美国.S. Department of 运输 (DOT) awarded Harris County and 休斯顿-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) more than $10 million to support transportation infrastructure projects that aim to enhance resiliency against climate change.   The announcement is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's broader initiative, the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient and Cost-saving 运输 (PROTECT) program, established under the Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. PROTECT will fund nearly $830 million in grants for 80 projects nationwide.   According to DOT, Harris County will receive more than $9.6 million to develop a master plan evaluating drainage infrastructure capacity of local roadways within the county’s unincorporated areas that are experiencing rapid growth and frequent flooding. 与此同时，H-GAC将获得1美元.1 million to create a Resilience Improvement Plan for transportation systems across the eight-county region that are prone to severe weather, 自然灾害和洪水.   “Every community in America knows the impacts of climate change and extreme weather, including increasingly frequent heavy rain and flooding events across the country and sea-level rise that is inundating infrastructure in coastal states,” said Shailen Bhatt of the Federal Highway Administration in a statement. “This investment from the Biden-Harris Administration will ensure our infrastructure is built to withstand more frequent and unpredictable extreme weather, which is vitally important for people and businesses that rely on roads and bridges being open to keep our economy moving.”   As a city that has experienced six federally declared flooding disasters since 2015, 这些项目对休斯顿的繁荣至关重要. 进一步推进保护等公共政策, the Greater 休斯顿 Partnership recently visited Washington, D.C., to advocate for the use of funds from the new Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program, which would provide billions of dollars for flood mitigation projects in the 休斯顿 region.  另外, 与联邦, 州和地方民选官员, the Partnership has actively been working to propel the coastal barrier project, 也被称为艾克堤, 向前. 这个重要的基础设施项目, which is on the verge of being authorized by Congress, will help mitigate crippling flooding from catastrophic storm surges and save tens of billions of dollars in disaster recovery funding by protecting vulnerable communities. The barrier will also safeguard the 休斯顿 Ship Channel, which serves as an economic engine helping to power the nation.   Learn more about the Partnership’s 公共政策 Efforts.  

在提前投票前的几周, the Greater 休斯顿 Partnership will share essential information on key ballot initiatives impacting our region. 本周, Hga010皇冠软件下载关注状态命题5和6, which would allow Texas to invest in its higher education system and 改善日益恶化的水利基础设施. 2023年的投票 11月7日, 德克萨斯州将举行全州大选, allowing voters to decide on 14 to the state’s constitution. Since 休斯顿 will be the only major city in Texas conducting local elections, 休斯顿 voters will disproportionately impact the statewide results. 在这次大选中, 德州可以投资高等教育系统, 改善日益恶化的水利基础设施, 扩大公平的宽带接入, and incentivize biomedical manufacturing and job creation. 除了, Harris County could receive much-needed funds to enhance and expand the Harris Health System. 提案5:用3美元资助德州大学.4 b基金 A strong college-educated talent pipeline is becoming increasingly important to attract the companies and investments that can power economies for decades. T在这里 are just two national top 50 public universities in Texas: 美国niversity of Texas at Austin (ranked 9th) and Texas A&M(排名第20位). 因此, Texas is ranked 23rd nationally in the number of students attending a top 50 public university.  With the goal of elevating other Texas universities to top-50 status and improving Texas’ 有竞争力的ness, the 2023 Legislature passed House Bill 1595 and House Joint Resolution 3, which will establish the Texas University Fund (TUF). TUF是一个永久性的3美元.4 billion research endowment that will appropriate up to $100 million dollars annually to four Texas public universities, 包括休斯顿大学.  Why it matters: This historic investment will strengthen Texas’ higher education institutions by providing the necessary funding to improve Texas universities’ national rankings, which will help the state attract top talent and reduce “brain drain.“另外, it will allow Texas schools to compete for federal research grants, 确保私人研究经费, 增加校友支持, and position Texas as a top destination for premier higher education.   What’s next: Establishing the fund is contingent on voters passing Proposition 5. The Partnership urges support for the constitutional amendment creating the Texas University Fund, which will expand educational opportunities for all Texas students and strengthen the state’s economy. Proposition 6: One positive step toward addressing looming water challenges 根据最新的国家水资源规划, the population in Texas is expected to grow by 73 percent from 2020 to 2070, while the water demands are projected to rise by nine percent. Meanwhile, the existing water supply is expected to decline by around 18 percent. The result would be a crisis-level water shortage of 6.到2070年将达到每年900万英亩英尺. 为了满足这一需求, the Texas Legislature passed a constitutional amendment to establish the New Water Supply Fund, 德州水基金, and the Statewide Water Public Awareness Account and put dollars toward crumbling water infrastructure across the state. The measure will help address future shortfalls by enabling the state to take on new water infrastructure projects, 从而增加居民获得水的机会.   What’s next: Establishing these funds and funding is contingent on voters passing Proposition 6. The Partnership urges support for the constitutional amendment creating 德州水基金 to assist in financing water projects in Texas. 重要选举资料: 提前投票:10月. 11月23日. 3 大选日期:11月11日. 7 Find more information on voting and polling locations. Find more information on each of these ballot measures supported by the Greater 休斯顿 Partnership at 休斯顿.org/2023ballot.