The Latest | March 2nd

by | Mar 2, 2021 | News

Senate Chamber - Texas State Capitol, Austin Photograph by Mountain Dreams

Case Counts/Testing in Texas – Monday, March 1st(4:50 PM data)

Total Tests Performed – 23,093,465

Confirmed Cases – 2,292,097 (1,637 new cases)

Active Cases – 16,989

Hospitalizations – 5,611 (11,986 available beds, 1,047 available ICU beds)

Fatalities – 42,995 (59 new deaths)

Recovered Cases – 2,429,453

 

Vaccine Data – Monday, March 1st (4:23 PM data)

Doses Shipped by state – 6,914,705

People with one dose received – 3,574,983

People fully vaccinated – 1,887,045

Total doses administered – 5,462,028

 

Inside the Numbers

Positivity rate as of Sunday, February 28th  was 9.35%.  One month ago, there were 19,000 new cases reported, one week ago there were 5,200 new cases reported, compared to the 1,637 reported yesterday.   The 5,611 COVID patients in hospitals now are 1,450 fewer than one week ago, and COVID patients make up 8.4% of total hospital beds in the state.

Over the last week, an average of 107,902 doses have been administered each day in the state.   As of February 28th, 6.5% of Texans have been fully vaccinated.

 

Meetings Held on ERCOT and Texas Power Crisis

Lawmakers gathered last week to launch an investigation into the recent power crisis and ERCOT, the quasi-governmental entity that manages Texas’ electric grid. Three different committees met all day and into the night on Thursday, and continued their hearings throughout the day on Friday.  Many members blamed on the state’s deregulated grid system and ERCOT itself, with some questioning whether or not the organization of ERCOT should be transformed. Since then, seven of ERCOT’s board members have resigned in wake of the crisis. Others members asserted that the Public Utility Commission, the state agency that regulates ERCOT, is not without blame as well.

Texas is facing a cascading financial fallout from a week of sky-high electricity and natural-gas prices amid blackouts.

Under pressure from various state officials, including Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, on Monday, the chairwoman of the Public Utility Commission, Deann Walker, has resigned.  Patrick has also called on ERCOT CEO Bill Magness to resign.

There was also extensive discussion on the possibility of winterization for the system, something that Governor Abbott argued should be mandatory after the crisis began. Transforming the preexisting system is likely to be far more costly than building new infrastructure. The hearings also demonstrated the breakdown of communication throughout the crisis, as many Texans did not have readily available access to the latest updates on the situation. Some representatives called for a change in such protocol, suggesting that an “Amber alert” style communication could have been much more effective in a disaster. Ultimately, after days of testimony, playing the blame game, and the recap of the utter failure of state’s ability to deliver basic services during the worst natural disaster in recent memory, the committee meetings left many representatives feeling as if the state government is in no way prepared for other possible disasters.

The presiding officer in each chamber has declared the need to address this crisis and the prevention of this happening again as one of if not the top priority of the session.  Governor Abbott has said that he will make sure that this issues is resolved prior to the end of the regular session.

 

Biden Visits Houston

During his first trip to a major disaster area since taking office, President Biden listened to Texans’ firsthand accounts of the catastrophic events caused by this month’s winter weather. Biden promised residents he would see the resolution of this crisis to the end, claiming he was with them “for the long haul” after being briefed by emergency officials and thanking workers and volunteers.  He ensured Texans that the federal government will do everything it can to ensure their recovery not just from the historic storm but also from the public health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden visits Houston to survey damage from Texas power grid collapse, see vaccine 'super site'

As more than a million Texans are still without safe drinking water, the federal government’s aide is as essential as ever.  While in Houston speaking to reporters, the President was quoted as saying,”in crises like this, it is our duty to organize prompt and competent federal support to American citizens, and we have to ensure that bureaucracy and politics do not stand in the way.”

Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. John Cornyn, four Democratic Houston-area members of Congress and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo joined Biden for much of his visit.

 

Millions of Texans Still Without Safe Water

Despite temperatures returning to the 60s and 70s, the ice and snow melting, and electricity and water services being mostly restored, much damage caused by this month’s deadly winter storm remains. Residents throughout Texas returned to their homes to find burst pipes, crops and livestock killed off, business equipment destroyed, and the loss of more than 30 lives.  Millions of Texans are left wondering what it will take to recover, how much it will cost and who will help them.  As of today, roughly 390,000 Texans are still under boil water notices.  In Houston over the weekend, more than 10,000 people showed up to a water distribution event held by the city

 

More Than 200,000 Initial Doses of Newly Approved Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Heading to Texas

On Saturday, the Food and Drug Administration approved Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in the U.S.. This marks the third vaccine to be approved since the beginning of the pandemic.  Texas Department of State Health Services is expecting Texas to receive more than 200,000 doses, but the agency hasn’t released a timeline for when they would arrive. Johnson & Johnson announced plans to ship 20 million shots in the U.S. by the end of March and another 80 million before the end of June.

