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On Thursday, July 8^th, the Texas Legislature will convene our first special session following the 87^th Regular Legislative Session which ended on May 31st.  Over the last few weeks, I’ve shared with you the many accomplishments of the recent legislative session but I also mentioned there was much work left undone.  Over the next week, I’d like to discuss the announced agenda for the special session, as well as other subject matter I’d like to see added.   

A “special session” is very different than a constitutionally called “regular session” like the one that just adjourned in May.  A special session can only be “called” by the governor and the maximum duration for a special session is 30 days.  The governor declares what policy issues/session topics are on the call and we are limited to working on just those topics.  The governor can enumerate all topics at the onset or gradually add to the call while the legislature is convened.  There is not a limit on how many special sessions can be called and they can be called back-to-back.   

Governor Abbott has not issued an official proclamation of topics.  However, based on his public statements we know will be covering election integrity, bail reform, Critical Race Theory, redistricting and allocating federal funds appropriated to states through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.  Both redistricting and the federal funding will be addressed in the fall at a subsequent special session. 

ICYMI: Both the omnibus election integrity bill (SB7) and the bail reform bill (HB 20/HJR) died on the House calendar in May when House democrats left the House chamber breaking the quorum.  (The Texas Constitution requires that 2/3 of the 150 House members be present to conduct business.  Republicans have only an eight vote majority.)

Quorum busting is an inappropriate tactic that has been used on rare occasion to kill legislation.  In 2003, the House democrats, knowing they did not have the votes to stop a bill, left during the night and stayed in Oklahoma for weeks.  The next month, the Senate democrats broke quorum and spent weeks in New Mexico.  So, bottom line, there is no guarantee that the democrats won’t bust the quorum again to stop the election integrity bill from passing.

The following is a summary of what Republicans legislators hope to accomplish on election integrity this upcoming special session.  I’ve also included a graphic on the efforts to reform the criminal bail system.  In my next email (and FB post) I’ll share my thoughts on Critical Race Theory and the need for legislation barring it from our schools. 

Election Integrity

The overall goal is simply to ensure that in Texas it is easy to vote and hard to cheat.  The bill components will likely include: 

Bail Reform 

This is my ninth and final installment on accomplishments in the recent Texas legislative session that adjourned May 31^st.  Much good work has been overlooked.  However, there was also much left undone.  Next week I’ll begin to layout some things I believe the Texas Legislature must accomplish in the special session starting on July 8th and other special sessions expected in early fall. 

A Balanced Budget

Every biennium, the Texas Legislature is required to pass a balanced budget that directs how much the state government can spend in the upcoming fiscal year. Unlike Washington, we are prohibited from spending more revenue than we collect and we are always trying to tighten our belts.  We began this budgeting process in the midst of a pandemic and a cloud of uncertainty, but I’m proud to say we were able to reduce the overall budget by roughly 5% without raising taxes while still funding our commitments to public education, border security efforts and more.  Staying under all constitutional and new statutory spending limits is always a priority. 

Also noteworthy in the budget is $1.2 billion for the biennium we dedicated to enhance border security efforts.  This included more boots on the ground, funds to combat human trafficking, additional funds for DPS border operations and more. 

Enhanced Border Security

In recent weeks it has become crystal clear that Biden administration has blatant disregard for the humanitarian and drug smuggling crisis on our border.  The influx of illegal immigrants, drugs, human trafficking and gang activity is at some of the highest levels we have ever seen.  Unfortunately, since it doesn’t appear the federal government is going to step up and help secure the border, Texas will take the lead to ensure our own safety and security.

Last week, several items were announced on Texas’ plan to build a wall and combat human and drug trafficking at the border.  I fully expect border security to be a focus of our upcoming special sessions.  Below is a summary of what Texas is doing: 

How will we build a border wall? The Governor has directed the Texas Facilities Commission to hire a program manager who will have complete oversight of the project. He will be responsible for the entire planning, construction, and execution of the wall.  He will work to hire contractors, identify state land and private land that can be used, and negotiate how, when, and where the wall will be built.

