biden in houston

Here's where President Joe Biden will visit in Houston after Winter Storm Uri

President Biden will visit the Houston Food Bank and the mass vaccination site at NRG Park.

President Joe Biden will have a chance to exercise his empathy skills during a visit to Houston on Friday, February 26 with a dual mission. He'll be surveying damage caused by severe winter weather and encouraging people to get their coronavirus shots.

Biden and his wife, Jill, are traveling for the president's first trip to a major disaster site since he took office a little over a month ago. Severe winter weather across the South over Valentine's Day weekend battered multiple states. Texas bore the brunt of unseasonably frigid conditions that caused widespread power outages, burst pipes and flooded homes. Millions of residents lost heat and running water.

The president is expected to visit the Houston Food Bank and meet with local leaders to discuss the storm, relief efforts and progress toward recovery. He is to be accompanied by Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Biden also plans to visit the mass coronavirus vaccination center run by the federal government at NRG Park. Biden on Thursday, February 25 commemorated the 50 millionth COVID-19 vaccination since he took office, halfway toward his goal of 100 million shots by his 100th day in office.

That celebration followed a moment of silence to mark the passage earlier this week of 500,000 U.S. deaths blamed on the disease.

Traffic around the city will be impacted as the president and other dignitaries are escorted from point to point. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo sent out a warning that there would be impacts on some roads.

Click here for a live traffic map.

The visit also impacts donation procedures and volunteer schedules at the Houston Food Bank. The organization canceled walk-up volunteering and food drive drop offs at its East Branch location from 8 am to 4 pm Friday.

In addition to NRG Park and the Houston Food Bank, the president is also scheduled to tour the Harris County Emergency Operations Center.

Friday's visit isn't Biden's first trip to Houston. The then-former Vice President attended the funeral of Former President George H.W. Bush in 2018.

---

For more in this story, visit our news partner ABC13.

politics traffic city-news-roundup

no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

undefined

Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana