Republican lawmakers in the Texas House are pushing two terrible bills to block cities from doing almost anything to address environmental issues.
One bill, HB 4313, would prohibit cities from using funds for environmental projects. This bill would even block cities from using grants and donated funds to protect the environment. Cities, counties and school districts wouldn’t be allowed to address air and water pollution, climate change, or other environmental issues. This bill is so extreme that it wouldn’t even allow cities to accept donations for such projects. Why would lawmakers want to prevent cities from accepting free money to improve the lives of their residents?
The other bill, HB 4314, would prevent local governments from including environmental criteria when making purchasing decisions. One of the most powerful ways in which cities and other local governments can act is through their purchasing power. Every contract can be an opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve other environmental outcomes. For example, cities are choosing electric vehicles partly because they save money through lower operating costs and because they’re better for air pollution and climate change. There are also products like low-carbon cement that appear identical to the standard version but create less environmental harm. Choosing the more sustainable option is just smart purchasing.
HB 4313 and HB 4314 were just sent to the House Committee on Calendars, which decides what bills to forward for a full House vote. This is our chance to stop them in their tracks.