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Edinburgh Live
6 days ago
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
Super sleuth uncovers 'world's largest lottery scandal' after £42m jackpot
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A 74-year-old woman who uncovered the "biggest lottery scandal in the world" has revealed the exact moment she realised winners had been "cheated" by a London banker. The brains behind the Texas Lottery stunt was former London banker-turned bookmaker Bernard Marantelli, assisted by Zeljko Ranogajec, known as "The Joker." Determined to topple the Texas Lottery, Marantelli enlisted the help of Ranogajec to fund their audacious plan. Their strategy involved purchasing every possible lottery number at $1 a ticket, aiming to bag the $95million (£70 million) jackpot. To execute this, they devised a method to utilise "dozens" of official ticket-printing machines. This was feasible because, at that time, Texas permitted online lottery ticket vendors to print tickets for their customers. With the assistance of one vendor, the pair printed vast quantities of tickets during an intense three-day operation. Marantelli and Ranogajec set up shop in a disused dentist's office and a warehouse in Texas, where their team printed thousands of tickets per minute, inching towards the 25.8 million different number combinations. However, it wasn't until the Lotto Texas jackpot hit a whopping $73million (£53million) on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, with no winner declared, that suspicions were raised, leading to the prize pot rolling over, reports the Mirror. On Sunday, the lottery jackpot soared to a massive $95million (£70million), which caught the attention of Dawn Nettles, an experienced "lottery watchdog". She noted, "There hadn't been a winner in 92 draws and sales didn't support the odds". Dawn has devoted her life to running the Lotto Report website, established in 1998 initially as a simple draw results service for lottery enthusiasts. Her daily routine involves a rigorous 12-24 hours scrutinising Texas Lotto sales for the morning, day, evening, and night draws. The dedicated retiree never parts with her computer, ensuring she can update results from any location across the states, and confesses that her bedtime rarely comes before "1 or 2am." Her efforts have previously uncovered several instances of misconduct by the lottery and unfair treatment of its players. For instance, she highlighted a Willy Wonka game that falsely advertised a $1billion prize when, in reality, no such winners emerged. The highest prize she discovered was a Texan who bagged $42,500 (£31,000). While monitoring lotto ticket sales, Dawn detected an unusual spike. On April 19, 2023, ticket sales for the draw astonishingly hit $7.3million (£5.3million). She speculated, "That night, I thought someone had invested £5million and used a computer program to predict numbers would be drawn". Despite the surge in sales, there were no winners that evening, prompting the jackpot to climb to $72million (£53million) for the following Monday's draw. "Sales were typical, given that apps were flogging tickets to punters across the US. With no lucky winner on Monday night, Wednesday's jackpot was bumped up to a cool $73million. Still no winner come Wednesday, so Saturday's draw saw the prize pot swell to $74million (£54million). "But things took a turn on Friday when the Texas Lottery Commission hiked the jackpot to $83million (£63million) - that's when I twigged what was happening. I realised someone was snapping up all the combinations and had a hunch that the commission would give the jackpot another boost. And sure enough, they did on Saturday – they jacked it up to $95million (£69million), which seemed a tad excessive." Dawn suspects that Marantelli and Ranoajec bided their time, waiting for the jackpot to roll over and grow in value to get the most bang for their $26million spent on tickets. The duo enlisted an online ticket-selling firm and set "dozens" of machines whirring away to churn out tickets from warehouses in Texas. Between the April 19 draw and the next one, their team embarked on a gruelling three-day spree, snapping up 99.3% of all possible number combinations. Armed with the ability to spit out 100 tickets a second, their relentless efforts paid off, bagging them a staggering $57million (£42million) jackpot after Texas gave the thumbs up for online ticket outlets to print tickets for players. Dawn shared her initial belief that an app was behind the ticket sales, reasoning, "I reasoned that the only way they could get all of the combinations into systems electronically. Two years later, we know QR codes were used, 60 to 70 lottery terminals were delivered to four locations and the bad guys were working 24/7 for three days to print the 25million tickets." The Texas Lottery Commission has defended the integrity of their games amidst scrutiny. Yet, legislators have pointed fingers at the Texas Lottery Commission for letting third-party courier apps churn out tickets for punters. The plot thickened when it emerged that the jackpot ticket came from Colleyville, courtesy of a vendor named "Lottery Now". Driven by curiosity about the shop's existence, Dawn set off to the listed location. Upon arrival, she discovered a lack of any storefront named "Lottery Now", which was the moniker the Texas Lottery Commission had associated with the winning ticket, stating, "I drove over there on Sunday morning and there was