I'm at Travis County district court for DAY TWO of a hearing over the new Texas hemp...
14 posts from a reporting thread.
Read original at XI'm at Travis County district court for DAY TWO of a hearing over the new Texas hemp regulations.
I'll be posting more updates below from the "media room" at Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility. I have a clean audio feed but can't see the courtroom. https://t.co/vGGAeqJ4S1
Some background on the hemp rules: https://t.co/Pzc1GJABFY
Some background on the lawsuit: https://t.co/0SrKGKxHTS
A story about a temporary restraining order that paused some of the rules: https://t.co/CmmDYBvGDm
Here's an audio story about the hearing I wrote yesterday that ran on NPR this morning. https://t.co/zaheYshRSx
Texas Hemp Business Council executive director Mark Bordas is now on the stand. He was a lobbyist for Anheuser-Busch for 20 years. Now his organization is suing the state to allow the continued sale of certain products that are often seen as competition to alcohol.
Bordas: Since the new state regulations, "there has definitely been a winnowing of the people that continue to participate in the industry because they believe they're reading the tea leaves and why would you invest further."
That didn't unfurl very well. (Thanks X!) Here's the five hours of audio from yesterday's proceedings.
Re: timeline, the plaintiffs with finish with Bordas, their last witness, after a break. A plaintiff attorney expects to be done by lunch today.
Then the defense will call a witness tomorrow. Then closing arguments.
The judge is asking everyone to get proposed orders in.
Break over. Mark Bordas is back on the stand.
Bordas: Anheuser-Busch, the world's largest brewer, pays $3,000 every other year to sell products in Texas. The state is asking "small mom-and-pops" to spend $5,000 a year. Calls fees "exorbitant" and believes it would put the "vast majority" of the industry out of business. "No doubt pricing would go up."
Texas Attorney General lawyer: "Do you agree that consumption of an unknown quantity of a psychoactive substance can be dangerous?"
Bordas: "Yes"
Bordas is done. That means the plaintiffs are done with witnesses for now.
Defense will call a witness tomorrow.
So that's it for today's proceedings.
Resumes tomorrow at 9 a.m.
