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As health care costs continue rising in Texas and across the nation, state lawmakers are working to understand the factors that make health care unaffordable and what can be done to rein in prices.

The big picture: About 5.2 million Texans, or 16.7% of the state’s population, did not have health insurance in 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

For years, advocates have called on Texas lawmakers to pass laws to drive down health care costs and improve access to health insurance. During a two-day hearing April 30 and May 1, a Texas House committee examined why health care costs are rising. Lawmakers will discuss potential policy solutions later this year, committee chair Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, said.

What's happening: Yale University professor Zack Cooper said that since 2000, U.S. health care spending has grown three times faster than inflation. The average health insurance premium for a family of four is $27,000 per year, he said.

“Every family is basically buying a new Toyota Corolla worth of health insurance," Cooper told lawmakers.

Wonder Pops opened its new service window and patio space June 3, founder Karla Rosa Garcia confirmed. The fruit popsicle shop is based in the Heights and vends at farmers’ markets and private events throughout Houston.

What’s on the menu: The popsicles are made with cold-pressed juice and come in a variety of permanent and seasonal flavors. They contain no artificial colors or additives and use real fruit, Garcia said.

Marking a milestone: Garcia founded Wonder Pops in 2022, but previously only sold her products at temporary booths or catering events.

The soft opening took place June 3, but Garcia said she will be holding a grand opening and fourth anniversary event at the end of the month.

• 428 West Cottage St., Houston

Houston added a handful of amendments to the fiscal year 2026-27 budget that was approved June 10.

Some amendments deal with the new $5 administration fee and the Solid Waste Department, while others add positions to city departments and address mental health.

The updates: Houston City Council approved $3 million to address illegal dumping. The amendment will:

• Hire additional solid waste workers
• Expand roll-off services, which include renting large dumpsters for bulky waste and debris
• Expand access to legal disposal sites
• Install cameras and signage in chronic dump sites
• Accelerate cleanup and overgrowth removal

Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Tina Petersen announced her formal resignation minutes after Harris County commissioners approved a new plan in partnership with the Harris County Flood Control District and the Texas General Land Office to complete $322 million in disaster recovery and flood mitigation projects by February 2027.

The breakdown: HCFCD Assistant Director of Operations Scott Elmer said the new plan with the GLO involved getting all 11 disaster recovery projects through the current project status by the February 2027 deadline, and then rolling over the remaining phases of the projects into the flood mitigation project deadline in March 2028.

What's next: While commissioners agreed to move forward with the project plans in partnership with the GLO, they will first need to find a replacement for Petersen after her resignation. 

According to the Office of County Administration, commissioners will consider next steps for the position at the June 25 meeting while the OCA manages the department in the interim.

Texas must protect residential consumers from paying for the infrastructure needed to power new data centers, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a June 10 order aimed at balancing the rapid growth of data centers with the needs of residents and communities.

The big picture: The governor directed state regulators to ensure data center companies do not pass infrastructure costs on to ratepayers, urging lawmakers to tighten regulations on data centers’ water use and repeal certain tax exemptions that benefit the industry.

Abbott’s order comes as Texas grapples with how to manage the data center boom amid climbing electric demand and looming water shortages. It is the first time the Republican governor has publicly called to restrict data center growth.

The context: As communities across Texas consider new data center projects, reporting shows that some residents are pushing back, raising concerns about the large facilities’ water usage, potential strain on the electric grid and impacts on local neighborhoods.

What they're saying: In response, state agencies called protecting consumers from rising electric costs "our top priority."