Dustin Burrows (Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas - With Thursday's release of the 2027 Texas House of Representatives committee priorities, Speaker Dustin Burrows has named the groundwater supply, AI data centers, and possibly claiming land from New Mexico in his vision for next year's session.
Texas House priority overview
What we know:
Burrows released the Interim Committee Charges as marching orders for the year gap between now and the start of the 90th Texas Legislature. Each committee was given similar instructions: assess the effectiveness of last session's laws, study major issues related to their niches, and check in on government agencies for money and program management.
The committees were generally given the tasks that could be expected, and Burrows aligned in many areas with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's priorities for the Senate. The House will look into lowering property taxes, continuing the charge against foreign threats (including the ongoing crusade against "Sharia law" in the state), and preventing unnecessary and fraudulent spending by the state government.
In the broader range of the Speaker's vision for the next session, he created three new committees on governmental oversight, health care affordability and general aviation, and placed an emphasis on several interesting topics of study.
Sharia Law, property taxes headline Texas Senate leader's priorities for next session
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Texas groundwater issues
What's in the doc:
The issue of a falling water supply surfaces in several committees' priorities throughout the document: to name a few, Agriculture and Livestock was told to study water scarcity; Appropriations to look into infrastructure; Energy Resources to check water production and wells; Environmental Regulation to examine quality and regulation; and Natural Resources to study the long-term viability of groundwater management.
The backstory:
The legislature invested a great amount of time, attention and tax dollars into water in the last session, and Burrows aims to check the effect of those actions, as well as continue to plan for the future of the state's supply and infrastructure.
Corpus Christi braces for water crisis as reserves hit record lows; Abbott warns of state intervention
Corpus Christi faces a historic water crisis as reservoirs hit record lows. City officials are pushing a $1B infrastructure plan while Governor Abbott warns of potential state intervention.
Big picture view:
The state's problem with water has been ongoing for years, and even with a new influx of funding and studies, the future implications of a dwindling groundwater supply are only compounding. In just the past few weeks, several Central Texas areas, including Hays County, the Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer, and Pflugerville have announced crises. Most recently, Corpus Christi has begun to project an emergency this year if the statewide drought persists.
Texas data centers
What's in the doc:
Somewhat related to the previous topic, the timely issue of AI data centers made multiple appearances on the priority list. Natural Resources was directed to examine the impact of their water supply use, and State Affairs was instructed to examine their development's relation to the economy, labor demands, and grid resilience.
The backstory:
Data center development has been a point of controversy between the public and politicians recently, with lawmakers caught between the potential for economic gain versus a drain on natural resources, and residents reluctant to live near the imposing, often noisy centers.
San Marcos leaders reject plans to build controversial data center
San Marcos leaders have rejected plans to build a new data center in the city after a lengthy city council meeting.
Big picture view:
Texas is home to about 400 data centers, either operational, under construction or in the planning stages. Environmental experts are uncertain how the relatively new developments could impact the water supply and historically shaky power grid in the state, and continued regulation by state lawmakers will be key in monitoring and controlling their spread as the situation progresses.
Could Texas take New Mexico counties?
What's in the doc:
The strangest and most uncertain issue in the list of priorities is that of possibly absorbing "one or more contiguous counties" from New Mexico. The new Governmental Oversight committee was tasked with studying the Texas-New Mexico border, and checking the implications of allowing land from the neighboring state to band together, secede, and join Texas.
The backstory:
This issue was first breached when Burrows welcomed the idea of Lea County coming "back to Texas, where it rightfully belongs," in a post to X, formerly Twitter, in February. The issue was sparked by a legislator from that county introducing a secession amendment.
What we don't know:
FOX Local has reached out to the offices of Burrows, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and NM Gov. Michelle Grisham about the issue. None had provided comment at the time of reporting.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Dustin Burrows and previous FOX Local coverage.