88th Texas Legislature | NTC State Report  Monday, January 23, 2023 Quick Takes Governor and Lt. Governor signal continued focus on property tax and school choice, among other priorities, during their Inaugural addresses.  The House and Senate filed their preliminary budgets. The Legislature is still far less diverse than Texas as a whole. Lt. Governor Patrick named Senate Committee assignments today. North Texas has representation on every committee, and Senators from the region are Chairs and/or Vice Chairs on ten of the seventeen committees. You can view the complete list of committee assignments here.  Sign up today for a special Legislative Budget Primer on Wednesday, February 1, at 11:00 am. This webinar will feature a discussion between NTC State Affairs Chair Scott Orr, Fidelity Investment, and NTC Lobbyist Marc Rodriguez. Join Scott and Marc as they address questions surrounding the possibilities and limitations of the state’s record-setting surplus. Click here to register. State Report Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick were sworn into office for their third terms last Tuesday. House Speaker Dade Phelan presided over the inaugural ceremony as the leaders were administered their respective oaths of office, followed by speeches in which they both shared their priorities for the legislative session. Some of their noted interests included property tax relief, parental rights, school, and public safety, electric grid improvements, infrastructure funding, and border security. Governor Abbott’s specific priorities and potential emergency items are expected to be further outlined in his biennial State of the State address to a joint session of the legislature scheduled for February 16th. Senator Joan Huffman (R-Houston) and Representative Greg Bonnen (R-League City) filed the preliminary state budget bills for the 2024-2025 biennium last Wednesday.  Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 1 are currently similar in total, with nearly $130.1 billion in general state revenue appropriated. State Comptroller Glenn Hegar previously announced lawmakers have approximately $188.2 billion in state funds available for spending, so nearly $50 billion, which includes an estimated $32.7 billion budget surplus, is not spent in the current proposals. Members of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations committee will begin work soon to ultimately adopt a budget to advance to the full Senate and full House for consideration and approval. This process lasts the entirety of the legislative session and is the only bill the legislature is constitutionally required to pass when it convenes each biennium. All one hundred eighty-one legislators have settled into their positions and have been busy putting final touches on their offices, greeting constituents, finding their way around the building for the new members, attending receptions and dinners, and anxiously awaiting committee assignments. The 88th Texas Legislature is comprised of 127 men and 54 women. This includes 87 Republican men and 18 Republican women and 40 Democratic men, and 36 Democratic women. The Texas Tribune recently published an article with additional demographic details on the current legislature than can be read here. Proceedings on the House and Senate Floor are largely dedicated to ceremonial and memorial recognitions at this early point in the legislative session. More than 1,900 bills have been filed by lawmakers through the end of the first two weeks of the session. If you plan to visit the Capitol during session, please note the south entrance to the building is currently closed and blocked by scaffolding. The Capitol roof is being replaced for the first time in 75 years. More information about the project can be found here. The House and Senate adjourned last Wednesday. Both chambers will reconvene tomorrow, Tuesday, January 24th. For questions regarding the legislative session, please reach out to Patrick Brophey. Join us on March 23, 2023, as we travel to Austin for North Texas Unites. This full-day event will feature a variety of meetings with members of the North Texas delegation and end with an evening reception at the Capitol. March 23, 2022 | 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. | Austin, Texas Individual Ticket Prices: $150.00 REGISTER

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