no shop called "Lottery Now", which was the name the Texas Lottery Commission posted as winning the ticket". Instead of a retail outlet, Dawn found a nondescript office strip, devoid of any indication that lottery tickets were sold there, recounting, "There was no retail store at the address the commission provided – it was a small strip office complex. There were no signs indicating someone could buy lottery tickets there. There was no one there and I looked through the window and only saw two desks." Reflecting on the oversight by the Texas Lottery Commission, Dawn expressed her dismay: "The Texas Lottery Commission knew exactly where sales were coming from on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and they sat back and watched. It made me sick knowing how all this works." The controversy surrounding the Texas Lottery has escalated as one player expressed their dismay at the jackpot increase: "This was extremely unfair to Texas Lottery players. I knew this on Friday, April 21 when they upped the jackpot from $74million to $83million." Governor Dan Patrick has fiercely criticised the recent lottery win, calling it "the biggest theft from the people of Texas in the history of Texas". In a move to address growing concerns, the Texas Lottery Commission in April put a stop to couriers selling tickets online after incidents like the £70.33million jackpot win in 2023, which involved bulk purchases via a courier. Amidst rising anxiety over the use of apps such as Jackpocket for online ticket purchases through licensed retailers, investigations have been launched into potential abuses. The situation led to Texas Lottery executive director Ryan Mindell resigning in April, amidst grave worries about the impact of courier services. Mindell made a statement highlighting the threat posed by these services: "The proliferation of couriers in the state has raised serious concerns that the integrity, security, honesty, and fairness of lottery games is being undermined by the continued activity of courier services,". During a Senate hearing earlier in the year, Mindell revealed that a junior employee had approved a request that enabled rapid ticket printing. The individuals implicated in the notorious lottery scheme have remained silent, with Bernard Marantelli being sought for a statement. Dawn, caught up in the fiasco, admits to feeling only "partially vindicated" and strongly desires accountability for those involved. She further stated: "I need to see that those responsible for the many wrongdoings for the past 30 years are held accountable. Will our lawmakers right the wrongs committed against unsuspecting lottery players?".
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Pensioner brought down pair behind the world's largest lottery scandal
Dawn Nettles discovered the scam used by a London banker and his gambler sidekick who scooped a $57 million jackpot. A London banker and his gambler sidekick who were behind the world's largest lottery scandal were brought down by a 74-year-old woman. Bernard Marantelli, aided by Zeljko Ranogajec, known as 'The Joker', set up shop in several locations in Texas, including a former dentist office where over three days, associates and some of their children manned dozens of machines that worked around the clock, spitting out 100 or more tickets every second. Marantelli and Ranogajec scam resulted in them scooping a $57 million jackpot. It was all made possible because the state of Texas allowed online lottery ticket vendors to print tickets for their customers. But when seasoned 'lottery watchdog' Dawn Nettles began to investigate, she said: 'There hadn't been a winner in 92 draws and sales didn't support the odds'. Dawn dedicates her life to the Lotto Report website, which was first launched in 1998 as a draw results page for players. She spends between 12-24 hours a day monitoring sales of the Texas Lotto for the morning, day, evening, and night draws. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The retiree always carries her computer with her so she can post the results from anywhere in the country and admits she doesn't go to bed until at least '1 or 2am.' She had been successful in exposing the lottery's wrongdoings and the unfair way it had treated its players. One example included showing a Willy Wonka game that promised a $1billion winner that did not actually deliver any winners. The closest she found was a Texas winner who won $42,500 (£31,000). Dawn was tracking the sale of lotto tickets when she noticed a strange surge in sales. Tickets for the draw on April 19, 2023 surged to an 'unbelievable' $7.3million (£5.3million). She said: 'That night, I thought someone had invested £5million and used a computer program to predict numbers would be drawn. 'There was no winner that night so the jackpot was raised to $72million (£53million) for Monday evening's draw. 'Sales were normal considering apps were selling tickets to people across the US. There was no winner on Monday night, so Wednesday's jackpot was raised to $73million. No winner on Wednesday so the jackpot was raised to $74million (£54million) for Saturday's draw. 