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Fracking News

ALERT: HB 540 Nanny Bill up for hearing March 11

March 7, 2015 By TXsharon

HB 40

Update: This bill was tabled in committee. New post with all the details.

The HB 540 Nanny Bill makes cities ask permission of the state.

The HB 540 Nanny Bill requires home rule cities to ask for the Attorney General’s permission before passing a municipal ordinance. This bill was filed by Rep. Phil King in retaliation of the Denton vote to ban fracking.

Several legislators, including State Rep. Phil King (R-Weatherford), have vowed to file bills this session that would prohibit cities from banning fracking. Star-Telegram

BUT HB 540 requires the state’s permission for any “SUBMISSION OF INITIATIVE OR REFERENDUM BALLOT PROPOSALS.”  HB 540 means none of the following would be allowed without state’s permission.
PermissionFeatureImage

  • Public securities for parks, street improvements and other infrastructure.
  • Public securities for safety such as Police and Fire Departments.
  • Sale of alcohol.
  • Indoor smoking bans.
  • Tree ordinances to protect trees.
  • Plastic bag ordinances.
  • Bans on texting while driving.
  • Limits on location of sexually oriented businesses.
  • Limits on panhandling.
  • Etc.

This bill is not just about fracking as many of our lawmakers mistakenly believe. This is a broad government overreach!

Take Action:

An easy way to stop this power grab:

Write to your representative

It only takes 2 minutes.

If possible, please show up in Austin to speak against this bill at the hearing Wednesday, March 11, 2015.

COMMITTEE:      State Affairs
TIME & DATE:    10:30 AM or upon final adjourn./recess
PLACE:                 JHR 140

For more information: Read the Texas Municipal League response to H.B. 540.

DO SOMETHING!

Your city council will be Austin if HB 540 passes.

About Sharon Wilson

Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.

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Filed Under: HB 540, TX Lege 84 Tagged With: HB 540

Comments

  1. Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe says

    March 7, 2015 at 10:53 am

    Love the graphic.

    • TXsharon says

      March 7, 2015 at 10:56 am

      I have a super fun and talented friend who is teaching me how to make graphics.

  2. Eulaine Hall says

    March 7, 2015 at 2:53 pm

    I’m already committed to attend the Dallas Green Source Awards at which you, Sharon Wilson, will receive an award for your work with Earthworks in the Professional Non-Profit Category. Too bad you’ll have to miss your own award show, if you are in Austin, but this is truly a critical bill to kill.

    • TXsharon says

      March 7, 2015 at 3:00 pm

      I am just one of 3 nominees for the award. Even if people have other commitments, please call and send emails.

  3. Phil says

    March 8, 2015 at 11:39 pm

    I was confused for a moment by the phrase at the end: ‘DO SOMETHING! YOUR CITY COUNCIL WILL BE AUSTIN IF HB 540 PASSES.’ I live in Austin and our city, with our plastic bag ban, indoor smoking ban, texting while driving ban, etc… will come heavily under attack by HB 540. Then I realized that by ‘Austin’ you mean Greg Abbott. I think Austinites will actually be some of the hardest fighters against this bill. We love our healthy, conscious, environmentally-friendly culture here, and don’t understand why the Texas GOP feels threatened by it.

    • TXsharon says

      March 9, 2015 at 8:46 am

      For people who live in the East Texas Piney Woods to those in West Texas and from Abilene to Laredo their local city council will be stripped of the right to make laws and that right will be given to the state attorney general in Austin. No more petitioning your local government on such matters. It will be the same for Austinites.

    • Keep Texas Texas says

      March 9, 2015 at 12:16 pm

      Texans are not afraid of this. We are afraid of people and towns making decisions based on fear and misinformation that negatively impacts our state and way of life.

      • TXsharon says

        March 9, 2015 at 12:23 pm

        Oh really? Because my feedback from Texans is quite different.

      • NativeTexan says

        March 9, 2015 at 1:00 pm

        I’m a 6th generation Texan and I am afraid of this kind of power grab. I agree that we should “Keep Texas Texas” by rejecting these kinds of abuses of power. Your comment is not Texan.

  4. Fishcreek Neighbor says

    March 10, 2015 at 3:55 pm

    The phones in Austin are busy today.

    • TXsharon says

      March 10, 2015 at 4:02 pm

      Music to my ears.

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