Senate bills referred to committee

Several Senate bills affecting property rights were referred to committee yesterday.  SB 18 and duplicate SB 180 by Estes, which would provide comprehensive eminent domain reform (similar to HB 2006 of 2007 and SB 18 of 2009), were referred to the State Affairs Committee.  SB 136 and SB 137 by Wentworth, which would allow counties to regulate land use, were referred to the Intergovernmental Relations Committee.  SB 274 by Uresti, which would allow groundwater conservation districts in the Hill Country to eliminate exempt wells, was referred to the Natural Resources Committee.

The State Affairs Committee will hold a hearing for SB 18 this Thursday, Feb. 3 in the Senate chamber at 9 a.m.

House bills have not yet been referred to committee because Speaker Joe Straus has not announced House committees.