Texas Legislature
Dallas leaders began a preliminary discussion last week on what it would look like locally if gambling, casinos, and game rooms were legalized during the 2025 Texas legislative session. District 1 Councilman Chad West, who chairs the Government Performance and Financial Management Committee, said the matter isn’t currently listed among Dallas’ legislative priorities but he…
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Tighter guardrails for homeowners’ associations, periodic reauthorization of municipal building permit fees, and the creation and maintenance of tax appraisal databases for each jurisdiction are among the new laws that became effective Jan. 1. While the Texas Legislature doesn’t return to session until January 2025, that doesn’t mean lawmakers get to take a year off.…
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Housing-related state legislative priorities for the 2025 session include protecting rental subsidies from landlord discrimination, tenant protection from “junk fees,” and funding for emergency homeless shelters. Director of Government Affairs Carrie Rogers reviewed state and federal legislative priorities during a Nov. 14 meeting of the City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee. Rogers pointed out…
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If the City of Dallas has a backlog, should developers be able to hire their own inspector to review building permits? David Lehde, Dallas Builders Association director of government affairs, says he supports the city’s Development Services Department in its efforts to expedite permits, but new state legislation allowing developers to take matters into their…
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Despite the Texas Legislature’s ongoing work in Austin, many new state laws passed during the regular session will go into effect Sept. 1. Reports say that the Texas Legislature will convene a third time in October concerning school vouchers. The first two special sessions dealt with property taxes, also a hot-button local issue. In an Aug.…
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