A New AstroWorld?

A new AstroWorld? Mayor Turner vows to bring amusement park to Houston

AstroWorld Texas Cyclone roller coaster in its heyday.

Courtesy photo

In a a recent informal lunch with members of the media as he approached six months in office, Mayor Sylvester Turner ticked off the important things his administration has accomplished — unanimous passage of a balanced budget, pothole repairs — and issues he plans to tackle — the pension mess, the Kush problem in city parks, serious street repair projects, job development.

But what really got the mayor excited is the idea of a major amusement park within the city limits of Houston. "If we want to be that destination city in terms of conferences and tourism, we have to have that component in this city," he said.

"It's one thing to have the rodeo, that's once a year for three weeks. The Super Bowl will be here and gone. The America Cup COPA, came, gone. NCAA (Final Four), come and gone. We need a major amusement center in this city, especially to focus on our families and young population that's every day in this city."

Turner said the park would have to be located in Houston and not in a suburb.

"I'm not talking about in Katy or Tomball or Spring or Pearland," he said. "I'm talking about within the 640 square miles of the city of Houston. That's something we are missing and we are putting out in the atmosphere. Hopefully there will be major investors who are looking within the 640 square miles. You can't be the fourth largest city, soon to be the third, and not have that added component. So we are taking a very hard look at finding that sort of amusement center."

AstroWorld thrilled a generation of amusement park goers with several roller coasters, including the Texas Cyclone, the iconic Astroneedle, and dozens of rides, including Thunder River, the world's first river rapids ride. The park, located south of the Astrodome, opened in 1968 and was acquired by Six Flags in 1975. It closed in 2005.

Since then, the Houston area has not had a comparable park, although plans for The Grand Texas Theme Park in New Caney were announced with much fanfare in 2013. Although the project has suffered numerous setbacks and delays, the first phase, Grand Texas RV Resort, a 140-space luxury RV resort, is planning to open this year, according to the East Montgomery County Observer.

parks

no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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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