During the 76th Texas Legislature, area legislators lobbied for homebuilders in the Big Country. Abilene continuing to do well, building not only more homes but more expensive homes, and that shows the strength of the economy. Hunter and Keffer said they rely on area homebuilders to inform him of their needs. Keffer also said training people to work in the field was extremely important.
State law gives cities broad powers to annex areas that are adjacent to the city.
The bill reinstates the provisions of the Freeze Law or vested rights statute. It pertains to the processing and issuing of permits by state and local governments, freezing all requirements for development of land as of the point in time that an application for a permit was filed. The freeze stays in effect for all subsequent applications for permits of government approvals that were made in connection with the project being developed until it was completed. In 1997, the Legislature placed significant consumer protections in the lien law statute, amending the Construction Trust Fund Act to require builders to use construction funds only on the project for which the funds were intended. This action also punished reputable builders by increasing overhead and costly delays to the homeowner.