Austin

Efforts to reduce plastic bag litter motivated the Texas cities of Brownsville, Fort Stockton, South Padre Island and Austin to adopt single-use plastic bag bans and prompted several Texas councilmen to push bans in their cities.

A ban on paper and plastic single-use bags within Austin took place March 1. Retailers in Austin are only able to offer reusable bags made from cloth, durable materials or thicker paper and plastic bags.

For the first time representatives from all four schools in the University of Houston System participated as advocates during UH System Day held in Austin, Feb. 13.

During Labor Day weekend, more than 4,000 conservatives from Texas gathered outside the steps of the capitol building in Austin to protest the status quo of the federal government.