This week Texas received roughly 1.5 million vaccine doses by Pfizer and Moderna – this included doses that were unable to be delivered earlier in the month because of the winter storm.  Unlike Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines, Johnson & Johnson’s doses requires only one dose. It is also more easily shipped, requiring only regular refrigerator temperatures for storage.

 

Committee Hearings Beginning

Now that the legislature is inside the 100 days remaining mark, committees are starting to assemble and meet in earnest.  There are several hearings this week, mostly organizational, with the exception of the budget related hearings.  Below are the hearings for the week.  For the full agendas for each hearing, go to https://senate.texas.gov

And https://house.texas.gov

 

This Week’s Committee Hearings

Senate

  • Senate Committee on Finance
    • 3/1/2021 at 10:00 A.M. in Room E1.036
  • Senate Committee on Finance
    • 3/2/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in Room E1.036
  • Senate Committee on Finance
    • 3/3/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in Room E1.036

 

House

  • Appropriations – S/C on Article II
    • 3/1/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E2.030
  • Appropriations – S/C on Article III
    • 3/1/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E1.030
  • Appropriations – S/C on Articles I, IV & V
    • 3/1/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E2.026
  • Appropriations – S/C on Articles VI, VII & VIII
    • 3/1/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E1.014
  • Criminal Jurisprudence
    • 3/1/2021 at 2:00 P.M. in E2.010
  • Environmental Regulation
    • 3/1/2021 at 2:00 P.M. in E1.026
  • Defense & Veterans’ Affairs
    • 3/1/2021 at 2:00 P.M. in E2.028
  • Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
    • 3/1/2021 at 10:00 A.M. in E2.014
  • Culture, Recreation & Tourism
    • 3/1/2021 at 2:00 P.M. in E2.036
  • Ways & Means
    • 3/1/2021 at 2:00 P.M. in JHR 140
  • Appropriations – S/C on Article II
    • 3/2/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E2.036
  • Appropriations – S/C on Article III
    • 3/2/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E1.030
  • Appropriations – S/C on Articles I, IV & V
    • 3/2/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E2.026
  • Appropriations – S/C on Articles VI, VII & VIII
    • 3/2/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E1.014
  • Business & Industry
    • 3/2/2021 at 8:00 A.M. in E2.028
  • Human Services
    • 3/2/2021 at 8:00 A.M. in E2.030
  • Insurance
    • 3/2/2021 at 10:30 A.M. in E2.014
  • Public Education
    • 3/2/2021 at 8:00 A.M. in Capitol Extension Auditorium, E1.004
  • Transportation
    • 3/2/2021 at 2:00 P.M. in Capitol Ext. Auditorium, E1.004
  • Appropriations – S/C on Article II
    • 3/3/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E2.030
  • Appropriations – S/C on Article III
    • 3/3/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E1.030
  • Appropriations – S/C on Articles I, IV & V
    • 3/3/2021 at 12:00 P.M. in E2.028
  • Appropriations – S/C on Articles VI, VII & VIII
    • 3/3/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E1.014
  • International Relations & Economic Development
    • 3/3/2021 at 8:00 A.M. in E2.012
  • Corrections
    • 3/3/2021 at 8:00 A.M. in E2.026
  • Energy Resources
    • 3/3/2021 at 10:30 A.M. in JHR 120
  • Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
    • 3/3/2021 at 8:00 A.M. in E2.014
  • Pensions, Investments & Financial Services
    • 3/3/2021 at 8:00 A.M. in E2.036
  • Public Health
    • 3/3/2021 at 10:30 A.M. in JHR 140
  • Urban Affairs
    • 3/3/2021 at 10:30 A.M. in E1.026
  • Appropriations – S/C on Article II
    • 3/4/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E2.036
  • Appropriations – S/C on Article III
    • 3/4/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E1.030
  • Appropriations – S/C on Articles I, IV & V
    • 3/4/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E2.026
  • Appropriations – S/C on Articles VI, VII & VIII
    • 3/4/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E1.014
  • Agriculture & Livestock
    • 3/4/2021 at 8:00 A.M. in E2.010
  • Elections
    • 3/4/2021 at 8:00 A.M. in E2.028
  • Higher Education
    • 3/4/2021 at 8:00 A.M. in JHR 120
  • Homeland Security & Public Safety
    • 3/4/2021 at 9:00 A.M. in E2.030
  • State Affairs
    • 3/4/2021 at 8:00 A.M. in Capitol Ext. Auditorium E1.004

 

 

There are 89 days remaining in the regular session.  The House is adjourned until 2:00PM on Tuesday, March 2nd , and the Senate is adjourned until 3:00PM on Tuesday, March 2nd .