(The Center Square) – After no quorum was reached in the Texas House on Monday, House Speaker Dustin Burrows voted for and signed motions the House passed requiring the return of 56 missing Democrats. This included Burrows signing civil warrants for their arrest and directing the sergeant of arms to find those in Texas and bring them back to the capitol.

Those who absconded out of the state can only be arrested by Texas law enforcement within state lines, which is why dozens of Democrats left the state Sunday to halt a vote on a Congressional redistricting effort that could flip up to five seats from blue to red.

However, when asked if Burrows would accept assistance from the Trump administration to arrest Democrats who went to Illinois and New York, he replied, “we will do whatever we need to do to continue this important work. There is nothing off the table.”

Gov. Greg Abbott also directed Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to assist with their arrest and return to the capitol, The Center Square reported.

On Sunday, dozens of House Democrats announced “the special session was over” in opposition to Texas redistricting efforts and left the state. The legislature had convened on July 21 for 30 days to address 18 legislative items, including funding and policy changes related to the historic July 4 deadly flood event. On Saturday, a House committee passed a redistricting bill that was scheduled for a vote on Monday. By absconding, House Democrats delayed the vote.

Sunday night, Abbott ordered that they return to Austin or they would be arrested and potentially removed from office. He also said those who were fundraising were potentially committing bribery.

Democrats who fled “abandoned their posts, and turned their backs on the constituents they swore to represent,” Burrows said. “They’ve shirked their responsibilities under the direction of pressure of out-of-state politicians and activists who don’t know the first thing about what’s right for Texas.”

After signing the civil arrest warrants, Burrows held a news conference saying the House had important work that needed to be done.

“We encountered unprecedented flooding in the Hill Country. We have members of committees who have met not only in Austin to meet with the relevant state officials, but also the families,” he said. They’ve been working on legislation that has been filed, referred, and will be heard,” he said. The bills relate to funding for flood victims but also policy changes to implement to help with future floods.

Other issues include eliminating the STAAR test, property tax reform, human trafficking penalties and protections, among others the governor put on the call for the special session.

He also explained that lawmakers not working is not optional.

Pursuant to the Texas Constitution, “the governor gets to set the agenda, and the constitution says the members of the legislature shall show up to do their jobs,” Burrows said. “I am proud of the members who are here. It was bipartisan. I am hopeful there’ll be more members here tomorrow.

“But I am disappointed that while these members are here reporting for their duty under the Constitution, others are out of the state in New York and Chicago, in places they do not represent.”

He also said that while the work of the House may be delayed, “whether it’s tomorrow or next week, the House will complete its required duties.”

Authorities will be arresting members who are in the state, including one who announced a fundraiser in Austin on Tuesday, Burrows said. He sent the information “to DPS and said they should be invited to attend as well,” he said.

Abbott on Monday afternoon also directed the Texas Rangers to “immediately investigate fleeing Texas House Democrats for potential bribery and any other potential legal violations connected to their refusal to appear for a quorum, conduct business, and cast votes. That investigation should extend to anyone who aided or abetted such potential crimes.”

Based on statements Democrats made in news conferences and posts on social media, many solicited or claimed to receive funds to evade conducting legislative business and casting votes. “Under the Texas Penal Code, any of those Democrats who solicit, accept, or agree to accept such funds to assist in the violation of legislative duties or for purposes of skipping a vote may have violated bribery laws,” Abbott said. “Also, it could be a bribery violation for any other person who offers, provides, or agrees to provide such funds to fleeing Democrat House members.” 

The House is scheduled to convene on Tuesday at 1 pm.

(The Center Square) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins approved six waivers to exclude sodas and energy drinks from federal nutrition programs on Monday.

Rollins signed waivers exempting soda and energy drinks from being included in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs in Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. The six states join Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Utah and Nebraska in restricting sodas and energy drinks from SNAP.

“Since my confirmation, our department has encouraged states to think differently and creatively about how to solve the many health issues facing Americans,” Rollins said. “One way is by not allowing taxpayer funded benefits to be used to purchase unhealthy items like soda, candy and other junk food.”