'But on Friday, the Texas Lottery Commission raised the jackpot to $83million (£63million) and that's when I knew what was going on. I knew someone was buying all the combinations and I also knew on Friday that the commission would increase the jackpot again. And they did, on Saturday – they raised it to $95million (£69million) which I figured was a little too high.' The Mirror reports that Dawn believes Marantelli and Ranoajec waited longer for the jackpot to rollover and increase in value in order to maximise the $26million spent on tickets. The pair had enlisted an online ticket-selling company and put 'dozens' of machines into action to churn out tickets from warehouses in Texas. In the time between the April 19 draw and the following one, their crew spent an intensive three days purchasing 99.3% of all possible number combinations. With the capacity to turn over 100 tickets a second, their efforts culminated in clinching a $57million (£42million) jackpot, after Texas gave the green light for online ticket outlets to print tickets for players. Dawn added: 'I also firmly believed it was an app selling the tickets. I reasoned that the only way they could get all of the combinations into systems electronically. Two years later, we know QR codes were used, 60 to 70 lottery terminals were delivered to four locations and the bad guys were working 24/7 for three days to print the 25million tickets.' The Texas Lottery Commission said there was nothing suspicious about the games. However, lawmakers have blamed Texas Lottery Commission for allowing third-party courier apps to print tickets for customers. It later transpired that the winning ticket was printed in Colleyville and sold by a shop named 'Lottery Now'. Curious to see if the shop actually existed, Dawn hopped in her car and drove to the given address. 'I drove over there on Sunday morning and there was no shop called 'Lottery Now', which was the name the Texas Lottery Commission posted as winning the ticket', she revealed. Texas Lottery executive director Ryan Mindell stepped down in April amid serious concerns about the courier services. Dawn said: 'There was no retail store at the address the commission provided – it was a small strip office complex. There were no signs indicating someone could buy lottery tickets there. There was no one there and I looked through the window and only saw two desks. 'The Texas Lottery Commission knew exactly where sales were coming from on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and they sat back and watched. It made me sick knowing how all this works. 'This was extremely unfair to Texas Lottery players. I knew this on Friday, April 21 when they upped the jackpot from $74million to $83million.' Governor Dan Patrick labelled the crew's win as 'the biggest theft from the people of Texas in the history of Texas'. In April, the Texas Lottery Commission decided to ban couriers from selling tickets online following several high-profile incidents, including a £70.33million jackpot win in 2023 involving bulk ticket purchases through a courier. The worry over using apps like Jackpocket to buy lottery tickets online through licensed retailers has triggered investigations about potential misuse. Texas Lottery executive director Ryan Mindell stepped down in April amid serious concerns about the courier services. 'The proliferation of couriers in the state has raised serious concerns that the integrity, security, honesty, and fairness of lottery games is being undermined by the continued activity of courier services,' he stated. Mr Mindell told a Senate hearing earlier in the year a junior employee signed off the request to allow people to rapidly print tickets. The men behind the scandalous lottery scheme have never spoken out. Bernard Marantelli was approached for comment. Dawn confesses she only feels 'partially vindicated' following the ordeal and wants those responsible to be held to account. She added: 'I need to see that those responsible for the many wrongdoings for the past 30 years are held accountable. Will our lawmakers right the wrongs committed against unsuspecting lottery players?'.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
'World's largest lottery scandal' unmasked as banker and sidekick win £42m
The mastermind behind the lottery stunt turned out to be former London banker-turned bookmaker Bernard Marantelli, aided by Zeljko Ranogajec, known as 'The Joker' A 74-year-old woman who exposed the "biggest lottery scandal in the world" has shared the precise moment she realised winners had been "cheated" by a London banker. The mastermind behind the Texas Lottery stunt turned out to be former London banker-turned bookmaker Bernard Marantelli, aided by Zeljko Ranogajec, known as "The Joker." Marantelli was determined to try and take down the Texas Lottery and turned to Ranogajec, who helped bankroll the cunning plan. The pair aimed to buy every possible lottery number at $1 a ticket, to try and win the $95million (£70 million) jackpot. To pull it off, they worked out a way to use "dozens" of official ticket-printing machines. This was all made possible because at the time, the state of Texas allowed online lottery ticket vendors to print tickets for their customers. With the help of one vendor, the duo printed huge reams of tickets during an intensive three-day operation. Marantelli and Ranogajec would set up a shop in an old dentist's office and a warehouse in Texas. Their crew printed thousands of tickets a minute to try and edge towards the 25.8million different number combinations. But it wasn't until the Lotto Texas jackpot reached a staggering $73million (£53million) on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, that suspicions arose. With no winner announced, the prize pot rolled over. On the Sunday, the jackpot rose to $95million (£70million), prompting 74-year-old Dawn Nettles, a