With the end of the Texas Legislative session taking place after the writing of this article, I can assure you that PBPA has worked diligently to provide oil and gas operators in the Permian Basin successes that would benefit them. One issue that became a lasting challenge throughout the session was the plain and simple […]
New Mexico Update
By Jesse Mullins As we move deeper into the spring of 2023, oil and gas interests in New Mexico have much to be thankful for. Business is good. It can always be better, of course. But activity is strong. The biggest plus that New Mexico oil and gas can look to this spring is the […]
88th Regular Session Enters Home Stretch
Texas representatives and senators are required by law to pass a balanced budget every two years. While the House and Senate each work on the budget and hold hearings simultaneously, they traditionally take turns originating the general appropriations bill and chairing the Budget Conference Committee. For the 2023 Regular Session, the bill originated in the […]
Legislative Updates
New Mexico Gavels Out The New Mexico Legislature adjourned sine die on March 18, closing out the 60-day 56th Session during which industry advocates spent most of their time playing defense. “A number of highly troubling bills were introduced that could have greatly impacted oil and natural gas operations in the Land of Enchantment,” reported […]
Capitol Updates
by Julie Anderson Oil and gas issues continue to garner attention among Permian Basin lawmakers in both Texas and New Mexico, meaning industry advocates have been hard at work advising against problem legislation and lending support to bills with positive intent. New Mexico: 56th Legislature Enters Home Stretch With adjournment around the corner on March […]
Determining Legislative Fate
by Julie Anderson The chairmanships and memberships of Texas legislative committees make newspaper headlines during the session because of these two sentences: The bill died in committee. The bill was reported out of committee. Those trying to prevent the passage of proposed legislation hope for No. 1. Those advocating for a bill root for […]
2023 Legislative Sessions
The Texas Legislature meets in a regular session every two years, convening on the second Tuesday in January of every odd-numbered year in Austin. These biennial sessions are limited to 140 days. The governor has the authority to call special sessions as necessary, which cannot exceed 30 days. The 88th Texas Legislature is set to […]
Setting Boundaries
In September of this year, the Texas Supreme Court denied a request to rehear arguments in a case it issued an opinion on in April 2021. The case, styled Concho Resources, Inc. et al. v. Ellison d/b/a Ellison Lease Operating, was a trespass-to-try-title suit between the lessees of adjacent tracts. The dispute arose when Ellison […]
87th Legislature Adjourns Sine Die
While COVID-19 cast a shadow over the opening of the 87th Texas Legislature, the dramatics of the closing days thrust Texas into the national spotlight with Gov. Greg Abbott vowing to veto the section of the state budget that funds the legislative branch after the voting restrictions bill failed to pass. Senate Bill 7, a […]
87th Texas Legislature: Capitol Update
During the 2021 Texas Legislative Session, representatives and senators are required by law to pass a balanced budget and address redistricting, the decennial redrawing of maps for the state’s congressional, legislative, and State Board of Education boundaries. The pandemic delayed the release of the updated U.S. Census, meaning redistricting will most likely be handled in […]