2 weeks Ago
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas state senators on Wednesday took up a bill that could help deal with a common allergy problem here in the Austin area. The Texas Senate initially passed Senate Bill 1927. It stops cities and counties from prohibiting property owners from removing ashe juniper trees, which produce the cedar pollen that makes so many Central Texans sniffle and sneeze.
The bill's author, State Sen. Adam Hinojosa (R-Corpus Christi), said the trees can be invasive and pose a fire hazard. But there was some debate on the Senate floor.
One lawmaker brought up the fact that ashe juniper trees are home to protected birds, like the golden-cheeked warbler. "These are the only trees that these animals reproduce in, and so their survival depends on the preservation of these trees," State Sen. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio) said.
"I'm very, very concerned that your bill would interfere with a natural habitat." "This bill would be property rights bill to allow that ..
. somebody who owns their piece of property should be able to cut down a tree," Hinojosa said. SB 1927 needs one more vote in the Senate before it can go to the House for consideration.
.