seasoned "lottery watchdog", to investigate. "There hadn't been a winner in 92 draws and sales didn't support the odds", she explained. Dawn dedicates her life to the Lotto Report website, which was first launched in 1998 as a draw results page for players. She spends between 12-24 hours a day monitoring sales of the Texas Lotto for the morning, day, evening, and night draws. The retiree always carries her computer with her so she can post the results from anywhere in the country and admits she doesn't go to bed until at least "1 or 2am." She had been successful in exposing the lottery's wrongdoings and the unfair way it had treated its players. One example included showing a Willy Wonka game that promised a $1billion winner that did not actually deliver any winners. The closest she found was a Texas winner who won $42,500 (£31,000). Dawn was tracking the sale of lotto tickets when she noticed a strange surge in sales. Tickets for the draw on April 19, 2023 surged to an "unbelievable" $7.3million (£5.3million). "That night, I thought someone had invested £5million and used a computer program to predict numbers would be drawn", she revealed. "There was no winner that night so the jackpot was raised to $72million (£53million) for Monday evening's draw. "Sales were normal considering apps were selling tickets to people across the US. There was no winner on Monday night, so Wednesday's jackpot was raised to $73million. No winner on Wednesday so the jackpot was raised to $74million (£54million) for Saturday's draw. "But on Friday, the Texas Lottery Commission raised the jackpot to $83million (£63million) and that's when I knew what was going on. I knew someone was buying all the combinations and I also knew on Friday that the commission would increase the jackpot again. And they did, on Saturday – they raised it to $95million (£69million) which I figured was a little too high." Dawn believes the Marantelli and Ranoajec waited longer for the jackpot to rollover and increase in value in order to maximise the $26million spent on tickets. The pair had enlisted an online ticket-selling company and put "dozens" of machines into action to churn out tickets from warehouses in Texas. In the time between the April 19 draw and the following one, their crew spent an intensive three days purchasing 99.3% of all possible number combinations. With the capacity to turn over 100 tickets a second, their efforts culminated in clinching a $57million (£42million) jackpot, after Texas gave the green light for online ticket outlets to print tickets for players. "I also firmly believed it was an app selling the tickets", Dawn said. "I reasoned that the only way they could get all of the combinations into systems electronically. Two years later, we know QR codes were used, 60 to 70 lottery terminals were delivered to four locations and the bad guys were working 24/7 for three days to print the 25million tickets." The Texas Lottery Commission said there was nothing suspicious about the games. However, lawmakers have blamed Texas Lottery Commission for allowing third-party courier apps to print tickets for customers. It later transpired that the winning ticket was printed in Colleyville and sold by a shop named "Lottery Now". Curious to see if the shop actually existed, Dawn hopped in her car and drove to the given address. "I drove over there on Sunday morning and there was no shop called "Lottery Now", which was the name the Texas Lottery Commission posted as winning the ticket", she revealed. "There was no retail store at the address the commission provided – it was a small strip office complex. There were no signs indicating someone could buy lottery tickets there. There was no one there and I looked through the window and only saw two desks. "The Texas Lottery Commission knew exactly where sales were coming from on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and they sat back and watched. It made me sick knowing how all this works. "This was extremely unfair to Texas Lottery players. I knew this on Friday, April 21 when they upped the jackpot from $74million to $83million." Governor Dan Patrick labelled the crew's win as "the biggest theft from the people of Texas in the history of Texas". In April, the Texas Lottery Commission decided to ban couriers from selling tickets online following several high-profile incidents, including a £70.33million jackpot win in 2023 involving bulk ticket purchases through a courier. The worry over using apps like Jackpocket to buy lottery tickets online through licensed retailers has triggered investigations about potential misuse. Texas Lottery executive director Ryan Mindell stepped down in April amid serious concerns about the courier services. "The proliferation of couriers in the state has raised serious concerns that the integrity, security, honesty, and fairness of lottery games is being undermined by the continued activity of courier services," he stated. Mr Mindell told a Senate hearing earlier in the year a junior employee signed off the request to allow people to rapidly print tickets. The men behind the scandalous lottery scheme have never spoken out. Bernard Marantelli was approached for comment. Dawn confesses she only feels "partially vindicated" following the ordeal and wants those responsible to be held to account. She added: "I need to see that those responsible for the many wrongdoings for the past 30 years are held accountable. Will our lawmakers right the wrongs committed against unsuspecting lottery players?".
