On June 22, Governor Greg Abbott vetoed Senate Bill 1253, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senator Charles Perry and Representative Cecil Bell and cosponsored by Senator Sarah Eckhardt and Senator Carol Alvarado.
The bill related to impact and production fees for certain water projects and to the regulation of certain wells, authorizing a fee. It initially passed the House by wide margins, but after an amendment by Representative Ramon Romero, Jr., a motion to reconsider was filed. That motion was unsuccessful, and the bill passed the House and moved to the Senate, where it passed 30-0.
In his veto proclamation, Abbott explained his objection to the bill. “As originally proposed, Senate Bill No. 1253 tackled an important problem, encouraging conservation of water by authorizing political subdivisions to reduce impact fees for builders who include facilities that increase water conservation and efficiency. On the third reading of the House, however, the bill changed dramatically. It now singles out property owners in one groundwater conservation district and subjects them to new burdens for exercising private property rights, like new fees that increase every year, and entry on the property without the owner’s permission. We can and should pursue strategies ‘that protect property rights from government intrusion and control.’” Representative Carrie Isaac of House District 73, who initially voted in favor of SB1253 but was in favor of the motion to reconsider, said she was grateful to Governor Abbott for taking action.
