A Texas bill aiming to ban citizens and entities from China and three other countries from buying property in the state has been softened following opposition from critics and some state Democrats.
Senate Bill 147 (pdf), authored by Republican state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, would ban citizens, companies, and government entities from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia from buying “real property” in Texas. The bill was first introduced in November and was supported by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).
On March 2, Kolkhorst unveiled a substitute version (pdf) of her original bill, and explained how certain individuals would be excluded from the ban during a Senate committee hearing….