With 38 days left in the 89th legislative session, only one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s “top priorities” has passed through both chambers or received the governor’s signature, and Texas lawmakers are approaching the deadline to turn their proposals into law.
Since Abbott laid out his list of priority items in February, legislators in both chambers have debated and advanced several bills. As the June 2 deadline approaches, here’s where his agenda stands:
Education
On Thursday, the state Senate passed a House-amended version of Senate Bill 2, which would set aside about $1 billion towards education savings accounts, also known as “vouchers” or “school choice.” The measure now awaits Abbott’s signature and would become law if he signs it.
Different versions of the bill passed through the House after the Senate’s original passage, requiring the Senate to repass the bill. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he would push the House’s version through the Senate and clear the way for its passage.
“Despite our best effort and investments, not every student is best served at their local public school,” said state Rep. Brad Buckley, who presented the bill on the House floor. “My intent is to provide students and families with the opportunity to choose the best possible educational setting for their child.”
The bill faced criticism from legislators like state Rep. Ron Reynolds, who questioned whether the bill’s removal of funding from public schools and redirection to private institutions would discriminate against certain students.
Abbott had called for three emergency items related to education: increases in teacher pay, an expansion of career training programs and the creation of education savings accounts, also known as vouchers or “school choice.”
The Senate also passed items affecting higher education, including Senate Bill 37, which changes the way curriculum is handled at institutions of higher education, and Senate Bill 26, which would increase teacher salaries. Neither measure has passed both chambers of the Legislature.
Property tax relief
In February, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 4, which would increase the homestead exemption for property taxes going towards public schools. This means homeowners could deduct $140,000 from the value of their primary residence before property taxes are calculated, and the state would reimburse the schools for the difference. Senate Bill 1, passed by the Texas Senate and House, also allocates $3.5 billion to the property tax relief program.
In February, Abbott proposed putting $10 billion toward property tax relief. He called for raising the business personal property tax exemption to $100,000 and requiring local property tax hikes to be approved by two-thirds of voters.
Joshua Blank, Texas Politics Project research director, said the Texas House is considering expanding relief to businesses before advancing the bill.
“I would suspect that if there are disagreements, (they) will remain behind closed doors,” Blank said. “I also suspect that they will come together with some sort of solution, because at the end of the day, they agree on a lot more than they disagree about.”
Water Infrastructure
The Texas Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 7 to expand state funding for water projects and establish a new water fund. The bill must still pass the House and be paired with a constitutional amendment to allow up to $1 billion annually from sales taxes to be allocated towards new water projects.
In February, Abbott called for a “generational investment” in state investment, proposing $1 billion per year for the next 10 years to support water infrastructure projects across Texas because the state’s water resources were “drying up.”
“Every day there’s a new story of some community development stopped or not able to go forward because our water supply system does not support the current growth,” said state Sen. Charles Perry, who authored SB 7.
Increased Restrictions on Bail
In February, the Texas Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution 5, a proposed constitutional amendment authorizing judges to deny bail to individuals accused of certain violent offences.
Similar efforts have failed in previous sessions because the resolution has not made it through the House. The resolution proposes a Texas constitutional amendment, which would require a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers to pass.
“Since January 2021, the first time the Senate passed a version of this resolution, there has been at least 162 homicide cases filed in Harris County, Texas, for defendants released on one or more bonds,” state Sen. Joan Huffman said. “162 people needlessly killed, families grieving and suffering because this Legislature failed to enact common sense, fair legislation.”
State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt said the resolution could contribute to expanding the state’s already large incarcerated population. The resolution passed the Texas Senate with a 28–2 vote and was referred to the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence last month.
Cybersecurity
The Texas House passed House Bill 150 on April 16. The bill would create a Texas Cyber Command housed in the University of Texas System at the University of Texas at San Antonio. It would strengthen the state’s defenses against cyber threats. Lawmakers have not moved the bill through the Senate since April 16.