How much will this cost? Last week, a transfer of $250 million was made as a down payment to get us started.  And, as noted above, the state budget also allocated $1.2 billion toward border security.  Once the program manager is hired and the planning process is underway we will have more definitive numbers.  In the meantime, anyone who wishes to do so can donate by mail to the border wall by clicking HERE. 

What else are we doing? We have a new task force in place comprised of members from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Texas Military Department, Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and more.  They will have bi-weekly meetings to assess the most up to date situation at the border and find solutions.  We have also invoked the Emergency Management Assistance Compact with Arizona to work collaboratively on making arrests, detaining criminals and stopping illegal crossings.  And, lastly, we have issued a disaster declaration committing more resources, law enforcement personnel, and funds to address this crisis than ever before.

President Biden’s egregious inaction and inability to secure our border has opened the door to an overwhelming amount of criminal activity that has threatened the safety and wellbeing of Texans.  But, once again, the Lone Star State has stepped up and made substantial moves to strengthen our border and protect Texans.

 Starting next week, I will be sharing my thoughts on upcoming special sessions and what issues we need to address and what I will be working on and supporting.

This is my eighth installment on accomplishments in the recent Texas legislative session that adjourned May 31^st.  Much good work has been overlooked.  However, there was also much left undone.  So, when I finish this series, I’ll layout some things I believe the Texas Legislature must accomplish in the special sessions coming later this summer and early fall.

 Back the Blue Legislation 

The year we passed several priority items to support law enforcement.  Passing proactive measures is always a win but sometimes what is even more meaningful (that goes unnoticed) is defeating harmful proposed new legislation.  The anti-law enforcement agenda filed by the Democrats this session was very strong.  As a former police officer, I spent a lot of time just trying to fix (or more often kill) those proposed anti-law enforcement bills.  Fortunately, we were able to stop a lot of bad legislation from passing. 

HB 9, HB 1900, HB 2366 and SB 23 were all passed to prevent large cities and counties from their efforts to defund the police.  We also needed these bills to deal with violent protests which have been so prevalent.

HB 9 – Enhances the criminal penalty to a state jail felony offense for anyone who knowingly blocks an emergency vehicle or obstructs access to a hospital or health care facility.

HB 2366 – Enhances criminal penalties for the use of laser pointers and creates an offense for the use of fireworks to harm or obstruct the police.

HB 1900 – Freezes property tax revenues for cities with population over 250,000 that defund the police and allows the state to withhold sales tax collections. Those withheld funds will be given to DPS to fund the use of state resources to protect residents of a defunded municipality. 

SB 23 – Requires voter approval to reduce law enforcement budgets in counties with a population of more than one million.  If voter approval is not received, but the county still defunds the police, the county’s property tax revenue will be frozen.  

Prioritizing Our Children and Retired Teachers 

In the 2019 legislative session, Texas made a huge commitment to better fund our schools and teachers.  Knowing that the state’s budget would be leaner this year, making sure we fulfilled that 2019 financial commitment to education was a top priority.  This one pager highlights some of the success this session in supporting our kids education, which included maintaining our financial commitment to both the children, teachers and our retired teachers.  Additionally, as I discussed in a prior email, our new legislative initiatives focusing on a robust broadband infrastructure will also help us improve remote learning and innovation in educating outside the classroom.     

I’ll continue this series with another installment in just a few days. 

This is my seventh installment on accomplishments in the recent Texas legislative session that adjourned May 31^st.  Much good work has been overlooked.  However, there was also much left undone.  So, when I finish this series, I’ll layout some things I believe the Texas Legislature must accomplish in the special sessions coming later this summer and early fall.

Health Care Reform: Expanding Access to Care and TeleHealth 

A priority this legislative session was the expansion of telemedicine and overall access to affordable healthcare services.  During the pandemic, having robust broadband and telehealth services became more critical for Texans than we had ever expected.  Although there is much left to do in improving access and affordability some very good progress was made. 

HB 4 – Expands telemedical services eligible for reimbursement. 

