Hometown Glory

America's Top Boomtown? No surprise, Houston is right there, dominating a Texas centric list

If you take Bloomberg's word for it, Texas is the ultimate land of opportunity: Four of the state's five metropolitan statistical areas ranked among the finance news site's ranking of "The Top 12 American Boomtowns," based on population increases and inflation-adjusted Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.

In Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, like most areas in Texas, the "boomtown" status can be attributed to the oil and gas industry, a huge source of employment in the region. The fourth largest city in the United States is big and getting bigger — a 8.15 percent growth in population from 2007 to 2011 to nearly 6.1 million citizens. Also growing is the city's GDP, 1.55 percent annually.

The Austin-Round Rock area has the thriving tech sector to thank — think Dell, SXSW and a forthcoming Apple campus — for its recent growth. The population increased by 11.6 percent between 2007 and 2011, with a 3.26 compound annual growth in GDP.

San Antonio, where the Eagle Ford Shale has spurred exponential growth in oil and gas drilling, has seen a 10.26 percent growth in population during the same period and a 1.47 percent compound annual growth in GDP.

Oil and gas plays a factor in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, too, although the opportunities there are diverse. Population has grown by 6.21 percent, and GDP by .84 percent.

Other metros on the list include Raleigh, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Oklahoma City, Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Portland-Beaverton Ore./Vancouver Wash., Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord N.C., and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara.

unspecified

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