By Reece TincherPPP Reporter State Rep. Glenn Rogers, (HD 60) AUSTIN - State Rep. Glenn Rogers’ (HD 60) met with reporters to give his statement about why the regional water authority bill ran out of time in the Senate, and the plans moving forward. “We have a thousand people a day moving into Texas and not bringing water with them, and our area in particular is affected,” Rogers said during the online press conference, May 25. “We’re concerned about the 1800 wells a year that are being drilled in Parker county and how nonsustainable that can be long term, and we have the Turkey Peak Reservoir we are trying to get completed. So, when you look at all those issues it became apparent that we need to regionalize an effort primarily to bring water into our area.” Rogers said that’s why he began to file the legislation to bring water into Palo Pinto and the surrounding area to take pressure off groundwater. Over 35 entities came to Rogers’ support with the creation of the Cross Timbers Regional Water Utility which would include Palo Pinto, Parker and Stephens counties. Cross Timbers was designed to have bonding and eminent domain authority, but not taxation It wasn’t until April 24, late in the session, that Rogers’ was able to file the measure - House Bill 5406. With the help of the chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Rogers quickly got the bill heard in the House. But not soon enough before the end of the legislative session with Senate hearings closing. “One of the things people have been concerned about is eminent domain,” said Rogers. “The reason we need eminent domain authority is if we are able to move water, which is the primary purpose of this, we have to have the ability to lay water pipelines from the east to the west. It’s not ever going to go the other way, our goal is to bring water in and we are restricted by the water code chapters 49 and 54. ” Rogers said a lot of misinformation was spread about the bill, including a group claiming he was going to take water wells. Rogers claims he had no plans to do so, and there was nothing in the law which would allow him to do that. “Even if we don’t get it through the senate, we consider it a minor setback,” said Rogers. “We’re going to continue to do everything we can to bring water to our district. We’re going to try and have it on the call for a special session, and if not we will file it next session.” Rogers hopes even if the bill doesn’t get heard until the next session, he will be able to work with local governments to try and get funds from the Texas Water Funds created by Senate Bill 28. Even without a regionalized approach, funding for water is still an option Rogers has his attention focused on. Rogers hopes with these funds and the future of the bill, he can try to help combat the misinformation which halted the bill on the House floor.During a hearing on the House floor, Rep. Tony Tinderholt (HD 94) criticized Cross Timbers and said he received numerous calls from Rogers’ constituents expressing concern with the legislation. State Rep. Tony Tinderholt (HD 94) “When I talked to Tony Tinderholt after he killed this bill in local, and he was misinformed about Mineral Wells and the alleged corruption he talked about,” said Rogers. “He was misinformed on many things, and we talked about it, and he did not challenge it when it got on the general calendar, so I give him credit for that. I really question the source of those calls Tinderholt received.” Rogers said he has plans for town halls this summer, giving people a chance to express their concerns. With these public forums, Rogers wishes to fight the misinformation that has spread on social media. If it comes down to the next legislative session, Rogers plans to gain Senate support and get a companion bill in the Senate. “When you have a regionalization project, without the potential of eminent domain, it takes a lot of the strength of this regionalization out,” he said. “It’s needed in case we need it, but it would only be for a pipeline moving water from Tarrant regional authority or something like that that has water to sell. My family’s been ranching in Palo Pinto County since the 1890s. We know about water and water wells, and private property rights. I would never be on any legislation that took those away.”
