There are some *creative* plans afoot in the Austin area to take lanes of existing, free roads and change them into toll lanes. (along with tolling every road in or out of town) The Legislators might just be trying to cover all the bases.
Read the Texas Transportation Code, section 227 is for the TTC. It's too brain-numbing for most but, there's a lot of info for the Leg. to consider.
The FW Weekley article says moratorium on all toll roads. The article I linked to in #7 says moratorium on private toll roads, Comprehensive Developement Agreements.
And, obviously, since the moratorium is temporary, a possible permanent moratorium would cover only private toll roads/CDAs.
This would not prevent a local RMA's toll roads plans, or a State owned TTC toll road. It would not prevent a RMA or the state from entering into a PPP such as Design/Build.
Somebody should look into exactly what Nichol's moratorium covers.