The Texas Legislature, known for its conservative stance, began its 89th biennial session on Tuesday, marking a pivotal 140-day period set to address major issues affecting the state’s 30 million residents. Dominated by Republican leadership, the session follows a contentious election cycle that underscored divisions among state leaders.
Key Issues:
- Public Education:
Governor Greg Abbott aims to advance “school choice,” redirecting public funds toward private school tuition. The debate includes eligibility, priority, and transparency requirements for private schools accepting public money. Public school leaders are advocating for increased per-student funding to support teacher raises and infrastructure upgrades. - Higher Education:
Lawmakers are targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and exploring changes to tenure rules and faculty senate influence. - Hemp-Derived THC:
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick supports banning consumable THC products like gummies and vapes, sparking opposition from House members favoring looser medical marijuana restrictions. - Property Taxes:
Efforts to further reduce property taxes are underway, including eliminating school district property taxes and increasing homestead exemptions. Challenges include finding alternative school funding sources. - Water Availability:
With a projected 2050 shortfall of 5.74 million acre-feet of water, legislators plan to invest in desalination, groundwater utilization, and possibly importing water from other states. - Health Care:
Plans include addressing rural hospital closures, expanding children’s mental health services, and improving Medicaid reimbursement rates. - Gambling Expansion:
Despite growing support for casino gambling and mobile sports betting, Lt. Gov. Patrick’s stance and Senate GOP opposition may prevent progress. - Power Grid:
After 2021’s deadly winter storm, lawmakers are focused on strengthening grid reliability by incentivizing natural gas power plants and imposing regulations on renewable energy development. - Immigration and Border Security:
Governor Abbott seeks additional funding for Operation Lone Star and proposes new border patrol initiatives. Other measures include barring in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants and voter citizenship verification. - Abortion:
Democrats aim to expand exceptions to the state’s strict abortion ban, while Republicans propose further restrictions, including bans on online sales of abortion-inducing drugs.
Throughout the session, lawmakers will form committees, debate proposals, and determine the state’s priorities. While the only constitutionally required task is passing a budget, advocates stress the importance of addressing everyday issues like education, health care, and infrastructure.
Watch the sessions of the House and Senate live with us. Stay tuned for updates on our website.
