Senate Bill 3 is sitting on Governor Abbott’s desk. If he doesn’t veto it, all hemp THC products in Texas will be banned on September 1, 2025. This includes popular items like vapes, drinks and edibles. Only non-intoxicating cannabinoids such as CBD and CBG would remain legal.
This means that without a governor veto the $8 billion dollar hemp THC industry in Texas will go up in smoke, eliminating approximately 50,000 jobs. And there will be the loss of access to the therapeutics beneficial for various health conditions.
Thomas Winstanley is the executive vice president of Edibles.com. He says the arguments to ban all THC for all Texans, including adults, is hypocritical and will result in a backlash at the ballot box for Republicans.
Ten Commandments in classrooms
Texas is poised to enact a law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms. Senate Bill 10 has passed both legislative chambers and awaits Governor Abbott's signature, which he is expected to provide. If signed, the law would take effect on September 1.
A group of civil liberties organizations are preparing to sue Texas over SB10. They cite the 1980 Supreme Court decision in Stone v. Graham, which struck down a similar law in Kentucky.
Rachel Laser is president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church & State. Laser says this law is an attack on the separation of church and state and is “an attack on democracy.”
Billions for water
Going into 2025, hopes were high that this would be the legislative session when lawmakers would make big strides in addressing the state’s ongoing water crisis. Experts said the long-standing water challenges of Texas could no longer be ferried away. Solutions are needed for the state's pressing water scarcity and there were calls to focus on infrastructure investment, regulatory reforms, and environmental considerations.
The legislature delivered over $20 billion to be spent over 20 years to create new water sources and repair leaky water systems across the state.
Tom Entsminger is the policy director at National Wildlife Federation Texas Coast and Water program. He says while this is a significant step forward there is more work to be done.
