GENERAL LAND OFFICE

The land commissioner manages public land, enforces mineral rights leases, controls the Texas Permanent School Fund, distributes natural disaster relief funding and is responsible for the Alamo.

The land commissioner manages the Texas General Land Office, which manages the Alamo, administers natural disaster relief funding and helps fund public education. The seat is open after incumbent George P. Bush lost his primary bid for attorney general.

Republican Dawn Buckingham and Democrat Jay Kleberg won their primary runoffs. The winner of November’s general election will replace George P. Bush as head of the Texas General Land Office.

Despite an admonition from federal authorities, Land Commissioner George P. Bush’s plan still steers aid disproportionately to whiter, inland counties at less risk of natural disasters.

Land Commissioner George P. Bush is in the middle of a fierce runoff in the Republican primary for Texas attorney general against incumbent Ken Paxton. During the race, several of Bush’s opponents have criticized his office’s work in distributing Hurricane Harvey relief funds.

Land Commissioner George P. Bush is stepping down to run for attorney general. Four Democrats and eight Republicans are seeking their parties’ nominations for the office.

The federal infrastructure bill’s passage renewed hopes that Texas would finally get a coastal storm barrier. But Galveston and Houston could still get hit by a hurricane before it is built.

Scientists say a study that estimated far more golden-cheeked warblers in Texas than previously thought has been attacked and taken out of context as the state and federal government battle over the bird’s endangered status.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced a lease agreement Monday that will allow the state to build a border wall in Starr County. The commissioner held a news conference in Starr County in July to talk about a lawsuit filed by his office over the unfinished border wall in a property stretching 3,099 acres. Greg Abbott visited Del Río, he announced his plans to create a border wall and barriers. That same day Bush said the construction would receive emergency authorization on state lands. During Bush’s visit to Starr County in July, he announced the General Land Office would be making its 20,000 state-owned border acres available to his plans.

At least three other Democrats and four Republicans are vying for the office that GOP incumbent George P. Bush is leaving to run for attorney general.

The redevelopment of the Alamo, which Bush oversees as land commissioner, has prompted pushback across the political spectrum.

Seven of the state’s nine veterans homes had a fatality rate of 25% or more, far higher than the statewide average of 11% for nursing homes. Bush has vowed to not renew the operators’ contracts.

Guzman's candidacy adds a new dynamic to the primary that is already unfolding between incumbent Paxton and Land Commissioner George P. Bush.

For almost two hours Friday morning, Democratic Houston Area members of Congress spoke about and listened to complaints about the City of Houston and Harris County being left entirely out of any of the FEMA flood mitigation funds allotted by Republican Commissioner George P. Bush and his General Land Office.

Bush made his challenge official Wednesday evening during an event at a downtown Austin bar. Former President Donald Trump said last week that he would issue an endorsement in the race "in the not-so-distant future."

Congressman Al Green warned that unless Houston and Harris County received a “fair share,” the U.S. Houston and Urban Development Department would not provide Texas any funds at all.

After getting hammered by Houston area officials, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced Wednesday night that he’d asked the federal government to send $750 million for flood mitigation directly to Harris County, days after his General Land Office iced-out the county and the city of Houston from receiving...

Bush's announcement comes after an outcry from Houston and Harris County leaders who requested $1.3 billion in federal funds for Harvey relief but were left off a list of recipients the General Land Office released.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner went after Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush Wednesday with a letter expressing their “profound disappointment” with how Bush’s General Land Office blocked Houston and Harris County from receiving even one cent of the latest round of federal...

The former president said in a statement Tuesday that he'll issue an endorsement "in the not-so-distant future."

Houston and Harris County were denied funding over other Texas communities despite requesting $1.3 billion for ongoing relief efforts. Local officials are asking the federal government to intervene.

Bush has a unique history with Trump as the only prominent member of his famous political family to back the former president. Meanwhile, Paxton has tightly aligned himself with Trump in recent months.

Acting Assistant Secretary John Gibbs writes, “The amendment also eliminates direct allocation funding to the city of Houston. The state said the city has only been able to address 163 homes since January of 2019. The General Land Office said the funds for Houstonians are not going anywhere, simply they are going to manage it moving forward. The state sent Mayor Turner a termination letter Monday evening informing them the contract shall terminate on Nov. 6, 2020. In the final sentence, the Deputy Land Commissioner for the GLO writes, “It is our hope that the City of Houston will engage with the GLO in future discussion concerning these matters.”

Greg Abbott has taken notice of Houston's slow-moving progress with its Harvey recovery program. "Houston and Harris County's lack of movement on Harvey housing recovery is the reason the city and county will not get a direct allocation. "Today is a historic day for our state," GLO Commissioner George P. Bush said. "The county says it is prioritizing flood mitigation projects and is working with state and federal officials to make sure these new funds are shared locally. But, the city won't control any of the $4 billion administered for Harvey recovery, despite Turner saying he's advocating for about half of it to go to the city and county.