With severe weather frequently impacting North Texas, homeowners often wonder: What does my insurance policy actually cover? Do I have the right coverage? What happens after filing a claim?

Insurance expert Rich Johnson, communications director for the Insurance Council of Texas, advises homeowners to review their policy carefully, starting with the first few pages.

“The main thing to do is look at the first couple of pages of the policy,” Johnson said.

These pages typically outline wind and hail coverage, which may vary depending on location. Some homeowners may have a separate policy through the FAIR Plan or TWFG.

Johnson emphasizes the importance of understanding deductibles, particularly for hail and wind damage, which differ from deductibles for fire or plumbing issues.

“It’s usually between 1% and 5% of the insured value of your home,” he explained.

If a home is damaged by severe weather, Johnson recommends taking photos and making temporary repairs before filing a claim.

“Get that claim in as soon as possible so you’re on the list for an adjuster to inspect your house,” he said.

When hiring contractors, Johnson advises homeowners to choose local businesses and seek recommendations from friends and neighbors to avoid scams.

“A couple of red flags: if they’re out of state, don’t have a licensing number, or say they’ll waive your deductible—that’s actually illegal in Texas,” he warned.

Scammers should be reported to insurance providers, local police, and the Texas Department of Insurance, which handles fraud cases.

Johnson also notes that inflation and frequent severe weather are driving up repair costs and insurance premiums, affecting both home and auto insurance.

“We’re seeing weather impact insurance rates more severely and more frequently,” he said.

The Texas House of Representatives have preliminarily voted in favor of repealing the state’s defunct ban on “homosexual conduct.”

On Thursday, lawmakers voted 72-55 to give first approval to House Bill 1738.

Why It Matters

In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Texas’ law criminalizing gay sex in a landmark decision in Lawrence v. Texas. But anti-sodomy laws remain on the books in Texas and other states.

These laws could become enforceable if the high court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, overturned its decision in Lawrence—the way laws banning abortion became enforceable after the court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has said the court should review other precedents, including Lawrence and the court’s 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage.

What To Know

State Representative Venton Jones, a gay man and Texas’ first openly HIV-positive lawmaker, said on the House floor on Thursday that repealing the law was “common sense governance.”

“Despite the clear precedent that the Lawrence v. Texas [decision] set over two decades ago, this outdated and unenforceable language remains in our penal code,” he said.

Jones added: “I’m not asking you to vote based on whether or not you agree with the Lawrence v. Texas ruling. Instead, I’m asking you to vote on a law that strengthens the fundamental civil liberties and individual freedoms that all Texans deserve.

“I’m asking you to vote for a law that upholds the principles that Texans should have the freedom and ability to make their own private decisions without unwarranted government interference.”

The bill’s sponsors included some of the chamber’s most progressive and most conservative lawmakers. Sponsors and cosponsors included three Democrats—Jones, Joe Moody and Ann Johnson—and Republicans Brian Harrison and Dade Phelan.

Newsweek has contacted the lawmakers for comment via email.

What People Are Saying

Democratic state Representative Venton Jones told The Dallas Morning News after Thursday’s vote: “It was a great feeling. I think it gave a little bit of hope. When you have a lot of really long and bad days in this chamber, it’s nice when we can come together and get something right.”

Republican state Representative Brian Harrison said in a statement to the Texas Tribune: “Criminalizing homosexuality is not the role of government, and I support repealing it.”

Jonathan Covey, the director of policy for Texas Values, said in opposition to the measure, per the Morning News: “Some laws don’t need to be enforceable to serve a purpose. They are declarative and persuasive, and that’s what this bill does for those who read about it or know about it. It warns that this conduct is not acceptable.”

What Happens Next

Thursday’s House vote was the furthest the effort to repeal the ban has gone in the Texas Legislature. House Bill 1738 is expected to pass a final vote on Friday before advancing to the Texas Senate, according to the Tribune.

Kirby Smart knows winning last year’s SEC Championship game came with a price. Quarterback Carson Beck suffered a season-ending injury in the win over Texas, while the win set Georgia up with a game against Notre Dame.

But Smart has no regrets about how things played out last season and how it impacted Georgia’s season or expectations.

“To win the SEC in the way we won it, I think Texas and us were both really beat up in the grueling season,” Smart said in an appearance with Paul Finebaum. “We played seven overtimes a week before. They go play at – I guess it was at A&M. I mean, we both came kind of walking wounded into that and talking to Sark about it. It took a lot out of both our teams to play in that game.”

Georgia actually played an eight-overtime game against rival Georgia Tech before having to go to and pull out an overtime win against the Longhorns.

With Beck out injured, Gunner Stockton stepped in to lead the Bulldogs to an overtime victory. The win gave Georgia a bye but it did end up matching them up with Notre Dame.

Texas, for losing the game, faced Clemson at home before next talking on Arizona State. Both teams were ranked lower than Notre Dame, though Arizona State was seeded higher by virtue of winning the Big 12.

The Longhorns saw their season come to an end against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

The playoff results have had an impact in how Texas and Georgia have been viewed entering the upcoming 2025 season. Most see Texas as the top team in the SEC, while Georgia has something to prove.

“We go all day, have a good run in the playoffs,” Smart said of Texas. “We don’t. Notre Dame beats us, and Notre Dame had a great team, and they’ve done a great job there. I’m very pleased with where we were. Do I want to win a National Championship? Absolutely. But that’s not going to be the be-all and end-all for us. We want to get the most out of every team we can.”

Smart acknowledges that it’s a good thing to have championship expectations. With a 12-team College Football Playoff, teams are going to need more to go right in order to win a championship.

Georgia won back-to-back national championships during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Georgia famously didn’t win the 2021 SEC Championship, losing to Alabama before beating the Crimson Tide in the rematch.

Smart is 3-4 in SEC Championship games during his time at Georgia. With Texas and Oklahoma now annual members in the league, winning the SEC is going to be all the more difficult, especially in the event the league expands to nine conference games.

“I actually think that it’s a great thing when you win a 16-team SEC conference, and it’s probably one of the best years we’ve had in terms of winning games,” Smart said. “And it is hard to do when you play seven or eight top-ten teams, which we were able to do. But I really don’t get caught up in it. I love the expectation. I embrace that. I think that’s a good thing because if it’s not there, then what are you playing for, you know?”

Georgia faces a similarly tough SEC schedule in 2025, though it does face Texas, Alabama and Ole Miss at home. The Bulldogs played them all on the road last season. Georgia visits Tennessee and Auburn in 2025 as its marquee road games.

The Bulldogs open the 2025 season against Marshall on Aug. 30. Georgia’s first SEC game is against Tennessee on Sept. 13.