The Texas Insider

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Happy Wednesday!

Written by: Jay Williamson

Statewide News Round-Up

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick announced his thirty priority bills for the 88th session. Some of the highlights: (Full list here)

• Senate Bill 2 - Restoring Voter Fraud to a Felony

• Senate Bill 3 - Increasing the Homestead Exemption to $70,000

• Senate Bill 4 - Additional Property Tax Relief

• Senate Bill 18 - Eliminating Tenure at General Academic Institutions

• Senate Bill 20 - Removing District Attorneys who refuse to follow Texas Law

None of these bills (outside of Senate Bill 1) have been filed yet, but this list provides a general outlook on what we should expect this session.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Senator Ted Cruz will not seek the Republican nomination for President but will seek re-election as Senator in 2024. Cruz said he was focused on the Senate seat in 2024 "to keep Texas red." (More here)

In a "fireside chat" between Governor Abbott and former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker at the "Dallas Freedom Conference," Abbott told his personal story of getting involved in politics and eventually becoming Governor of Texas. He acknowledged various conservative legislative accomplishments and signaled support for various policy proposals, like extending the 2021 ban on transgender student-athletes for college sports. (Full chat here)

REMINDER

Tomorrow is Abbott's State of the State, where he will update Texans on his priorities for the 88th Session, highlight exceptional Texans, and outline his long-term plans for improving the state. The State of the State will be televised on sixteen Nexstar television stations across the state and streamed on their website and other newsgroups. (More information on streaming here) 

The Texas Democrats will have a ten-minute response to Abbott's Thursday State of the State. Their response will include:

• Accomplishments by the Biden-Harris Administration and Texas Democrats across the state and local levels.

• Policy proposals for gun safety legislation, expanding Medicaid in Texas, opposing Republican's private school voucher programs, and more.

• (Official Press Release)

The Texas Music Office (TMO) released its biennial report tracking the growth of the Texas music industry and its economic impact on the state. Per the report, there are over 192,000 permanent jobs in the Music industry, generating $9.4 billion in earnings and $26.6 billion in economic activity. (Full Report) (TMO is part of the Governor's Office of Economic Development and Tourism and is the only state music office in the nation.)

The Sweetwater Jaycees descended on the Capitol promoting their 65th annual Rattlesnake Roundup this week. This is a time-honored tradition that lets Capitol staffers and guests interact with rattlesnakes while learning valuable safety tips. The group brings the reptiles to promote "The World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup," which is held in Sweetwater in March. (More here)

The Texas Freedom Caucus released a document highlighting their conservative priorities for the 88th Session. Some highlights: (Full Report)

• Parental choice in education with funding following the student

• Ban counties and cities from imposing vaccine or mask mandates or closing businesses

• Expand vocational skills training in schools

• Establish a permanent Texas Border Defense Corps

• Lower Cost of adoptions

A resolution was withdrawn from the Senate Tuesday and subsequently not heard in the House to recognize February 14th, 2023, as Texas LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Day at the State Capitol. Resolutions are typically uncontroversial opportunities for legislators to acknowledge their constituents or other important guests.

For example, other resolutions heard Tuesday were to recognize February 14th as Montgomery County Day, Honor Leadership Jacksonville, Miss Texas 22, and the Texas Rangers. The Senate sponsor Sarah Eckhardt said her item was withdrawn after she was "made aware some senators would object to it." On the Senate floor, she continued by saying, "Although the Texas Senate routinely recognizes business groups without controversy, this very first LGBTQ+ chambers day in Texas Senate is not afforded the same welcome. In the House, a similar resolution was not heard today, and Representative Slaton (R-) tweeted, "If any motion is made to take up this leftist attack on Valentines today, I will be opposing it." (Link to his Tweet)

Several House members recently founded the bi-partisan Texas Water Caucus. The Caucus is focused on creating a more reliable and secure water supply for Texas's rapidly growing population. Leadership from both sides of the political aisle has dedicated themselves to educating their legislative counterparts and Texans on the importance of elevating water security. The bi-partisan collaborative now has over sixty-seven members.

Legislative Report

Over 3,308 bills have been filed as of 2/15/23.

103 days till Sine Die (Last day of the legislative session)

23 days till bill filing deadline

Will include a full legislative report on Friday.

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Happy Wednesday!!