The Texas Report

March 15, 2023

Happy Wednesday!

Mike Morath Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency

Written by: Jay Williamson

Statewide News Round-Up

Texas has reopened applications for a rent relief program. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs says they're accepting applications again for their Texan Rent Relief Program. $96 million is available by the application window of March 14 to March 28. (Rent Relief Portal)

Texas Rent Relief Program has helped over 300,000 Texans, and both landlords and tenants can apply for support.

Governor Abbott has debuted a new Texas Anti-Gang (TAG) Center in Laredo. This is the ninth TAG in Texas and serves as a force multiplier and collaboration resource for local, state, and federal law enforcement and prosecutors.

Additionally, the Governor has announced that on Monday, March 20, the Texas Music Office (TMO) and City of Texarkana will co-host a Music Friendly Texas Community workshop. (More here) This workshop is the first step in the certification, which when completed, will allow Texarkana to join forty other Texas cities that have earned the Music Friendly Texas designation.

Monday evening, The Senate passed its first priority bill through the entire chamber and sent Senate Bill (S.B.) 2 over to the House for consideration.

S.B. 2 would increase the penalty for illegal voting from a Class A misdemeanor to a state jail felony. The legislation requires that to commit an offense; a voter must be knowledgeable of a particular circumstance that makes the person ineligible. Senate Democrats said this bill would have a chilling effect on Texans who may risk prison time because they're confused about their eligibility or make a good faith mistake. Senator Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) Tweeted that "S.B. 2 is voter intimidation and jeopardizes safe & fair elections in TX." (More here)

Bill author Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) made the case that S.B. 2 would restore the statute to what it was before the change from S.B. 1 last session (2021). The bill passed on a 19-12 party-line vote, and Senator Hughes attempted to add an amendment requiring election officers to post a sign listing the particular circumstances that make a person ineligible to vote in one or more locations in a polling place. Democrats opposed the amendment on the grounds that the notice was voter intimidation. Senator Hughes withdrew the amendment, and the legislation was passed. (Texas GOP Chairman Thread) (Senator Carol Alvarado)

Last week Manuel Lopez Obrador, President of Mexico, claimed his country plays little role in the fentanyl crisis plaguing America. During a press conference, Lopez Obrador said, "Here, we do not produce fentanyl, and we do not have consumption of fentanyl." The president blamed the overdose crisis on American society and added, "We deeply lament what's happening in the United States - but why don't they fight the problem... and more importantly, why don't they take care of their youth?" This came hours after the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico tweeted that both counties "must coordinate efforts against illicit fentanyl production and trafficking." (More here)

The president's statements outraged many Texas politicians like House Elections Chairman Reggie Smith who tweeted, "Sickening corruption and lack of moral leadership. Texas must act to counter the Fentanyl crisis in a creative, courageous, and aggressive manner. "(Official Tweet)

The House and Senate appear far apart regarding the initial draft of their priority bills. As Texas Legislative Veteran Bonnie Bruce pointed out on Twitter, "only two of the priority bills from each chamber are identical drafts. "H.B. 10 by Representative Tracy King (D-) and S.B. 28 by Senator Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), which deals with financial assistance and programs administered by the Texas Water Development Board. And then, S.B. 27 by Senator Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) and H.B. 19 by Representative Andrew Murr (R-Johnson City) would establish a new business specialty court. Otherwise, it appears the two chambers seem to have very different goals for the session. (More here)

We will be further analyzing the differences in priority bills and keeping our readers updated as they work their way through the process.

Gonzalez beat incumbent Republican Mayra Flores, who had won the seat in a special election after Representative Filemon Vela retired early from Congress to become a lobbyist. Gonzalez’s victory was not a knockout. In a district drawn to be more Democratic and would have voted for President Joe Biden with a margin of 15 percentage points, Gonzalez won by roughly 8 percent. National and state Republicans have targeted conservative Latino voters in South Texas who they believe will resonate with their messaging on stricter border laws and other issues like abortion restrictions. (More here)

Senate State Affairs will meet Thursday on a variety of Senate priorities related to prohibitions on allowing minors to transition genders. S.B. 14 by Senator Donna Campbell (R-San Antonio) is set to be heard in committee Thursday, March 16, at 9:30 a.m. The committee will also be hearing bills to require the inclusion of a person's sex on a birth certificate and subsequently preventing that from being changed while someone is a minor. Senate State Affairs will meet on nine bills in total.

House State Affairs meets today at 10:30 a.m. on several different topics, including the sunset bill to evaluate the continuation and functions of the Public Utility Commission and functions of the ERCOT power grid. Other legislation on the calendar includes H.B. 584 by Representative Giovanni Capriglione (R-Southlake) to develop a state information technology credential offered by public junior colleges and HB 390 by Representative Donna Howard (D-Austin), which would require state agencies to broadcast over the internet live video and audio of each open meeting.

Committee schedule for the rest of the week:

The House will convene at 10:00 a.m. and the Senate at 11:00 a.m.

Wednesday - Senate Health & Human Services, Education, and the Finance Committee. House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock, Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence, Licensing & Administrative Procedures, Pensions, Investments & Financial Services, County Affairs, and State Affairs.

Thursday - House Appropriations Culture, Recreation & Tourism, Health Care Reform, Corrections, Defense & Veterans Affairs, Elections, and Environmental Regulation. Senate State Affairs.

Potential Articles of Interest

Check out our Social Media

Full Legislative Report Coming Friday

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

State Budget

The House Appropriations Committee meets Thursday to consider budget recommendations and riders for every article. Then, most likely, they will vote H.B. 1 out of committee. Once H.B. 1 is voted out of committee, it will go to consideration by the full House over the next couple of weeks. This is one of the biggest nights of the session, as members will try and add hundreds of budget riders throughout the day and night while H.B. 1 is being considered. Many of these budget riders are to provide funding for their personal priorities.

Judiciary

H.B. 2014 & H.B. 2015 by Representative Jeff Leach (R-Plano), which are intended to improve jury participation. 2015 would increase the age for jury exemption from 70 to 75, and 2014 would increase daily jury pay from $6 to $20 dollars on the first day and $40 to $58 on the second.

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Happy Wednesday!!

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