Former Texas leaders decry bill giving landowners the upper hand in beach access fights

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 1 of 7 Beach goers enjoy the sand and surf along the Gulf shore near a row of homes o...

March 7, 2023
2:46 PM

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 1 of 7 Beach goers enjoy the sand and surf along the Gulf shore near a row of homes on Monday, March 6, 2023 in Galveston. Senate Bill 434, by Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston, would strip the authority of the Texas General Land Office to define the boundaries of the public beach, and would allow the upland beachfront property owner to make that determination instead. The property owner could then deny access to the public beach easement that existed between the line of vegetation and the mean high tide mark.

Jasper Scherer