Texas
Greg Abbott Signs Law Making EV Owners Pay for Their Gas-Free Cars
Driving an electric vehicle in Texas is soon to become more expensive. Governor Greg Abbott signed a law (SB 505) on May 13 instituting new fees for registering and owning EVs in the state. Under the bill, electric car owners will have to pay $400 upon registering their vehicle. Then, every subsequent year, EV drivers will have to shell out an additional $200. Both of those fees are on top of the cost of the standard annual registration renewal fees, which are $50.75 each year for most passenger cars and trucks.
The law exempts mopeds, motorcycles, and other non-car EVs, and goes into effect starting on September 1, 2023.
At least 32 states currently have special electric vehicle registration fees, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. These range from $50 in places like Colorado, Hawaii, and South Dakota to $274 (starting in 2028) in a recently passed piece of Tennessee legislation. Note: Tennessee lawmakers had originally proposed a $300 fee, but lowered it in response to pushback.
Like many other states that have instituted EV fees, the reasoning behind the Lone Star State’s new law is that electric car drivers don’t buy gas. Taxes at the fuel pump are the primary way that most states, Texas included, amass funds for road construction, maintenance, and other driving-related infrastructure.
“Currently, Texas uses the gasoline/diesel fuel tax to fund transportation projects; however, with the growing use of EVs, the revenue from the fuel tax is decreasing, which diminishes our ability to fund road improvements for all drivers,” said the bill’s author, Republican State Senator Robert Nichols, in comments about the legislation, per local NBC News affiliate KXAN.
But, compared with what gas drivers contribute, Texas’s EV fees seem a little out of whack. Charging $200 per year and $400 at the outset of EV ownership places Texas’s fee schedule at the higher price end of the policies out there. In comparison, Texas’s gas tax is among the lowest in the country, at just $0.20 per gallon. Just seven states impose a lower duty on gasoline than TX. Among the 10 most populous states in the country, additional fees levied elsewhere make Texas’s gas the cheapest.
The average Texas driver burned through ~55 million BTUs of motor gasoline in 2018, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That’s equal to about 440 gallons of gas. At $0.20 per gallon, the standard car owner in Texas is paying just $88 per year in gas taxes—far less than the hundreds more EV drivers will now be throwing into the pot. A 2022 Consumer Reports analysis determined that a Texas driver’s gas tax contribution is even lower, at just $71.
The new law says loud and clear that Texas is “fully behind oil and gas,” Kara Kockleman, a transportation engineering professor at the University of Texas, Austin, told local ABC News affiliate KVUE. “Electric vehicles should pay a gas tax – I just think the tax on the conventional cars should be much, much higher than it is. We pay less for gas in this state than almost anyone in the world… Texas is really behind the curve on trying to do the right thing by the environment. And so, that’s embarrassing, I think, for all of us.”
There’s no doubt that roads and other car infrastructure are expensive. Though it can be easy to forget that—every time a driver cruises down the asphalt, complies with a traffic signal, or reads a highway sign—they’re benefiting from a costly system constructed for their particular use and benefit. But compared with other forms of transportation in the U.S., car ownership is already heavily subsidized. So is burning fossil fuels.
According to a 2015 analysis from the nonprofit Canadian media outlet The Discourse, society pays more than $9 for every $1 a driver pays in commuting: Through infrastructure, accident liability, noise and air pollution, and congestion. Buses, biking, and walking all eat up much less public funds for the same amount of miles traveled. EVs presumably also have a slightly lower public cost, as they’re quieter and don’t directly emit air pollution.
Yet in Texas, the tax load for driving an electric car will far exceed that of a gas-powered vehicle. The new law is “punitive” according to Consumer Reports. “Consumers should not be punished for choosing a cleaner, greener car that saves them money on fuel and maintenance,” Dylan Jaff, a policy analyst at CR, wrote in an April statement. “The fees proposed in this bill will establish an inequitable fee scale for EV owners, and will not provide a viable solution to the long-standing issue of road funding revenue.”
