Austin, TX
Houston lawmaker speaks out against Texas bill that would restrict foreign land ownership | Houston Public Media
AP Photo/Eric Gay
A Houston legislator and civil rights advocates voiced opposition this week to a proposed Texas law that would ban some people from designated foreign countries — such as China and Russia — from owning land in the state.
House Bill 17, authored by Republican state Rep. Cole Hefner of northeast Texas, also would apply to some people from Iran and North Korea as well as any other country designated by the Texas governor. Companies headquartered in the aforementioned countries, and governmental entities of those nations, also would not be allowed to purchase or acquire property in Texas under the proposed law.
State Rep. Gene Wu, a Houston Democrat, joined the nonprofit Asian Texans for Justice in speaking out against the bill during a Wednesday news conference at the Texas Capitol in Austin. Wu called the proposed legislation a slippery slope.
“What my big concern is, my real concern, is not just the ownership of land, but this is the very first step that we take on our march back to Japanese internment,” said Wu, referring to the United States government’s detainment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
HB 17 has yet to be voted out of the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans’ Affairs. If it is, it would need to be passed by the full House and the Texas Senate and then signed by Gov. Greg Abbott before becoming a state law.
The Texas attorney general would be charged with enforcing the proposed law, which would be a state jail felony punishable by a fine of $250,000 or 50% of the market value of the property associated with the violation.
As written, the law would not apply to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, citizens of foreign countries who are not domiciled in one of the designated countries or companies or entities owned or controlled by one or more of those people.
Some of the 200-plus Texas residents who spoke about the bill during a Wednesday committee hearing at the Capitol said they supported the proposed law. And some of those supporters said they do not think it goes far enough to protect the state from being influenced or harmed by interests from China, Iran, North Korea or Russia.
“Texas is not for sale to foreign entities,” said Claire Lingenfelser of Waller, which is northwest of Houston.
Added Christine Kalmbach, who identified herself as a realtor from Houston: “The bill must prohibit both citizens of hostile nations from buying real property and not just those domiciled in hostile nations, as this can be easily manipulated.”
A majority of the speakers during Wednesday’s hearing, many of whom are from the Houston area, said they oppose the proposed legislation, with some calling it racist and discriminatory.
Wu echoed that sentiment, saying HB 17 would mark a return to exclusionary laws from the past.
“They were passed for the same reasons, they use the same rhetoric, the same arguments, and they are doing it to basically the same groups of people,” Wu said. “And this is why I’m afraid. We have done this before.”
Austin had a particularly itchy and drippy cedar fever season to start the year. Many winter days, from late December into February, had high or very high ashe juniper (aka cedar) pollen counts.
Central Texas has a year-round allergy season with mold popping up at any time. For the more traditional spring and fall allergy seasons, forecasters at AccuWeather are predicting some of the allergens across the country will be worse this year than average.
Texas, though, is a different story.
For grass allergies, which happen now through September, AccuWeather estimates Austin will have an average season. However, just west of the Interstate 35 corridor in the Hill Country to almost El Paso, that season is expected to be worse than normal.
“Texas may experience above-average grass pollen for a few weeks,” AccuWeather’s allergy report said, “though the season could be shorter-lived compared to northern areas.”
It all depends on the weather
How much rain we get in the next six months and the perennial Texas heat will all affect the growing season for grasses and weeds, as well as the amount of pollen trees produce. The Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac are both predicting a wetter and warmer spring.
Rain helps plants grow, which can increase pollen production over time. However, rainfall during allergy season can also bring temporary relief by washing pollen out of the air. That’s what we’re expecting this weekend, with our first meaningful rain chance in nearly three weeks. Tree and weed pollen levels might briefly drop, but mold could spike because it thrives in damp, humid weather.
If spring continues with excessive heat like we saw in February, it could limit the growth of some plants and trees. Extreme heat can reduce how much they grow, and how much pollen they produce. On the other hand, if we get a healthy balance of rain and only slightly above-normal temperatures — not extreme heat — pollen counts could climb. That’s especially true as we head into April, typically our windiest month of the year, which helps spread pollen more easily.
How can you treat allergies in Austin?
If you are feeling the effects of allergies, here are some things you can do to lessen them:
- Start taking allergy medication at least two weeks before your allergen’s season is supposed to start. Keep taking your allergy medication throughout your allergen’s season, even on low-pollen days.
- Vary your allergy medication. You can take a nasal spray, an eye drop and an oral antihistamine at the same time to treat the different symptoms. If one kind of allergy medication isn’t working, consult your doctor about whether you should add a second one or switch out the medication.
- Take a shower before going to bed.
- Take off outside clothes or shoes when you get into the house.
- Do a daily nasal wash such as a neti pot or saline spray.
- Consider seeing an allergist to get drops or shots to lessen your reaction to the allergen.
Consider these household tips to improve your chances of keeping allergens away:
- Change the filters in your house regularly during cedar fever season.
- Vacuum and sweep regularly.
- Change your sheets, especially your pillow regularly.
- Keep doors and windows closed.
- Clean out the vents in your home.
- Have your home tested for indoor allergens such as mold.
- Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air.
- Wear a mask outside or inside while you are trying to lessen the pollen or mold indoors.
Democrats tried to stop a mid-decade redistricting effort, but were unsuccessful. Now, we are starting to see some of the candidates emerging in those newly drawn districts. FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski gives a full breakdown.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A shooting on West Sixth Street in Austin, Texas, early Sunday morning, killed three people and injured more than a dozen others, according to the Austin Police Department. APD confirmed one of the victims was 30-year-old Jorge Pederson, a Minnesota man who worked as an MMA fighter for the Med City Fighting Championships.
“You meet tons of fighters and there are people that stand above the rest that you find you enjoy or find the most amusing,” MCFC Co-Owner Matthew Vogt said. “He was definitely one of them.”
According to Vogt, Pederson was also the owner of a Minnesota business called Metro Movers. Vogt said the MMA competitor touched everyone’s hearts since his first day of fighting professionally in Rochester.
“As soon as we met him when it was the weighing time, we just loved the guy already because he had a great mission or spirit about him,” Vogt said. “He was a funny guy and great fighter.”
Vogt told KTTC when he first saw the news that Pederson was killed, he could not believe what he saw.
“I was looking, like, ‘Wait a minute. Is this one of his shenanigans or did something actually happen there?’” Vogt said, recalling the moment he saw a social media post regarding the shooting in Austin. “I confirmed with a few people and I’m just like, sometimes, some things happen that you don’t even like, you don’t even know how to respond to it because it’s just so out of left field that you don’t immediately have a response to it.”
MCFC confirmed there is an online fundraiser dedicated to supporting Pederson’s family. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than $10,000 has been raised.
“He was someone that always could make anybody laugh,” Vogt said. “Support his family through the fundraiser and take a look at his Instagram especially to see how funny he was.”
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