When most people hear “emergency item,” they think of bail reform or border security—not water. But this session, the most urgent and most overlooked emergency we faced was protecting Texas’ water supply. And for those of us in rural communities, nothing hits closer to home.
My family has farmed in Hill County since the late 1800s. I was raised to understand that water is life—life for our land, our livestock, our small towns, and our families. But make no mistake: without immediate action, that life is at risk.
Texas is growing fast, and our water supplies are drying up. The warning signs are everywhere— dropping aquifer levels, strained wells, and aging, failing infrastructure. If we had failed to pass the water legislation this session, the result would have been catastrophic. Rural communities like ours would face devastating water shortages, farms would struggle to survive, and entire towns could see their way of life disappear.
