AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Weeks after announcing an invasive species, known as the cotton jassid, made its way into Texas earlier this month, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced Thursday that an emergency quarantine is now in place to stop the spread.

The quarantine now applies to shipments coming from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee -- which are all places where the pest has been detected, Miller said in a news release Thursday.

"This emergency order immediately restricts the movement of host plants and regulated articles from infested areas into Texas unless strict certification or treatment requirements are met. Retailers and nurseries found violating the quarantine face fines, destruction of infested plants, and potenti

See Full Page