Texas Railroad Commission Chair David Porter on Aug. 19 spoke against America’s Clean Power Plan, a regulatory framework rolled out by the White House on Aug. 3. Texas is one of at least a dozen states lining up in opposition.

Porter called the plan “another blatant attack on the oil and gas industry that will further impede America’s energy security, kill jobs and put even more stress on our national and state economies.” Porter was elected chair of the three-member commission that oversees the energy industry regulating state agency in June 2014.

President Obama called the final version of the plan to reduce methane emissions from the energy and agriculture industries “the biggest step we’ve ever taken to combat climate change.” Obama said the plan “sets the first-ever carbon pollution standards for power plants while providing states and utilities with the flexibility they need to meet those standards.”

The plan is designed to reduce premature deaths attributed to power plant emissions by nearly 90 percent in 2030 compared to 2005 and decrease pollutants that contribute to soot and smog and can lead to more asthma attacks in kids by more than 70 percent, Obama said. The plan also would spur the creation of tens of thousands of jobs while ensuring grid-reliability, the president added.

On Aug. 3, Gov. Greg Abbott reacted to the president’s announcement, saying: “Texas will lead the fight against an overreaching federal government that seems hell-bent on threatening the free-market principles this country was founded on.”

Jail study to be launched

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the state Senate, and Senate Criminal Justice Committee Chair John Whitmire, D-Houston, on Aug. 18 announced an interim study on Texas jail standards.

This comes in the wake of the death of Sandra Bland, a woman who in July was found dead in a Waller County jail cell three days after she was arrested and jailed following a traffic stop. The death was ruled a suicide but questions remain.

“Our criminal justice system assumes a great responsibility for the people in our custody. In many instances, individuals have unresolved issues in their lives, particularly a mental illness, which has resulted in their arrest. It is our responsibility to make certain we have the necessary tools and resources to meet the health, welfare and safety needs of every individual in our custody,” Whitmire said.

Ed Sterling works for the Texas Press Association and follows the Legislature for the organization.

edsterling@texaspress.com