The Texas Insider

January 09, 2023

The TEXAS Insider

Happy Monday!

Please forward this email or let us know about anyone you think would be interested in this newsletter!

News from across the State

President Biden visited the Texas Border this past weekend arriving at El Paso Sunday morning. He was welcomed by various Texas politicians, including Governor Abbott, who presented the President with a handwritten letter.

The letter, among other things, called on President Biden to designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, fully enforce Title 42, and immediately resume construction of the border wall. (Link to Abbott’s letter)

Here’s a post of President Biden being welcomed by Governor Abbott.

Additionally, here’s the Texas House Democratic Caucus response.

This past Saturday, Jane Nelson was sworn in as Texas’ new Secretary of State. Nelson is a former state senator from Flower Mound who spent three decades in the Senate and served as the chair of the Senate Finance Committee since 2014. Outside of being a powerful State Senator, Nelson is a former State Board of Education member and teacher. (Link to the official swearing-in)

The Secretary of State serves as the Chief Election Officer for Texas, Chief International Protocol Officer for Texas, and more.

The Texas Legislature will kick off the 88th session tomorrow! Texas Legislative sessions last 140 days, so the 88th will adjourn on May 29th.

The Representatives and Senators will be sworn in, and the House will elect a Speaker. Unlike Washington, D.C., there shouldn’t be many fireworks as Speaker Dade Phelan expects to be renominated. The only other person officially in the Speaker’s Race is Tony Tinderholt (R-Fort Worth).

One of the major differences between D.C. and Texas is that in typical Texas Speaker’s races, members of the minority party (in this case, the Democrats) will support nominees from the majority party. I mention this because despite how polarized politics is today. Texas politicians of both parties often show impressive bipartisanship in working together to improve our state.

The race has recently gotten a little more interesting as Representative Bryan Slaton (R-Royse City) and the Grayson County Republican Party won a lawsuit allowing individuals and PACs to spend money in the Texas Speaker’s race. Slaton is an ally of Tinderholts, so it will be interesting to see the potential impact of this case. (Court opinions by Slaton’s attorney)

Last week Marshall was designated as a Music Friendly Community by the Texas Music Office (TMO). Marshall joins thirty-five Texas cities that have received the official Music Friendly Community designation. (Learn more here)

Looking at the Legislature

The Texas Senate has decided to bar news reports from the chamber floor for the second legislative session. During Covid-19, the press area was moved from floor seating to the Senate gallery, restricting reporter access to the Senate. Reporters are still expected to have floor access in the House.

Election Legislation:

HB 1003 by Representative Matt Shaheen (R-Plano) would bar anyone convicted of a first or second-degree felony in connection with an election from serving as a poll watcher.

SB 92 by Senator Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas) would, among other things, establish an online voter registration system through the Department of Public Safety and the Secretary of State's office.

HB 862 by Representative Michael Schofield (R-Houston) would require voter registrars to cancel a voter's registration if the person was excused or disqualified from jury service due to citizenship status.

The Secretary of State's (SOS) office recently released a report required by SB 1387, 87th Legislature, to evaluate the feasibility of voting to be wholly manufactured with parts only from the United States. In their report, the SOS surveyed major voting systems vendors across the country and found that it would be feasible for companies to get the majority of components from the United States. However, doing so would likely raise costs for counties and local jurisdictions purchasing these systems.

Additionally, the SOS found it would be impossible to source the chips in semiconductors necessary for the operation of this equipment in the US. This comes in the wake of a push last session for voting equipment to be made in the US, and legislation has already been filed on this issue for the 88th. (Report by the SOS)

Education

HB 1006 by Representative Carl Tepper (R-Lubbock) would, among other things, prevent any university from funding an office of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Additionally, it prohibits an initiative or formulation of diversity, equity, and inclusion beyond what is necessary to uphold the fourteenth amendment.

HB 285 by Representative Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio) adds, among other things, additional offenses for certain criminal conduct that would lead to the expulsion of public school students.

HB 772 by Representative Alma Allen (D-Dallas) would ban school districts and their employees from administering corporal punishment.

Border

SB 323 by Senator Joan Huffman (R-Houston) expands which counties' sheriffs and deputies could receive certification under the transportation code.

HB 434 by Representative Terri-Leo Wilson (R-Galveston) allows eligible survivors for active members of the Texas Military to receive certain financial assistance benefits offered to law enforcement officers.

Your Legislators

Representative Gary VanDeaver has filed nine bills as of 01/09/23.

Senator Bryan Hughes has filed one bill as of 01/09/23.

This will starting picking up soon, so stay tuned!