Legislators Guide to the Issues 2007-2008

Bill Analysis: SB 1333 A New Law to Better Protect Homeowners & Punish Squatters

The passage of Senate Bill 1333 (2025) addresses an important gap in Texas’ statutory framework by providing property owners with “clear legal tools to remove unauthorized occupants and [abate concerns] that squatters can cause financial harm by damaging or neglecting property” (SB 1333 Bill Analysis, 2025, p. 1).This legislation was the culmination of a long...

Austin’s Simple Fix for Soaring Housing Costs

After years of watching home prices skyrocket out of reach for first responders, nurses, and young families, in December 2023, Austin city council voted to rewrite its zoning code. The first phase of its HOME Initiative—known as HOME-1—effectively allowed up to three homes on most lots that previously could host only one. A year later,...

Fool Me Twice: Why the Texas Grid is Still Vulnerable to Winter Storms | Part 2: Projecting Winter Outage Risk Through 2030

Part 2: Projecting Winter Outage Risk Through 2030 As Texas approaches the five-year anniversary of Winter Storm Uri, the ERCOT grid faces growing vulnerability to winter power outages. This analysis projects that by 2030, the same type of storm that would cause approximately 12 hours of outages today could result in nearly 24 hours of...