era policies that allowed for thousands of alien children to enter the country unaccompanied. Cattle Imports Resume Amid Mixed Views of Screwworm Threat [[link removed]]
Port reopenings received mixed responses from Texas agriculture organizations.
Read more in Federal news... [[link removed]]
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