Here’s a quick recap of what happened over the last week:
State of the State Address
Gov. Abbott delivered the State of the State address last Sunday evening. Abbott used the opportunity to lay out his priorities for the legislative session, including emergency items to be considered. The state constitution prohibits consideration of any legislation prior to the 60th day of the session – March 14th – unless deemed an emergency by the Governor. He listed seven emergency items – property tax relief, teacher pay raises, expanded career training, funding for water infrastructure, private school vouchers, bail reform, and the establishment of a cyber command center at UTSA in San Antonio.
In addition to the emergency items, Abbott also addressed several other priorities for the legislature to consider including enhanced restrictions and penalties regarding squatters, prohibiting noncitizens from voting and from serving in elected positions in state and local governments, extending the ban on DEI policies to kindergarten through the 12th grade in public schools, enhancing mental health services in rural communities, more investment in nuclear power, and increased funding for safety measures in public schools.
Speaker Burrows Lays Out Priorities
Newly elected Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R, Lubbock) discussed his legislative priorities this week when he spoke to a crowd in Austin for the Midland-Odessa Day at the state capitol. Burrows said that the Senate has been focused on the voucher debate in the early part of the session, and that will remain a highly discussed topic throughout the session.
Burrows said an early focus of the House is funding water infrastructure needs, and the House is already working with the Senate to address the state’s growing need for water. Burrows has committed to lead the House on small business issues and declared that more property tax relief is a key component to helping small businesses grow and prosper. Another issues Burrows said the House will take the lead on is reducing local regulations that hamper growth and impacts the ability of new businesses to start.
Burrows also reminded the group of a new House committee formed to look at waste and abuse in state government, following the lead of the newly established DOGE by the Trump administration.
Burrows was first elected to the Texas House in 2014 and serves Lubbock and surrounding counties. This will be his first term leading the lower chamber.
Senate Approves Vouchers
On Wednesday, after nearly seven hours of debate, the Texas Senate voted 19-12 to advance SB 2 to the Texas House—historically where the bill has faced significant challenges. The bill establishes Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), which would allow public tax dollars – up to $10,000 per student — to be used for private school tuition and other educational services for voucher recipients. The current proposal would appropriate enough voucher funds for approximately 100,000 students. However, likely contingent upon the passing of ESAs is the other $4.85 billion set aside for public schools which includes teacher pay raises for the first time in six years, but no per-pupil allotment increase.
The vote largely followed party lines, with one exception: Republican Senator Robert Nichols of Jacksonville joined all Senate Democrats in opposition.
During the Senate debate, a total of 19 floor amendments were adopted. Most notably, an additional $500 was allocated to the initial $2,000 in funding designated for homeschooled students, specifically for homeschooled students with disabilities. Senator Creighton clarified that this increase would still come from the same $1 billion pool originally allocated by both the House and Senate. Additionally, while the amount of funds in an ESA account is permitted to accrue over time, the Senate approved a provision which would limit the accrued amount to no more than $20,000.
While the bill passed through the Texas Senate less than a week after the Senate Education Committee’s eight-hour public hearing, it is unlikely to move as swiftly through the House. Newly elected House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows has yet to name committee chairs, though an announcement is expected sometime in the middle or late next week. Despite this, Burrows has expressed support for school choice programs in Texas—a stance that will be tested in the divided Texas House.
Border News
The state of Texas signed an agreement with the Trump administration this week giving Texas National Guard soldiers the authority to make immigration related arrests and deport undocumented people in the US. The agreement is the first of its kind – allowing state level personnel to carry out immigration enforcement duties – and will undoubtedly face legal challenges. National Guard troops generally only perform law enforcement related duties when called in to assist local law enforcement in times of civil unrest or in times of aftermath regarding a natural disaster. Last week, Gov. Abbott deployed an additional 400 National Guard troops to the southern border to collaborate with federal border patrol agents and to order state police to assist in deportation efforts. According to the agreement, the troops will “formally assist and facilitate” mass deportations. In effect, the troops are now given arrest powers and must coordinate and communicate with federal agents regarding all relative duties.
Gov. Abbott was at the White House with President Trump on Wednesday for the signing of an Executive Order that bans trans athletes from participating in women’s sports. While at the White House, Abbott again made an appeal for the federal government to reimburse the state for the $11 billion they have spent over the last 4 years on border and immigration enforcement. Abbott has sent a letter to Congressional leadership as well to request the funds. Abbott also offered all the state’s resources that are in place to assist the administration with its immigration enforcement efforts, including the use of military bases to house soldiers and 4,000 jail cells for migrant detention.
