When deadly winter storms ravaged the state in February and power outages plunged more than 4 million people into cold and darkness, Gov. Greg Abbott had already set his priorities for the Legislature and the 140-day legislative session was a month old.
Lawmakers were tackling issues related to the coronavirus pandemic, navigating a budget shortfall and pursuing conservative priorities such as expanding abortion restrictions, limiting transgender athletes and eliminating gun permits.
But after the lights came back on, legislators had a new mission: Make drastic changes to the state’s power supply system and electric grid to prevent crises, while also avoiding the mistakes of legislatures past, which failed to take meaningful action after similar winter weather and blackouts.
Austin renters forced to relocate, others describe unlivable conditions in aftermath of Texas freeze statesman.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from statesman.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Diana Martinez Rangel was the epitome of strength, resilience and kindness to her family. She d learned to navigate the world without her hearing, raised six children, persevered through multiple heart attacks and stuck to a strict dialysis regimen for the past seven years.
Inside her Manor home, weeks after the mid-February winter storm, her son Miguel Rangel said he was still in shock that she had died.
“It just hurts because she wasn’t supposed to go this way,” Rangel said.
In stage 4 kidney failure, Martinez Rangel needed dialysis treatments three times a week. After the freeze left millions across the state without electricity or water, the dialysis center she depended on had to shutter. The day before they reopened, she died.
Some in Austin s Asian communities went days without updates statesman.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from statesman.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Christopher Wood says he and his wife wouldn’t have purchased the home warranty a year ago had they known what they do now.
After two days without heat or electricity because of February’s storms, Wood and his wife, Kelly Lohr, left their East Austin home to stay with his parents for a few days in Round Rock. When they returned, their tankless water heater was ruined.
Wood says he signed up on OneGuard Home Warranties web portal for a service call to the house and had to wait a week, until Feb. 26, for the company to send plumbers who finally had the time. The fee: $75.