HB 18 – Lowers prescription costs by establishing a self-replenishing fund for prescription rebates to serve uninsured and under-insured Texans. 

HB 2056 – Allows for teledentistry practices to serve rural Texans.

SB 1137 – Requires hospitals to disclose to the public certain health care information, including a list of standard charges and shoppable services.

HB 3752 – Creates the Texas Mutual Health Coverage Plan available to individuals and small businesses who lack traditional health insurance.  This will allow cost-effective solutions and affordable health insurance to the marketplace. 

HB 3924 – Authorizes the Texas Farm Bureau to offer a health benefit plan to its members giving rural Texans better access to competitive health plans.  

Protecting Religious Liberty 

During the pandemic, we all witnessed disturbing displays of government overreach.  I was shocked to see houses of worship actually ordered closed.  Almost all Texans would agree that the First Amendment unequivocally guarantees our freedom to gather in worship and that government has no role in religious practices and should never interfere.  Yet it became apparent that we needed to reinforce this principle in Texas law.  So, four bills were passed to make it clear that religious liberty is paramount across our state. 

HB 1239, SB 581 and SB 525 were passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Abbott to ensure that going forward religious liberties would be protected in Texas.  Of greatest importance is SJR 27 which is a proposed amendment to the Texas Constitution.  If approved by the voters next November it will place into the Texas Constitution a specific prohibition on the closing of houses of worship by local officials. 

I’ll continue this series with another installment in just a few days.   

This is my sixth installment on accomplishments in the recent Texas legislative session that adjourned May 31^st.  Much good work has been overlooked.  However, there was also much left undone.  So, when I finish this series, I’ll layout some things I believe the Texas Legislature must accomplish in the special sessions coming later this summer and early fall.

Spending Limits 

SB 1136 will limit the growth of state government in Texas by capping government spending.  Government spending is out of control in Washington, DC but we will not allow that to happen in Texas.  This new law will very effectively limit the rate of growth in state spending by capping each new state budget at a factor of population growth adjusted for inflation. 

Rural Broadband 

Major reforms were passed this session to address the need for rural broadband and help accelerate its deployment.  COVID-19 highlighted the critical importance of a robust broadband infrastructure network.  Remote learning, access to telemedicine, economic development and other facets of life hinge on the availability of dependable high speed internet.  HB 5 creates a broadband expansion plan to deliver high-speed internet to underserved areas in Texas.  Other measures such as HB 1505 and HB 3853 were also passed that will help expedite the process to deliver high speed internet.  

Business Liability Protections 

SB 6 amends current law relating to liability for certain claims arising during a pandemic or a disaster related to a pandemic.  This legislation will provide retroactive lawsuit protections for large and small businesses, religious institutions, non-profit entities, healthcare providers, first responders, and education institutions to assist with post-pandemic recovery efforts.   

This is my fifth installment on accomplishments in the recent Texas legislative session that adjourned May 31^st.  Much good work has been overlooked.  However, there was also much left undone.  So, when I finish this series, I’ll layout some things I believe the Texas Legislature must accomplish in the special sessions coming later this summer and early fall. 

Reasserting the Tenth Amendment 

We are all “fed up” with the federal government’s overreach.  Our Tenth Amendment has remained under assault now for many decades as Congress and federal courts act in direct violation of the Constitution.  The Tenth Amendment was intended to hold Washington DC in check, preventing federal encroachment into our individual liberties and into the sovereign authority of the several states.   SCR 12, which I authored and carried in the House, reasserts Texas’ sovereignty over all powers not specifically enumerated in the U.S. Constitution and thereby granted to the federal government.  SCR 12 serves as a formal demand from Texas to Washington to halt its flagrant disregard for the U.S. Constitution and the inalienable rights of all Texans.  

Second Amendment Protections 

The Second Amendment is under attack by the Biden administration.  Texas adopted several preemptive measures to ensure your right to defend yourself, your family and your property.  Tomorrow, Governor Abbott will be at the Alamo for a bill signing ceremony to officially make the policies listed below new law in Texas. 
 HB 957 – Removes federal restrictions on firearm suppressors that are manufactured in Texas.