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Senate approves legislation to shut down Texas Lottery Commission
The Brief The Texas Senate approved legislation to shut down the Texas Lottery Commission The Texas Lotto game will now be managed by the Department of Licensing and Regulation The bill is now moving to the Texas House AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas Senate has approved legislation that would shut down the Texas Lottery Commission. What's next This comes after months of controversy surrounding online ticket sales and the use of courier services. As Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick suggested the Texas Lotto game will now be managed by the Department of Licensing and Regulation. The Sunset Advisory Committee will conduct a review by August 2027 to decide whether the game will be abolished. The bill is now moving to the Texas House. The Source Information from the Texas legislative session
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State of Texas: $83.5 million lottery jackpot payment on hold for Texas winner
AUSTIN (Nexstar) – A Texas woman who won an $83.5 million jackpot in February through a courier service said the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) advised her the winnings may never be paid out as the Texas Rangers investigate the lottery drawing. 'I'm being treated as the bad guy,' the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Nexstar. The woman used Jackpocket, an app that allows customers to buy lottery tickets and scratch-offs remotely, to purchase $20 worth of Texas Lotto tickets for the February 17 drawing. Couriers are mobile and online applications that buy lottery tickets on people's behalf for a service fee. Lottery courier services have come under fire from many Texas lawmakers who feel they are illegal under current state law, and are upset the TLC allowed the services to operate in the state. The Texas Senate passed a bill that would ban courier services. After her lottery win — and after increased pressure from state lawmakers — the TLC issued a news release saying lottery courier services are not legal in Texas, and it is proposing a rule change that would revoke the license of any retailer that works with a courier service. Despite 'ban,' two lottery couriers still operating in Texas Later that same day, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Rangers to investigate her lottery win and a $95 million jackpot win in 2023, where a single group was able to purchase more than $25 million worth of tickets and buy almost every combination of numbers. An investigation found the group purchased the tickets from four different retailers that work with courier services. The woman's attorney, Randy Howry, said his client is the rightful winner of the Feb. 17 drawing and deserves to be paid her winnings. 'We played by all the rules, and we're still playing by all the rules and we expect that my client should be paid,' Howry said. Comparing lottery wins 'Sometimes there are reasons to investigate things, but I don't think mine is one of them,' the woman said. She said she does not understand why she is being grouped with the other 2023 jackpot win, which, in her opinion, is far more questionable. Governor directs Texas Rangers to investigate recent lottery jackpot wins One major difference is the volume of tickets purchased in each lottery win. In the 2023 win, more than 25 million tickets were sold to one group. Lawmakers questioned how that many tickets could be printed out in a 72-hour window, and one lawmaker suggested it was a case of money laundering. The woman who won the lottery in 2025 paid $20, far fewer than the 'bulk purchasing' event that took place in 2023. The commission paid out the $95 million jackpot to an entity called Rook TX and eventually made changes to prevent another bulk purchasing event, but did not stop the use of courier services. 'If they had any qualms about that they should have done something then,' the woman said. What's next? The woman was in Austin on Tuesday to present her winning ticket to the TLC. Typically, the commission would pay out the winnings within three days after the ticket is presented, according to Howry. But Howry said the general counsel for the TLC told him on Tuesday that the commission would not make a decision on if it would pay out the winnings until the Texas Rangers completes its investigation. 'How unfair would it be if she's not paid her winnings?' Howry questioned. 'Is that going to give confidence to those other people out there who want to play the Texas lottery?' He added if the winnings are not paid out within three days he and his client will consider all options, including litigation. Nexstar reached out to the TLC to confirm it is waiting to pay out the winnings until the investigation is over. A spokesperson for the agency did confirm the Feb. 17 Lotto Texas winner has come forward, and that the 'claim is being reviewed under the Commission's claim validation requirements and is the subject of external investigations.' A spokesperson for Jackpocket, which is a DraftKings subsidiary, said the courier service has been operating in Texas since 2019 in compliance with the TLC. The spokesperson said, 'Despite our proven track record of compliance and commitment to responsible gaming, the Texas Lottery Commission has issued a new policy prohibiting our services, effective immediately. As a result, we are suspending lottery courier operations in Texas.' The spokesperson added the company is working with policymakers to craft regulations that would allow lottery courier services to continue in the state. The woman who purchased the winning ticket said she hopes things are settled fast and she receives her money. 