The Hays County Commissioners’ Court authorized the issuance of Certificates of Obligation, or COs, to fund major county projects at a Jan. 20 meeting.

The big picture: The COs will fund five projects related to county office and administrative buildings, a judicial facility and animal shelter facilities. 

The cost: The debt service will be paid for with revenue from an estimated tax rate levy of $0.0102 per $100 assessed property value, according to agenda documents, and may also draw on net revenues from the county’s solid waste system.

The COs must be repaid within 30 years of issuance.

About the projects: The authorized COs will fund five major county projects, including:

• Eastside Campus, a county administration building in Kyle
• Animal shelter facilities, including a planned center in Kyle, developed alongside the cities of Kyle and Buda
• Upgrades to the Hays County Government Center
• New office for Hays County Precinct 4
• New office for Hays County Precinct 5

Michael Cloud and Chris Hatley are seeking votes in the Republican primary election.

Why it matters: The winner of the Republican primary will face off with the winner of the Democratic primary to determine who will be the federal representative of District 27.

At the polls: A candidate must receive over 50% of the votes to win; if this doesn’t happen, a runoff election will be held in May.

Learn more: Candidates were asked to keep responses within 50 words, answer the questions provided, and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.

“Stock” Catro-Mendoza, Tanya Lloyd and Wayne Raasch are seeking votes in the Democratic primary election.

Why it matters: The winner of the Democratic primary will face off with the winner of the Republican primary to determine who will be the federal representative of District 27.

At the polls: A candidate must receive over 50% of the votes to win; if this doesn’t happen, a runoff election will be held in May.

Learn more: Candidates were asked to keep responses within 50 words, answer the questions provided, and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.

A set of permanent regulations for thousands of Texas businesses selling consumable hemp products took effect Jan. 21, after the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission adopted them one day earlier.

The overview: The latest hemp rules do not bring significant changes to the roughly 60,000 businesses under TABC oversight. They replace similar emergency rules adopted Sept. 23, prohibiting Texas alcohol retailers from selling hemp-derived THC products to customers under 21 years old.

“The key you heard today … is the effect of THC on younger folks' development—much like alcohol, the same reasons we regulate alcohol for those 21 years old [and up],” TABC chair Robert Eckels said.

Zooming in: The TABC has limited jurisdiction over the consumable hemp industry and can only require age limits and ID checks, agency leaders said. State health officials are considering more comprehensive regulations on the industry.

“The Department of State Health Services’ rules are going to be much more robust,” TABC general counsel James Person said Jan. 20. “They actually cover the products themselves: the [THC] content, the testing and whatnot."