HB 1500 – Protects gun and ammo stores from being shut down by local or state officials during a disaster declaration.

HB 1927 – Known as Constitutional Carry, this legislation allows all law-abiding Texans age 21 and older to carry a holstered handgun for personal protection while observing all safe gun practices. 

HB 2622 – Naming Texas a Second Amendment Sanctuary State, providing another layer of protection against federal overreach.

SB 19 – Prohibits state contracts with companies that discriminate against firearm or ammunition companies.

SB 20 – Prohibits a hotel from adopting a firearms policy that prohibits a hotel guest from storing a handgun or ammunition in the guest’s hotel room or vehicle. 

SB 550 – Allows one to use any type of holster when properly carrying a handgun in Texas either openly or concealed. 

This is my fourth installment on accomplishments in the recent Texas legislative session that adjourned May 31^st.  Much good work has been overlooked.  However, there was also much left undone.  So, when I finish this series, I’ll layout some things I believe the Texas Legislature must accomplish in the special sessions coming later this summer and early fall.

Winter Storm Response: Electricity Reform Measures 

After Winter Storm Uri caused catastrophic statewide power outages the focus of the legislative session quickly shifted to the electric power industry.  Over a dozen substantive and complex bills ultimately passed that will be effective September 1, 2021 that cover a range of issues from power generation to transmission and distribution to the retail electricity market.  This included the restructuring of the Public Utility Commission and ERCOT, the entities charged with regulating and operating Texas’ power grid and electricity market.  We also directed the PUC to investigate, study and provide additional data to the Legislature needed in advance of upcoming legislative sessions.

As a member of the State Affairs Committee, I spent weeks post-storm in committee hearings and stakeholder meetings trying to identify the critical reforms necessary to improve the reliability and resiliency of our grid.  (Almost all bills dealing with this crisis passed through our State Affairs Committee.)  I carried and passed four important measures within the Winter Storm Uri response legislative package.  Those measures include: 

1. A streamlining of the process for construction of new transmission lines. This will help eliminate current impediments to power distribution (congestion) and more timely meet the need for expansion of Texas’ power grid (SB 1281);

2. A requirement for the PUC/ERCOT to study apparent distortions in Texas’ electricity market caused by a growing dependence on intermittent electricity generation resources (renewables) (stand alone bill added to SB 3); 

3.  New capabilities for transmission and distribution utilities (TDU’s such as Oncor) with which to provide emergency power during outages and with which to speed power restoration (HB 2483); and 

4. A commercial load management program for TDU’s to help reduce and/or prevent load shedding events such as those that caused the widespread outages (amendment to HB 10 and then added in SB 3).

A partial listing of additional measures passed as a part of Winter Storm Uri response include: 

I’ll continue this series with another installment in just a few days.  

This is my third installment on accomplishments in the recent Texas legislative session that adjourned May 31^st.  Much good work has been overlooked.  However, there was also much left undone.  So, when I finish this series, I’ll layout some things I believe the Texas Legislature must accomplish in the special sessions coming later this summer and early fall.

I was excited to carry SB 15 and HB 3257 in the House.  Both pieces of legislation are very critical victories for Texans and even garnered bipartisan support.

SB 15 – Consumer Privacy 

Tired of getting call after call from telemarketers?  This legislation creates new protections for Texans’ personal information contained in the state’s motor vehicle and drivers license records.  SB15 prohibits the unregulated sale of personal information for marketing and should greatly curtail pesky robocalls—-like those on your “extended car warranty.”   

HB 3257 – Fighting Antisemitism 

Texas must lead the nation in combating antisemitism at this very critical time.  Recently, Facebook shut down the Jerusalem Prayer Team page after it was flooded with antisemitic content during the rocket attacks in Israel.  Attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions are now commonly in the news.  HB 3257 adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition on antisemitism for Texas and creates a nine member commission to inform and guide the Legislature on how to combat antisemitism, as well as educate and raise awareness of the Holocaust. 

I’ll continue this series with another installment in just a few days.   

