By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews
Plano, TX — State Rep. Mihaela Plesa and State Rep. Gene Wu met with residents in Collin County to answer questions about Senate Bill 17 and how it could affect property ownership, business activity, and investment in North Texas.
The town hall, part of Plesa’s “Mondays with Mihaela” series, was built around audience questions. Residents, business professionals, and community members drove much of the discussion, focusing on how the law could play out locally.
What the law does
Senate Bill 17, authored by Lois Kolkhorst and signed by Greg Abbott in 2025, restricts certain individuals, entities, and governments tied to countries identified as national security concerns — including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea — from purchasing or acquiring interests in Texas real property.
The law includes exemptions for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents and applies to residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial property, along with certain leases.
Supporters, including Dan Patrick, have said the measure is meant to prevent foreign adversaries from acquiring land near military installations, critical infrastructure, and agricultural resources. Similar laws have been adopted in multiple states.
Why lawmakers are raising concerns
Wu pointed to earlier restrictions on land ownership tied to nationality when describing the bill.
“At the very basic core, SB 17 is a repeat of a law that we had passed over 100 years ago,” he said.
Those earlier policies, he noted, were later repealed following federal civil rights protections.
Wu also took issue with how the law has been framed.
“This is a law that flatly treats all Chinese immigrants… as a threat,” he said.
Mihaela Plesa said policies like SB 17 should be viewed in context.
“Nothing happens in a vacuum,” she said.
She told attendees the goal of the town hall was to help residents better understand the issue.
“It’s about becoming informed and educated… so that we can go back into our communities and let people know what’s happening on the ground,” Plesa said.
How it fits with existing federal oversight
Wu pointed to existing federal oversight of foreign land purchases through the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
“If your purchase is over a certain amount, they have to be pre-cleared,” he said.
He questioned what SB 17 adds on top of that system.
“Can you give us one example… where SB 17 would have prevented something?” Wu said he asked colleagues, adding he did not receive a clear answer.
He pointed to a land purchase in South Texas, about 70 miles from San Antonio, that helped spark debate around the issue. The project had already been reviewed federally and was not flagged as a national security concern.
Supporters of the law have argued that federal reviews do not cover all transactions and that states should have authority to act independently in certain cases.
What residents are seeing locally
Wess Miller said the tone of the issue doesn’t match what he sees day to day.
“It doesn’t seem like it’s in the neighbors… it’s these legislators… bantering about all of this,” Miller said.
Plesa said public statements can shape how issues are perceived locally.
“What elected officials say publicly… affects what the public does,” she said.
She also noted increased security at the event.
“Normally, I don’t have to have two armed police officers at the front of my event,” Plesa said.
What businesses and workers are concerned about
In the audience, several people said they are already seeing changes in how clients approach Texas.
One attendee, Nancy Lin, said she works with clients navigating real estate decisions and is seeing hesitation.
“I have to ask them… [not to invest] in Texas.”
Another attendee, Nan Li, said she works with companies considering expansion into Texas and is hearing similar concerns.
“A lot of my clients… want to invest here… but once this law passed… I have to advise them not to.”
Others focused on hiring and growth.
“We want the best of the best,” one attendee said.
“This is affecting everyone… even if you may not know it,” another added.
Gene Wu pointed to the broader role of foreign investment in Texas.
“Virtually every single petrochemical plant… has some component that is invested by a Chinese investment firm,” he said.
He added that awareness of the law remains limited.
“Most of our community does not know that this law even passed,” Wu said.
What happens next
SB 17 took effect in September 2025, with enforcement rules overseen by the Texas Attorney General’s office. The law has faced legal challenges, some of which have been dismissed.
Toward the end of the discussion, Plesa pointed to upcoming legislative decisions tied to the issue.
“There’s really, really important decisions being made in your name,” she said.
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