Luke Metzger, director of the non-profit advocacy group, Environment Texas, echoed Consumer Reports’ findings in a statement from last month. “The Texas Legislature is pouring sugar in the tank of the electric vehicle revolution. This punitive fee will make it harder for Texans to afford these clean vehicles which are so critical to reducing air pollution in Texas.”
Electric personal vehicles are not a perfect solution to the ongoing problem of petroleum-powered cars. Swapping every gas-guzzler for an EV still would use up an extraordinary amount of resources, that are likely to be ill-gotten. Public investment in mass transit would inarguably be a better environmental strategy. But, as long as the U.S. remains overwhelmingly car dominant and as long as most Americans lack access to adequate public transit, EV uptake remains important for lowering the nation’s carbon emissions.
Already, the upfront costs of purchasing an electric car are significantly higher than buying a gas vehicle. A disproportionate tax system adds to that burden, and it could dissuade people from transitioning to EVs.
HOUSTON – Hundreds of animals rescued from a fur and urine farm in Ohio are now finding new homes in Texas, with more on the way. Bears Etc. in Huntsville has already moved nearly 30 animals to a rescue near San Antonio.
Kati Krouse, founder of Bears Etc., is now busy preparing for the arrivals of foxes at her rescue.
“These holes will support a new home for four foxes rescued from a fur and urine farm near Cleveland, Ohio,” Krouse said.
Krouse made a trip up to Ohio earlier this year to transport animals back to Texas. She plans to make a trip in the coming weeks to re-locate more animals.
The fur farm’s owner passed away in December 2024, worsening an already dire situation, according to Humane World for Animals.
The organization reports foxes, raccoons, wolf-dog hybrids, skunks, opossums, and coyotes were living in filthy wire-bottom cages with little to no protection. Some animals were missing toes, ears, tails, and limbs, while many were emaciated and severely dehydrated. Responders found some animals dead and covered in snow, and one coyote was found dying, caught in a leghold trap.
In total, 410 animals were rescued, more than 300 are still alive, according to Kelly Donithan of Humane World for Animals.
“We obviously had to make some humane decisions for animals on site. There were quite a few suffering deeply,” Donithan said.
Krouse described the conditions as one of the most horrifying things she has ever seen in her 30 years of rescue work.
“There are no words that can describe the hell that these animals were living in. They lived their entire lives in cages meant for rabbits,” she said, visibly emotional.
A volunteer from Bears Etc., a U.S. veteran, also expressed his shock at the conditions.
“Having served many years overseas in the Middle East, not a lot is shocking to me. But to see the condition those animals were subjected to was on the higher side of the shocking scale,” he said.
Animals at the farm were raised and slaughtered for fur, sold as exotic pets, and used for urine farming. Krouse criticized the practices, stating, “Even though it says it’s humanely collected, USDA standards are not enough for most animals.”
There are no federal regulations for animal welfare on fur farms, and this particular farm was licensed by Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources despite past fines. Ohio lacks laws for fur farms, unlike New York, which has passed legislation to protect animals.
When asked if anyone would face charges in this case, Donithan responded, “No. While he was a pretty lone operator, he did have one employee who worked under his authority. We are hoping to see some regulation change.”
Humane World for Animals urges the public to help by donating to rescues, contacting lawmakers, and avoiding products from these farms. Bears Etc. is ready to return to Ohio for the foxes once they receive the green light from Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
In the first of two Elite Eight games on Saturday, the swarming offense of Texas Tech will lock horns with the relentless scoring prowess and swagger of Florida. It also will be a clash of two of the best up-and-coming coaches in the country, Grant McCasland and Todd Golden.
How to watch No. 1 Florida vs. No. 3 Texas Tech
- What: West Regional, Elite Eight
- Venue: Chase Center — San Francisco
- Time: 6:09 p.m. ET, Saturday
- TV: TBS, truTV
- Streaming: March Madness Live
- Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub.