'This is an opportunity for me to do other things with my life and I want to be able to go do those,' she said. A spokesperson for the Governor's Office said, 'Governor Abbott fully supports the Texas Rangers as they investigate potential issues, and he expects the lottery to work within the bounds of the law.' KXAN took the findings of our team's year-long investigation into hospital safety straight to lawmakers, testifying before a Senate panel about a bill sparked by our reporting that supporters say could save lives. 'This is not a partisan issue,' former Austin City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly told lawmakers at Tuesday's public hearing. 'This is a life-safety issue.' Less than a year after Kelly first reacted to our investigation — asking staff to 'initiate an ordinance change' while watching our report — she and KXAN investigative reporter Matt Grant were invited by Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, to testify in front of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday. 'Common sense' Under Senate Bill 660, which West filed, crash-tested safety bollards would be required at most Texas hospitals — except those in rural areas. The push is sparked by a deadly incident in Austin last year. 'I took action because I saw a clear and present danger,' Kelly said. 'One that had already cost lives and would continue to do so unless we did something about it.' 'On Feb. 13, 2024, a driver, who was drunk, according to the toxicology report, crashed into the lobby of St. David's North Austin Medical Center, killing herself and seriously injuring five others including Levi and Nadia Bernard and their two toddlers,' Grant told the committee. The family shared their story exclusively with KXAN. State lawmakers are now considering broadening Austin's ordinance, which Kelly initiated. As of Dec. 23, the city now requires crash-rated security bollards at new hospitals and existing ones that expand. Using data from the nonprofit Storefront Safety Council, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), police, EMS and media reports, KXAN found hundreds of crashes across the country over the past decade. That includes incidents last year in College Station, Navasota and Fort Worth. Our findings were cited by West during the public hearing. 'KXAN Television in Austin have identified more than 400 vehicle crashes at or into medical centers nationwide in the last decade,' West said. 'Four hundred, members!' READ: Full text of Senate Bill 660, sparked by KXAN investigation 'I didn't realize there were that many crashes across our nation and state,' said Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, the committee chair. 'So, we appreciate your investigative reporting and bringing this to the forefront.' 'We commend Matt Grant and his investigative team for doing the digging here and figuring out just how big this problem is,' said Ware Wendell with the nonprofit consumer advocacy group Texas Watch, who testified in support of the bollard proposal. 'It's important to secure these facilities,' said Wendell. 'Our hospitals are critical infrastructure.' The bill — which has bipartisan support — was filed by West in response to KXAN's investigation into the deadly crash at St. David's North Austin Medical Center. 'We re-emphasize to the Bernard family: What happened to you is a tragedy and it shouldn't happen again in the state of Texas,' West previously told us. 'And, I'm going to do everything I can in my power to make sure it doesn't happen again.' Hospital safety bill gets bipartisan support a year after deadly St. David's crash Kolkhorst previously called West's proposal 'common sense.' Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, who also sits on the committee, called what KXAN uncovered 'a major problem.' 'If [hospitals] aren't going to' install crash-rated bollards, Hall warned from his Capitol office, 'then we in the legislature have a responsibility to protect the people of Texas.' 'St. David's North did install bollards after we started asking questions, but the hospital will not tell us if they are rated to stop a similar incident,' Grant said. St. David's said it does not comment on pending legislation. 'Without a uniform statewide approach,' Grant told lawmakers, 'we found a patchwork system where some hospitals are protected while others remain vulnerable.' 'Unfunded mandate' Associations representing Texas nurses and physicians have spoken positively about the bill. The safety steps are opposed by the Texas Hospital Association, which calls them 'misguided' and 'an unreasonable administrative cost burden.' 'Hospitals should be allowed to assess for themselves the physical layout of the emergency department, traffic flow, road designs, other factors that are going to be unique to every hospital,' said THA senior vice president and general counsel Steve Wohleb. 'Rather than implementing a one-size-fits-all mandate on a single industry that doesn't, to our knowledge, pose a greater safety risk to the public than many other types of businesses.' 