TPPF Cheers Committee Passage of Bill to Eliminate Forced Annexation

AUSTIN— Yesterday, the House Committee on Land and Resource Management voted to move HB 347 out of committee and on to the full House.

“The reforms enacted by the last Texas Legislature were commendable; however, forced annexation still remains a problem,” said Shelby Sterling, policy analyst with the Center for Local Governance at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “The annexation process in Texas currently houses a two-tier system that treats property owners differently, wherein some are still at risk of forced annexation while others are protected. This is unfair to the citizens of Texas who should all be treated the same.”

HB 347 would provide all residents with the right to vote on whether they want to be incorporated into a neighboring city.