Don’t celebrate too early; you never know what can happen. Texas Tech trailed Arkansas by six with 1:10 remaining, but pushed the game to OT and sent the Razorbacks home scratching their heads. Tech beat Arkansas by attacking the offensive glass. Over their last five games, the Red Raiders have averaged 14.4 offensive rebounds per game, including 22 against Arkansas. To beat the Gators, they will need to continue that effort and make 3s.
Both teams can score in bunches and seem to play better when the game is on the line. You won’t see any panic from either squad, as both had to overcome deficits to punch their tickets to the Elite Eight.
Both offenses are among the top five in the country, but Florida has three guards capable of putting up 20 points with ease. How Tech defends them in the pick-and-roll will be crucial.
Tech’s best offense is letting Darrion Williams and/or Elijah Hawkins operate in the pick-and-roll with Big 12 player of the year JT Toppin. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Both teams have future NBA players who could be drafted in the next couple of years, so expect them to show up big. But keep an eye on Texas Tech freshman Christian Anderson. He’s coming off a career-high 22 points and will need to make shots if Chance McMillian (upper-body) is still out.
Florida vs. Texas Tech odds
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(Photo by Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
MCALLEN, Texas – At least three people have died and hundreds have been rescued following severe storms that moved across the southern part of Texas on Thursday and Friday.
What we know:
According to a report by the Associated Press, officials said the City of Harlingen received more than 21 inches of rain this week, with the heaviest rainfall on Thursday, causing authorities to rescue more than 200 residents. 200 additional people were still waiting to be rescued.
In Alamo, the police and fire department responded to more than 100 water rescues, including people stranded in their vehicles and trapped in their homes, Fire Department Chief R.C. Flores said at a news conference Friday afternoon.
Officials estimated a couple hundred homes in Alamo were flooded by the heavy rainfall.
Weslaco Mayor Adrian Gonzalez said his city was inundated with about 14 inches (36 centimeters) of rain, prompting 30 to 40 water rescues of stranded motorists and residents trapped in their homes by rising floodwaters.
What they’re saying:
“This of course has been a historic and challenging event for the city. But Harlingen is strong. We have faced adversity before and we will get through this together,” Mayor Norma Sepulveda said at a Friday afternoon news conference.
“I assure the public that we are assessing the situation on the hour, every hour. We’re constantly going out, not just in our city,” Flores said. “Just because the storm is over, it doesn’t mean that the emergencies and the disaster is over. We are going to continue to work as long as we need to.”
“It’s a historic rainstorm and it’s affecting all the Valley, not just Weslaco. It’s just so much water in a short period of time,” Gonzalez told reporters at a news conference.
By the numbers:
In neighboring Cameron County, officials asked Gov. Greg Abbott to declare a disaster for the county after more than 17 inches of rain caused significant flooding.
“The rainfall amounts we received have been record-setting, and not in a good way. All county resources are being utilized right now, and we are assisting in all ways possible,” Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., the county’s top elected official, said in a Facebook post.
Valley International Airport in Harlingen was closed on Friday and all flights were canceled due to area flooding.
“We are working tirelessly to reopen and focused on ensuring safety,” airport officials said in a statement.
Flood warning still in effect
A flood warning was still in effect for portions of South Texas, including Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties, through early Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
“There’s a break from the rain this morning, which will allow flood waters to gradually recede, but we’ll still need to keep an eye on the development of isolated showers and thunderstorms once again this afternoon,” the National Weather Service said on social media. “Any additional rainfall will be quick to cause flooding issues given the heavy rainfall that has already fallen.”
Power Outages
More than 3,400 in several counties in South Texas remained without power on Friday afternoon, according to AEP Texas.
School canceled
More than 20 South Texas school districts and college campuses canceled classes on Friday due to the severe weather and flooding.
PHOTOS/VIDEOS OF SOUTH TEXAS FLOODING
Dig deeper:
Here are some photos and video of the flooding and as well as the damage left behind:
South Texas flooding: Cars drive through floodwaters
Cars were seen driving through floodwaters in South Texas on Thursday, March 27, as the National Weather Service (NWS) said that severe thunderstorms were affecting the region. (Jorge Alberto Galicia via Storyful)
The Source: Information provided by The Associated Press
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