'I know it's an unfunded mandate,' Kolkhorst responded, 'but, I think, there's maybe someplace where we can maybe land this.' Kolkhorst said she wants to work with the THA on the bill. After giving her testimony, Kelly said she is hopeful that the bill will pass. 'We took action based on research that you all did,' she told KXAN about the Austin ordinance in response to the deadly incident at St. David's North. 'In order to ensure that this doesn't happen to anyone else ever again.' The bill was left pending late Tuesday evening. If it gets voted out of committee, it will go to the full Senate for a vote followed by the House for consideration. A push toward what President Donald Trump's administration has called a 'Golden Era of American Energy Dominance' could be in trouble. Experts warn that the development of new energy sources, like advanced nuclear reactors and cold fusion, could be facing delays as a result of budget cuts and defunding efforts in the federal government. 'Research universities are being caught up in a broader series of actions,' said Rob Bradner, a Washington D.C.-based attorney and partner with Holland & Knight. In January, President Trump issued an executive order calling for a pause on federal grants. In February, the judicial branch ordered the administration to unfreeze the funds. 'We are merely looking at parts of the big bureaucracy where there has been tremendous waste and fraud and abuse,' Trump said at the time. However, according to Bradner, a pause on the issuance of new research grants is creating a pipeline problem which could see many new energy projects delayed. 'Universities are starting to take preemptive action to cut back and to reduce the number of graduate students they're bringing in for next year,' Bradner said, meaning fewer people who can focus on research projects. Advanced nuclear reactors 'I think that ripple (effect) is going to come through in the next year,' said Associate Professor Kevin Clarno with the University of Texas. Clarno studies one of the new types of reactors that could power Texas. Molten salt nuclear reactors can provide greater heat than traditional nuclear reactors, produce more energy and can even be used to desalinate water. 'In a solid fuel traditional reactor, you're worried about making sure the fuel doesn't melt. In a Molten Salt Reactor, you start out with fuel that's already melted, and so the worst case scenario is it has a leak, it has an accident. And when it hits the ground and it starts to solidify, it starts to cool off,' Clarno said. One of these reactors will soon be built at Abilene Christian University. That reactor, built with private money, will serve as an example for future reactors. It will also provide data for engineers and researchers. Clarno said the federal government funds several other nuclear power projects through the Department of Energy. As political winds shift, Austin braces for renewable energy impact 'They have been funding a lot of commercial companies to 'Hey, let's help you get to the process that you can commercialize these technologies,'' Clarno said. Energy demand grows in Texas The development of these new reactors is especially important in Texas. In February, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, issued a new report that forecasted the Texas grid doubling in demand over the next 10 years. 'The Texas grid is about 85,000 megawatts. That's been growing over time, and it's generally expected to start growing even faster,' said Joshua Rhodes, a research scientist at the University of Texas. Driving this demand is a push for new data centers in Texas. 'They want to have power 24/7. Power that doesn't cycle up in the afternoon and down during the night like the residential sector does,' Rhodes said. This is another advantage with nuclear power. Unlike wind and solar, whose energy generation changes throughout the day, nuclear power is consistent. Currently, two nuclear power plants operate in Texas and they provide 10% of the state's power supply. Prioritizing new energy The advancement of nuclear reactors is a priority of the Trump administration. At a recent press conference at Los Alamos in New Mexico, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said 'almost nothing' has happened in nuclear development in decades. EXPLORE: Texas Energy Crossroads project highlights future of industry in the state Wright, who served on the board of a small nuclear reactor company called Oklo prior to joining the administration, included developing advanced nuclear reactors in his list of priorities. That list was released on Feb. 5, 2025. When will delays hit energy development? Clarno said the work on new nuclear power will be delayed if cuts hit the national labs. He said many private labs rely on these labs to perform necessary research as part of reactor development. 'There is risk, starting, really, in October, that the National Labs aren't going to be able to deliver on those efforts that they're doing to assist the companies,' Clarno said. 'The administration is expected to, more broadly, push for reductions in indirect costs on grants outside of (the National Institutes of Health) to National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, other major research funders,' Bradner said. According to Bradner, the administration is also asking agencies not to pay on existing grants. He said this is mostly related to grants for green energy that were funded during the Biden administration. 