Latest Texas Headlines
All the headlines from our Texas Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Texas House OKs Bill Allowing Carrying of Handguns in Public Without Permit
Apr 19 2021 // Texas handgun owners would no longer need a license or training to carry their weapon in public under a bill that cleared a major vote April 15 over Democrats who railed against loosening gun laws after the 2019 mass...
Another Earthquake Reported Near Louisiana-Texas Border
Apr 19 2021 // A second earthquake has sent some shock waves to parts of north Louisiana near the Texas border. A 3.1 magnitude earthquake was registered about 7:43 p.m. on April 15, about 6 miles west of Blanchard, Louisiana and near...
Two Die in Tesla Crash in Texas
Apr 19 2021 // Two men died after a Tesla vehicle, which was believed to be operating without anyone in the driver’s seat, crashed into a tree on Saturday night north of Houston, authorities said. “There was no one in the...
Report: 44K-Plus Workers’ Comp COVID-19 Claims Filed in Texas by Mid-February
Apr 19 2021 // An updated report on workers’ compensation claims in Texas related to COVID-19 shows that insurance carriers had reported more than 44,000 COVID-19 claims and 200 fatalities to the state’s workers’...
Texas Energy Companies Against Berkshire Hathaway’s $8B Backup Power Plan
Apr 16 2021 // An $8.3 billion idea by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy to build 10 new natural gas power plants across the state for emergency use turned into formal legislation on April 15, when the proposal was...
NICB Supporting Texas Bill Aimed at Curbing Catalytic Converter Thefts
Apr 16 2021 // The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), is urging Texas legislators to take steps to address the significant increase in catalytic converter thefts across the state. Texas is in the top five of states with the most...
South Texas Officials Worried About Flooding Due to Border Levee Breaches
Apr 16 2021 // South Texas officials say they are worried about flooding during the hurricane season starting June 1 from breaches in a levee system that remain after border wall construction was halted. Hidalgo County Judge Richard...
Texas Supreme Court Sides with Insurer on Mold-Related Policy Changes
Apr 14 2021 // The Texas Supreme Court on April 9 reversed lower court rulings and found that Farmers Insurance was within its rights when it decided 19 years ago not to renew homeowners’ policies that it feared would have forced...
Texas Grid Operator to Argue It Is Immune from Winter Storm Lawsuits
Apr 12 2021 // The Electric Reliability Council of Texas will argue that it has governmental immunity that protects it from the at least 35 lawsuits that have been filed against the operator after February’s disastrous winter storm...
Texas Surplus Lines Premiums Reach $877.51M in March
Apr 12 2021 // More than $877 million in surplus lines premium was recorded in Texas in March, the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLTX) reports. SLTX says the $877.51 million in premium for March brings Texas’ year-to-date...
Distracted Driving a Major Problem in Texas, Transportation Officials Say
Apr 9 2021 // Distracted driving comes in second for the cause of traffic crashes in Texas, state transportation officials say. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) reports that one in five traffic crashes are caused by cell...
Texas House Passes Active Shooter Alert Bill
Apr 8 2021 // The Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill that would create an Active Shooter Alert System for the state. House Bill 103 passed by a vote of 146-0. The bill’s author, State Rep. Brooks Landgraf (Odessa),...
Massive Fire Breaks Out at Texas Chemical Facility
Apr 8 2021 // A huge industrial fire broke out at a chemical facility in Channelview, Texas, around 4 p.m. on April 7, Harris County officials said. A shelter in place order was issued for neighborhoods near the K-Solve Chemicals plant...
7 Officers Fired Following Death of Black Jail Inmate in Texas
Apr 7 2021 // Seven officers involved in the in-custody death of a Black jail inmate in Texas whose family members say may have been suffering a mental health crisis have been fired, a sheriff said. The detention officers violated...
Texas OKs NCCI’s Workers’ Comp Loss Cost Filing Effective July 1
Apr 6 2021 // The National Council on Compensation Insurance’s (NCCI’s) advisory loss cost filing for Texas with an effective date of July 1, 2021, has been accepted by state insurance regulators. The Texas Department of...
Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawsuits Target of Texas Legislation
Apr 5 2021 // A pair of companion bills have been introduced in the Texas House and Senate that proponents say are aimed at providing consistency and uniformity in civil actions involving commercial vehicle accidents. Opponents, on the...
Report: Texas Work Comp Insurers See More than 44K COVID-19 Claims by Mid-February
Apr 1 2021 // An updated report on workers’ compensation claims in Texas related to COVID-19 shows that as of Feb, 14, 2021, insurance carriers reported more than 44,000 COVID-19 claims and 200 fatalities to the state’s...
Final Defendants Sentenced in Massive Texas Work Comp/Healthcare Fraud Case
Mar 31 2021 // The remaining defendants in a North Texas medical center healthcare and workers’ compensation fraud scheme have been sentenced, the Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation reported It’s the final chapter...
Damaged Homes, Injuries, 1 Death, in East Texas Tornado
Mar 30 2021 // One person was killed after severe weather, including a tornado, caused damage in several communities in East Texas, authorities said. Widespread destruction across Panola County was reported, including damaged homes and...
Texas Attorneys Face Organized Crime, Workers’ Comp Fraud Charges
Mar 30 2021 // Three attorneys and two law firms in Texas have been indicted on organized crime and other charges in relation to alleged workers’ compensation fraud. The indictments stem from Texas Division of Workers’...
