A look at some of the specific issues different people are prioritizing this session. Expect more.
- Filed House Bills.
- Filed Senate Bills.
Texas Tribune: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick prioritizes property tax relief, electric grid fixes and border security for 2023 legislative session.
- Property Taxes
- - Raise Homestead Exemption
- Power Grid
- - Is more work required?
- - - Abbott says no
- - build more natural gas plants
- - less focus on solar and wind
- - preparation
- - changes to state power market
- - bailout gas utilities and electric companies
- - incentivize increases in power generation
- Border Security and Law Enforcement
- - increased funding
- - increased punishment for gun crimes
- - recall for district attorneys
- - allow for change in jurisdiction
- - increased incarceration
- - increased funding for rural law enforcement
- Education
- - increased scholarships for law enforcement
- - increased funding for non-PUF universities
- - access to PUF funds
- - tenure reform
- - anti - CRT
- - increased teacher pay - 13th check
- - increased school safety funding
- - Parent's Bill of Rights
- Elections
- - tighten
- - illegal voting made a felony
- - timely counting of votes
- - review of machines
Texas Tribune: Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick diverge ahead of the legislative session on property taxes, power grid.
- Property Taxes
- - how far to go?
- - how to pay for it?
- - relief
- Electric Grid
- - has it been fixed or not?
Texas Tribune: Texas lawmakers target property taxes, election fraud and transgender people in new legislation ahead of 2023 session.
A random look at the content of some of the legislation that has been introduced so far. Some are unlikely to pass, maybe most.
- Public Education
- - increased ethnic studies
- - create African American and Mexican American Studies
- - school funding based on average enrollment
- - textbook content ratings
- Guns
- - who can own guns?
- - reporting of purchase of multiple guns and magazines
- - raise minimum age to purchase
- Abortion
- - increase exceptions to abortion ban
- - rape, incest, life of the mother, lethal fetal abnormalities
- - stop efforts to pay for out of state abortions
- LGBTQ Texan's Rights
- - legal definition of child abuse to include gender affirming health care
- - puberty blockers, testosterone, estrogen
- - remove liability coverage from doctors who offer treatments
- Energy
- - make building renewable energy facilities more difficult
- - harden energy and water infrastructure
- - backup water generators for for public water supply systems
- - alert system for boil water notices
- Health Care
- - expand post-partum Medicaid to 12 months
- - menstrual supplies tax exempt
- Voting and Elections
- - election fraud made a felony
- - polling site on colleges and university campuses with more then 5,000 students
- Disaster Declarations
- - more legislative oversight on governor's emergency powers
- - limit extensions of emergency declarations
- - limit governor's ability to move funding around for emergency projects
- Property Taxes
- - abolish school district's M&O tax
- - limits on increases in appraisals
- - half on any budget surplus to be given to the Texas Education Agency
- Opioid Testing
- - remove penalties against fentanyl testing
Texas Tribune: The Texas Legislative session has begun. Here are 6 things we’re watching.
- how to allocate the budget surplus
- parental rights
- LGBTQ issues and women's health
- border security
Texas Tribune: Texas House speaker addresses prospects of anti-LGBTQ bills, gun legislation and casinos.
- Youth Health and Safety
- Mental health services
- Juvenile Justice
- Family and Protective Services
- Chapter 313
- Uvalde Shooting
- Casinos
