White seeks to prohibit ownership of Texas ag land by foreign entities
Texas State Representative James White (R-Woodville) has announced that he has filed a bill which, if passed, would prohibit ownership of Texas agricultural land by any foreign individual, government, or business.
White, who currently serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety, recently announced that he would not seek re-election as State Representative, and instead will seek election to office as Agricultural Commissioner. His proposal, which is House Bill 58, falls directly in line with both property concerns and the agricultural industry of the state.
There has been a growing concern here in Texas, as well as across the country, of foreign governments buying up huge swaths of land - most notably China. Another concern is Mexican drug cartels which have reportedly been purchasing large pieces of land in south Texas in order to improve their routes of smuggling drugs into the United States.
In a press release, White was quoted as saying "Farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our agricultural industry that drive the economic prosperity of all Texans and Americans. We must uphold the sovereignty of our great state and support our local agriculture."
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