Critics of the new push to ban soda and energy drinks under SNAP say it unfairly targets lower income families, limits consumer choice and won’t result in better health outcomes. 

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is the first Democrat governor to request a waiver of sugary drinks from the states SNAP program.

“This is not red or blue, Republican or Democrat. We are discussing and working with every state. So [I am ] really excited to continue to work with Governor Polis,” Rollins said. 

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey joined Rollins for the announcement.

Morrisey praised his state’s inclusion as part of the SNAP waiver program. He said the lack of access to healthy foods in West Virginia contributes to the prevalence of chronic disease in residents.

“I’m happy now that West Virginia taxpayers are not going to be subsidizing soda and these sugary drinks, things that have no nutritional value and are directly linked to obesity, diabetes, and a lot of other terrible health care outcomes,” Morrisey said.

HHS Secretary Kennedy agreed with Morrisey. He said the inclusion of soda and energy drinks in SNAP increases the cost to medicaid and medicare programs due to increased chronic disease.

“US taxpayers should not be paying to feed kids foods – the poorest kids in our country – with foods that are the gift of diabetes. And my agency ends up through Medicaid and Medicare paying for those injuries,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy also gave an update on the dietary guidelines for Americans that he is working alongside Rollins to complete. He said the guidelines will be complete in late September, “three months ahead of schedule.”

“They will drive changes in the school lunch program, in prison lunches and military food, and they will begin to change America almost immediately,” Kennedy said.

Not everyone agrees.

“Make no mistake, this waiver won’t make an ounce of difference on health,” the trade organization American Beverage said when a waiver was being discussed in Ohio. “Obesity has skyrocketed in the last two decades while beverage calories per serving have dropped by 42% – thanks to our industry’s efforts to empower Americans with more choice and information. In fact, 60% of beverages Americans buy today have zero sugar due to our innovation.”

The U.S. government spent $112.8 billion on SNAP in 2023, covering 100% of the cost of food benefits and 50% of states’ administrative costs.

(The Center Square)—Transportation energy costs in North Carolina mirror the midsummer holiday a month ago.

Monday morning’s average cost for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline was $2.87 statewide, within tenths of the same as a month ago and just a penny higher than Dec. 31. It remains more than a quarter below the national average despite one of the nation’s highest at-the-pump fuel taxes.

One year ago, the average was $3.25.

For diesel, the average of $3.54 per gallon is up 4 cents from a month ago and down from $3.74 last year at this time.

Three years ago in the second week of August, North Carolina’s averages were $3.68 for unleaded and $4.97 for diesel. State lawmakers’ push that year for a $200 rebate to taxpayers ultimately died in committee.

The national averages are $3.15 for unleaded and $3.72 for diesel. Those are down from $3.47 and $3.79, respectively, at this time of year.

Per Environmental Protection Agency rules in place from June 1 to Sept. 15, the less volatile summer blend fuel must be sold. Price impact is generally considered 10 cents to 15 cents higher per gallon.

Combustion engine consumers make up more than 8 million vehicle registrations in the nation’s ninth-largest state.

North Carolina’s electric vehicle charging rate average, according to AAA, is 33.4 cents per kilowatt-hour. The national average is 36.7 cents per kWh. More than 100,000 zero-emission vehicles are registered in the state. At the start of the calendar year, the state norm was 33.5 cents per kWh and the national was 34.7 cents per kWh.

Eleven states have lower average prices for a gallon of unleaded; 17 are lower for diesel; and seven are lower in electric.

Among 14 major metro areas, the least expensive average for unleaded gas is in Fayetteville at $2.75. The most expensive area is the Durham-Chapel Hill metro (each $2.93).

Diesel is the most consumer-friendly ($3.39) in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton.

North Carolina’s 40.3 cents per gallon tax rate for 2025 is topped by California (59.6), Pennsylvania (57.6), Washington (49.4), Illinois (47), Maryland (46.1), and New Jersey (44.9).

Motor fuel taxes in the state fund the Department of Transportation’s highway and multi-modal projects, accounting for more than half of the state transportation resources. The revenues go into the Highway Fund and the Highway Trust Fund.