Abbott nixes water conservation, contract bidding bills

Gov. Greg Abbott has vetoed two more bills in the aftermath of the 84th legislative session, including a proposal that aimed to curb water use by prisons, particularly in times of drought.

House Bill 2788, authored by Republican Rep. Drew Springerof Muenster, would have let a local water utility require correctional facilities to effectively follow the same measures private businesses and citizens use to conserve water. In some Texas counties, prisons are the biggest consumers of water and are often looked upon to scale back during dry periods.

In a veto statement Wednesday, Abbott said HB 2788 "goes too far" in pursuit of water conservation, giving a local water utility authority that belongs to the state.

"Ceding control of the state's correctional facilities' water use to local water utilities creates the potential for interference with a core function of government," Abbott said. "If the Legislature wishes to require prisons and jails to use less water, it should do so directly rather than outsourcing the decision to local water utilities."

Abbott this week also vetoed Senate Bill 408, which would have slightly increased the amount of preference a county could give a local business bidding on a contract for property. In a veto statement Wednesday, Abbott suggested the proposal would have wasted taxpayer dollars by de-emphasizing best value as a priority in the bidding process.

Abbott has so far vetoed four bills and one resolution, including HB 2788 and SB 408. He has until June 21 to sign or veto bills passed during the session. Bills that aren't signed — but aren't vetoed, either — become law automatically.