AUSTIN– Representative Trey Wharton joined the Texas Water Caucus, a nonpartisan educational platform supporting the next generation of water champions and ensuring water is prioritized, as a Vice Chair. The Caucus unanimously elected Representative Stan Kitzman as its new Chair and amended its bylaws to make the Caucus bicameral.
Following the successful launch of the Texas Water Caucus in 2023, interest has grown in the education-only caucus at the start of the 89th Legislative Session and includes 74 new and returning members from the Texas House of Representatives.
“I am excited to be Vice Chair of the Texas Water Caucus for the 89th Texas Legislature,” said Representative Trey Wharton. “Managing water resources effectively and efficiently is extremely
important in District 12 as we see population growth in our counties and cities. I look forward to participating in the Texas Water Caucus and working on these important issues in the weeks and months to come.”
Representative Stan Kitzman, the Caucus’ newly elected Chair, follows Texas Water Caucus founder and former Representative Tracy O. King. As a water professional and former schoolteacher from House District 85, Kitzman served on the House Natural Resources Committee last session and is committed to the Caucus mission of providing water education to more members.
“It has never been more important to prioritize water,” said Texas Water Caucus House Chair Stan Kitzman. “Our state’s future depends on us addressing our water security now.”
In November 2023, Texas voters approved the creation of the Texas Water Fund and unlocked $1 billion to help finance water infrastructure. Since then, water champions across the state have worked towards further investment in the Texas Water Fund, citing over $150 billion of critical water infrastructure needs.
Earlier this month, Governor Greg Abbott announced a “Texas-sized investment in water infrastructure” as an emergency priority. This announcement, coupled with Senate and House budget allocations, signals a generational opportunity to secure dedicated and continuous funding for water infrastructure.
The Caucus will provide a forum for members to understand the facts, challenges, and complexities of providing and safeguarding water, to better prioritize and champion water issues.
A full list of Caucus members can be found here.
To learn more about the Texas Water Caucus, contact Alan Leonard at [email protected].