Yestarday the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee voted the House version of the business courts bill, HB 19, out of committee on a 5-4 vote. This bill is a detriment to royalty owners throughout rural Texas.
PLEASE CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE TODAY AND TELL THEM YOU ARE OPPOSED TO THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE BILL FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:
• Without a carve out for oil, gas, mineral and royalty owner disputes, the bill:
o Forecloses a royalty owners’ right to be heard by a judge elected in their county;
o Allows disputes with large, multinational oil and gas companies to be heard in major metropolitan areas where the appointed judges sit AND NOT where the oil and gas is actually produced;
o Ignores that Texas’ business climate is a Top 10 world economy and we do not need a “special court, for special interests” to invite businesses to Texas;
o Will have a chilling effect on a royalty owner’s right to seek recompense in front of a jury of their peers;
o Violates the Texas Constitutional edict on establishing a judiciary; and
o Fails to separate the executive branch from the judicial branch by allowing appointment of judges without election.
YOU CAN FIND CONTACT INFOMRATION FOR YOU REPRESENTATIVE HERE
Hey Wade, Thank you for the ‘heads up’ on HB19 Texas Business Courts bill. I read the bill and reached out to my rep. Another layer of government is never a good thing.
I called all the representatives listed on the NARO email. Even though the family only has interests in the state and are not constituents, I still called. Hopefully it makes a difference.
The terrible business courts bill, HB 19, still does not have any exceptions put in to avoid any major lease dispute, spill or underpayment claim from being sucked into these courts. Call your state reps and tell them you want all property rights suits to stay in the District Courts where the property is located!
Called the representatives where properties are located. Others who own property in Texas, even if they don’t live there, should call and get their voices heard.
This bill got passed and will be signed by the governor. No carve out for land and mineral interest was included, so it remains to be seen whether it will be used to drag lease termination claims and other large claims over $10 million into business court.