This is my second installment on accomplishments in the recent Texas legislative session that adjourned May 31^st.  Much good work has been overlooked.  However, there was also much left undone.  So, when I finish this series, I’ll layout some things I believe the Texas Legislature must accomplish in the special sessions coming later this summer and early fall.

One bill to highlight is also one that I was honored to author, HB 3833. It turned out to be the only significant property tax cut passed this year.  I’m also excited to share with you several bills to protect the unborn.  Texas is now the largest state in the nation to pass such bold pro-life initiatives. 

  
HB 3833 – Eliminating Interest On The Rollback Tax

In 2019, we were able to significantly reduce a huge penalty on landowners when they would change the use of their open space land from agricultural, for example, to another purpose such as building a home or opening a business.  For decades, the rollback tax held back land development and penalized family property owners.  It’s worked like this.  Say you bought or inherited land that had been out in the country.  Years later you decided to convert it to a business purpose or maybe just build your new home.  Well, on whatever acreage you converted from “ag exempt” you’d pay five years back property taxes, at full market value, with interest compounded at 7%!     Last session, in 2019, Texas passed legislation to reduce that five year clawback to three years and the interest from 7% to 5%.  That was a good start but not enough.   

This session I authored HB 3833 which was the only property tax savings to make it to Governor Abbott’s desk and it will do two things.  First, it eliminates the 5% interest when a change of property use occurs.  According to the Legislative Budget Board, this will reduce property taxes $472 million over just the next five years.  Second, we harmonized statute to include certain remaining types of properties that had been left out of the 2019 property tax rollback rate cut. 

Protecting the Unborn – SB 8, Texas Heartbeat Act and HB 1280, Pre-Ban on Abortion

Effective September 1, abortion will be prohibited after a fetal heartbeat is detected!  Current law bans abortion after 20 weeks but the Heartbeat Act will ban abortion at six weeks, probably earlier.  Texas now leads the nation in protecting the life of the unborn.  Tragically, in 2020 alone, over 50,000 abortions were performed in our state. 

The legislature also passed a pre-ban (trigger bill) on abortion which would allow Texas to fully ban all abortions if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.  Rather than waiting for the next legislative session, this new law allows Texas to immediately take action to protect lives. 

In our state budget we also included $100 million in funding for Alternatives to Abortion programs.  Funding for women’s health programs was also increased to a total of $352.6 million for the biennium.  
I’ll continue this series with another installment in just a few days.   

Friends, 

This is my first installment on accomplishments in the recent Texas legislative session that adjourned May 31^st.  Much good work has been overlooked.  However, there was also much left undone.  So, when I finish this series, I’ll layout some things I believe the Texas Legislature must accomplish in the special sessions coming later this summer and early fall.

These first two bills, of which I am especially proud, are ones that I was also honored to carry in the House.  

HB 2283 – Fair Funding Of Elections

During the 2020 general election, a $250 million donation from Mark Zuckerberg was given to the Center for Tech and Civil Life which then dispersed (soon called “Zuck Bucks”) to local government election offices for “COVID resources & protocols.”  For example, $10 million was given to Harris County and $15 million to Dallas County where it was used without adequate public oversight and transparency.  This is a very slippery slope and threatens election integrity.  We must maintain the public’s confidence in the election process and safeguard our elections.  HB 2283 will stop the unregulated private funding of county elections offices and its potential for undue influence on the election process.    

SB 13 – Supporting Texas Oil & Gas Industry

The oil and gas industry accounts for 35% of Texas’ economy and Texas is America’s best hope for sustained energy independence.  Yet there is a powerful growing movement calling for financial institutions and large companies to essentially boycott businesses in Texas’ fossil fuel industry.  Environmental activists increasingly demand that large corporations and lenders base their business decisions on environmental/political factors rather than fiduciary considerations. SB 13 will prohibit hundreds of billions in state funds (public retirement funds, etc.) from being invested in entities with anti-Texas agendas geared to hurt America’s energy independence and our Texas economy. 

I’ll continue this series with another installment in just a few days.

Thank you,