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Week of Oct. 12-18, 2015

BP settles with five states, federal government

AUSTIN — BP, one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, has settled with the federal government and the states of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida over claims related to the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced on Oct. 5 that Texas stands to receive $800 million of the $20.8 billion settlement “to restore Gulf resources with portions dedicated to the coastal economy as well as restoration projects to address damage to natural resources.”

“When we include money from previous settlements with these new funds, Texas will have more than $1 billion to fund projects that restore and enhance the Texas Gulf coast and mitigate economic impacts of this disaster,” said TCEQ Commissioner Toby Baker.

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Paul Zukunft said the settlement “ensures that BP repays the Government for its costs in responding to the Deepwater Horizon tragedy. The historic civil penalty also sends a clear message of accountability for those who pollute the U.S. environment.”

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil suit against BP and several affiliates, and proved the spill was caused by BP’s gross negligence. Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas also filed civil claims against BP relating to the spill, including claims for economic losses and natural resource damages.

Sales tax revenue up

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Oct. 7 announced that sales tax revenue for the state in September was $2.2 billion, up 1.9 percent compared to September 2014.

However, the $616.2 million in local sales tax allocations for October to be sent to cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts represent a decrease of 0.9 percent compared to October 2014.

“The modest growth in state sales tax revenue, in line with the Biennial Revenue Estimate

issued in January, continues the trend of recent months. Stronger growth in

collections from the retail trade, restaurant, services and construction sectors offset

declines from the oil and gas-related industries,” Hegar explained.

Abbott announces grants

Gov. Greg Abbott on Oct. 2 announced the award of some $133 million in criminal justice and victim services grants to local law enforcement agencies, domestic violence shelters, child sex trafficking victims programs and other governmental and non-profit agencies across Texas.

According to the announcement, grants include state and federal funds administered by the Criminal Justice Division of the Governor’s Office and are part of the Governor’s efforts to implement his “Bicentennial Blueprint” policy plans for the state.

“Nothing is more important than ensuring the safety of all Texans,” Abbott said.

These new grant awards for services and organizations were established “to go beyond simply providing shelter for victims of domestic violence, but also assist the victims in filing police reports, obtaining emergency protection orders and prosecuting their abusers,” according to the Governor’s Office.

Population study released

The Office of the State Demographer on Oct. 8 released a report titled, “The Foreign-Born Population in Texas: Sources of Growth.”

Texas State Demographer Lloyd B. Potter listed these as some of the key findings of the report:

• From 1990 until the present, Texas’ share of the U.S. foreign-born population has

increased so that by 2010, Texas had 7.8 percent of the U.S. native-born population and 10.4 percent of the U.S. foreign-born population. Thus, in recent decades, the state’s foreign-born population has grown more rapidly than its native-born population.

• Recently, for every 10 foreign-born persons entering Texas, roughly 4 moved from another state in the U.S.

• High domestic in-migration to Texas has fueled the growth of foreign-born population increases; about one in five domestic migrants was foreign-born.

• Between 2005 and 2013, declines in Latin American origin migration to Texas were largely offset by increases in Asian origin migration.

• In 2013, one of every five foreign-born domestic migrants moved to Texas from California.

• In 2013, the majority of foreign-born migrants to Texas settled in the state’s four most populous counties.

The report is available at http://osd.texas.gov.

Ban lift clears hurdle

On Oct. 9, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 261-159 in favor of H.R. 702, a bill for the nation “to adapt to changing crude oil market conditions.”

If also passed by the Senate, and not vetoed by President Barack Obama, the legislation would lift the ban on the exportation of crude oil that was signed by President Gerald Ford in 1975.

Authored by U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, a Republican whose district includes the counties of Navarro, Ellis and part of Tarrant, the bill had 137 House members as co-sponsors.