Protestors Gather Throughout State
Hundreds of people showed up on the state Capitol grounds on Wednesday in what was deemed a “nationwide day of protest” against President Trump. Protestors held signs and were chanting in protest to the new administration’s policies regarding immigration enforcement and LGBTQ rights. The protestors initially gathered during the late morning hours on the front steps of the Capitol and then marched down Congress Avenue before returning to the Capitol. The protestors could be heard from inside the Capitol. According to the Department of Public Safety, the number of people gathered totaled about 500 and were mostly peaceful, but there was one arrest made for disorderly conduct.
This demonstration came on the heels of an immigration protest that took place in north Austin on Monday night on North Lamar Blvd that saw vehicles racing through the streets and performing stunts as people gathered. Austin police were forced to use pepper spray to disperse the crowd. Thousands of protestors marched through the streets of Houston on Sunday to also protest the Trump administration immigration policies. Crowds marched from the Montrose area to Hermann Park in a peaceful demonstration.
Confusion Over THC and Marijuana
There seems to be some confusion regarding the consumption of THC products and marijuana. A poll released by the University of Houston this week showed a majority of Texans – 55% — support at least a partial ban of THC consumable products such as gummies, vapes and drinks. But the same poll also showed that 62% of the respondents support legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. THC is the main compound in marijuana that produces the intoxicating high.
Some background. In 2019 the legislature passed a law to allow the production of hemp – which is the fiber part of the cannabis plant that can be used to produce rope, fabrics, and paper. Hemp products contain .3% THC. The law also allowed the production of hemp related products that contain no more than the .3% of THC. The commercialization of hemp created a legal hemp industry in Texas with the product being sold in the form of gummies, vapes, drinks, and creams. Often times, these products contain more than the .3% allowed by law and there is no regulatory structure in place for these products.
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has said there will be legislation this session to outlaw all consumable forms of TCH statewide. The poll sought to gauge public opinion on the legislative effort. The inconsistent polling numbers suggest most Texans are confused about the difference between THC products and marijuana. This session, the Senate will likely pass the full ban on consumable products, but the House leadership has not indicated a position on the Senate proposal. If they can’t come to an agreement, then the current law and availability of consumable hemp products will remain.
Odds and Ends
With House members still not having committee assignments, the only thing to do on the House floor are congratulatory resolutions. On Tuesday, the House recognized singer Beyonce for her recent Grammy win for album of the year. They also recognized former University of Texas player Steve McMichael – a native of Carrizo Springs – for his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Club for Growth – a conservative advocacy group – has launched a six-figure campaign to pressure Texas House members to support the school voucher legislation that just passed the Senate. The campaign will include TV ads, as well as digital and newspaper advertising. The ads encourage constituents to contact their representatives to support Senate Bill 2. Newspaper ads started today throughout the state, with television ads starting on Sunday in Houston, Dallas, Austin, Waco, and San Antonio during the nationally televised Sunday political talk shows.
Gov. Abbott made more headlines on Tuesday when he announced on a “Texas Take” podcast that he would not have a problem with legislation establishing online sports betting in Texas – if the legislature were to pass such a measure. Abbott says he feels that so many people are doing it already, and he considers it more a form of entertainment than gaming. A coalition of the major sports teams in Texas have been pushing for legalized sports betting for the last several years. The measure – which requires an amendment to the state constitution that is subject to voter approval — passed the House in 2023 but never received any consideration in the Senate. Any proposal this session would have a steep uphill climb to passage. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick – who presides over the Senate – has consistently said that the votes are not there in the Senate for passage of sports betting.
And then, less than two days later, Abbott seemed to want to provide more clarification on his comments. After clearly stating he had “no problem” with online sports betting, Abbott said in an interview on a local Fox affiliate that he meant to say that the voters should decide on the fate of sports betting in the state.
What’s Next??
The Senate has adjourned until 11AM today where they will meet only to refer filed bills to committee. The Senate will then adjourn until 11AM Tuesday.
The Senate Finance Committee will continue budget deliberations next week
The House is adjourned until Tuesday at 2PM. House members are expected to receive their committee appointments for the session next week.