|
|
| |
88th Texas Legislature | NTC State Report
Monday, March 6, 2023
| |
Quick Takes
- Bill filing deadline occurs Friday, March 10.
- Priority legislation aimed at property tax relief, economic development, and school safety materialized in the House and Senate.
- North Texas Legislators join newly formed Texas House Water Caucus.
State Report
The 88th Texas Legislature has reached its ninth week, and the much-anticipated bill filing deadline is Friday, March 10th. More than 5,000 bills have been filed as of last Friday. The House has amended its schedule and will convene today at 2 pm; they had been meeting on Tuesdays each week up until now. The Senate will continue its practice of convening at 11 am Tuesday.
Members in both chambers filed bills identified as priority legislation by their respective leadership last week in addition to previously filed priority bills. Senator Paul Bettencourt filed SB 3 and the accompanying constitutional amendment, SJR 3. These measures will allow voters to decide whether to increase the school property tax homestead exemption from $40,000 to $70,000. Senator Robert Nichols filed SB 11, a school safety proposal, and Senator Joan Huffman filed the supplemental appropriations bill, SB 30. In the House, HB 2, the Property Tax Relief Act, was filed by Representative Morgan Meyer. It would lower school district property taxes by 28% and reduce the appraisal cap to 5% while expanding it to all types of property. HJR 1 is the corresponding resolution that will allow voters to approve the proposal. A trio of House bills related to economic and workforce development were also filed as priority legislation last week: HB 5, HB 8, and HB 19. House Bill 5, by Representative Todd Hunter, is the Texas Jobs & Security Act. It is intended to be a new economic development tool that replaces what was previously referred to as a Chapter 313 agreement. A bipartisan group of representatives have signed on to HB 5 as joint authors and co-authors. Representative Gary VanDeaver filed HB 8, which establishes a new funding model for community colleges, and Representative Andrew Murr filed HB 19, which creates a business court system in Texas. The remaining priority bills are expected to be filed this week in advance of the Friday bill filing deadline.
The Texas House Water Caucus is a new, bi-partisan, collaborative focused on water issues with more than 70 legislators committed to the cause. As one of the fastest-growing states in the nation and one of the strongest economies in the world, Texas’ increasing and concentrated population growth brings not only more demand for water but also a need for more reliable and secure supplies.
“Water security is critically important to all Texans and our economy,” said House Natural Resources Chairman Tracy King and Chair of the Texas House Water Caucus. “We must continue to innovate, invest, and strategize long-term to manage our water resources efficiently.” Texas House Water Caucus efforts will include providing legislators and their staff with educational resources to learn about the state’s aging and fragile water infrastructure needs in an effort to prioritize water during the 88th Texas Legislature. Currently, there are 15 North Texas members of the House Water Caucus:
- Representative Keith Bell (HD 4)
- Representative John Bryant (HD 114)
- Representative DeWayne Burns (HD 58)
- Representative Frederick Frazier (HD 61)
- Representative Terry Meza (HD 105)
- Representative Victoria Neave Criado (HD 107)
- Representative Mihaela Plesa (HD 70)
- Representative Ana-Maria Ramos (HD 102)
- Representative Glenn Rogers (HD 60)
- Representative Ramon Romero (HD 90)
- Representative Shelby Slawson (HD 59)
- Representative Lynn Stucky (HD 64)
- Representative Kronda Thimesch (HD 65)
- Representative Tony Tinderholt (HD 94)
- Representative Chris Turner (HD 101)
Legislative committees in the House and Senate continue to meet to take up bills scheduled for public hearings while others are still convening for organizational meetings. House committees have scheduled meetings Monday through Thursday this week, while committee meetings in the Senate are scheduled Tuesday through Thursday. Six Senate bills were reported from the committee last week, including SB 2, a Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick priority bill that would increase the penalty for illegal voting from a misdemeanor to a second-degree felony. Meanwhile, the House has not advanced any bills from the committee yet, but ten bills have been heard and remain pending before their respective committees.
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. The NTC team has noted several large-scale events are taking place in Austin during the week of North Texas Unites, so we encourage you to purchase your ticket and book your hotel as soon as possible!
March 23, 2023 | 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. | Austin, Texas
Individual Ticket Prices: $150.00
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