'Unfortunately people are saying, 'Well, I may have to trim back on that, and I may not be able to do research that has lots of regulatory compliance or lots of other administrative burdens,'' Bradner said. Trump, Texas GOP's deregulation push sparks hope and fear in the oil field All of this leads to more delays in the development of future energy, according to Clarno. 'We're probably going to have to expand natural gas. You know, nuclear is probably a solution that's more at least a decade away, but the AI revolution is here today, and it needs power today,' Rhodes said. Solutions on Texas There is some movement in Texas to help fund these projects. On March 7, Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, filed Senate Bill 2060 as part of the 89th legislative session. Called the Texas Advanced Nuclear Deployment Act, the bill would provide the Public Utility Commission access to the Texas Energy Fund. The commission can use these funds for grants to promote the development of advanced nuclear reactor projects in Texas. That bill has not yet been referred to a committee. Among Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's top priorities this legislative session is 'requiring local law enforcement to assist the Federal Government's deportation efforts.' The bill filed to achieve his goal was left pending in the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee on Monday. Senate Bill 8 (SB 8) — filed by State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown — would require all Texas counties with 100,000 or more people to join Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) 287(g) program. There are three versions of the program; the 'Jail Enforcement Model,' the 'Warrant Service Officer' model and the 'Task Force Model.' The first two train officers to identify and put a detention retainer for unlawful residents booked into their jails. The 'Task Force Model' is a step up, allowing local law enforcement officers to act on behalf of ICE (in a limited capacity) during their normal day-to-day patrol. For example, one of the duties listed under the 'Task Force Model's' mock agreement is 'The power and authority to interrogate any alien or person believed to be an alien as to hisright to be or remain in the United States… and to process for immigration violations those individuals who have been arrested for State or Federal criminal offenses.' TFM_MOA_fillableDownload According to ICE records, 36 Texas counties are already part of the program with six more in the process of implementing it. Of the 40 counties who would be required to participate (based on 2020 census data), only 10 currently do. During the committee hearing, detractors of the program kept highlighting how expensive the program could be to enter, with Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne saying it would cost $10,000 for each officer in his program. Have you been impacted by the heightened deportation efforts in Texas? Share your story: SB 8 would partially take the financial burden off most counties by starting a grant program. Counties would be granted money proportionally based on their population and how many counties applied for the grant. However, SB 8 would force counties with more than a million people — Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Travis and Collin as of the 2020 census — to pay their own way. 'From (the Sheriff's Association of Texas) we're really worried about unfunded mandates,' Hawthorne, who also acts as the Legislative Chairman for the Sheriff's Association of Texas, said while testifying in support of the bill. 'We think that financial relief portion shouldn't be in a grant program, it should just be a part of the program. And it should cover all 254 counties that get into the program.' Schwertner doubled down on the way his bill would fund the program. 'This would be an unfunded mandate for (counties over a million people) but what are they spending their money on already,' he said. 'Look at the line items, look at the budgets of the counties — Dallas County, Harris County — DEI officers, etc?' In a statement, Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez said, 'The Travis County Sheriff's Office fully complies with State laws, including SB 4. As SB 8 is discussed, it is my sincere hope that public safety is carefully considered. When people are afraid, they hide in the shadows. Victims don't report crime and witnesses don't come forward with information. Criminals win as they take advantage of the vulnerable among us. The impact of that reaches beyond immigration to our humanity. I want victims of crime to run to law enforcement, not away from us.' According to Texas law, local law enforcement agencies already have to cooperate with ICE. 'We do not know of a Sheriff right now who does not cooperate with ICE,' Hawthorne said. 'Sheriffs are committed to the public safety side of things.' Additionally, ICE data shows encounters at or near the southern border have dropped significantly in the first two months of 2025, coinciding with President Donald Trump's second term. In February 2025, ICE encountered 11,709 migrants at the southwest land border — less than 16 times fewer than in February 2024, when 189,913 encounters were documented. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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