House Bill 3556, sponsored by Texas Rep. Lynn Stucky, R-Sanger, would allow the head of local law enforcement to issue a localized alert when a child is missing without confirmation of an abduction. That is the high threshold requirement needed to issue an Amber Alert.

Dubbed an “Athena Alert”, the bill unanimously passed the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety. It was named after Athena Strand, the 7-year-old girl who vanished from her Paradise home in Nov. 2022 and found dead two days later.

A Wise County grand jury charged Tanner Horner, a package delivery who delivered packages to Strand’s home the day she disappeared, with kidnapping and murder. According to police, Horner confessed that he accidentally hit the girl with his truck and panicked when she said she would tell her dad. Horner said he killed the girl with his bare hands and then dumped her body.

Strand’s mother Maitlyn Gandy testified before the Texas House committee this week and recalled asking for an Amber Alert to be issued as soon as she found out her daughter was missing.

“Unfortunately, I kept getting met with the same response that she, in her case, did not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert to be issued,” Gandy said. “I don’t want someone to feel how I feel. I don’t want a mother to have to carry home an urn with her children’s ashes. I don’t want to watch another grandparent mourn the way my dad did.”

The legislation, if passed, would allow law enforcement to activate an alert in a localized area within a 100-mile radius and neighboring counties shortly after a child goes missing. Benson Varghese, Gandy’s attorney, also testified in Austin this week.

Issuing the ‘Athena alert’ would be up to the discretion of law enforcement officials, Varghese said.

“There’s a reason the threshold is so high for an Amber Alert. It’s because it is a statewide notification that could even go to multiple states,” he said. “Now having this tool that allows law enforcement to get the word out would be really helpful, particularly in rural areas. In an urban environment, you’ve got lots of media coverage but the farther out you, the less coverage you might have. Less systems you’ll have in place to get a word out like this.”

With the bill passing the committee without objection, supporters of the bill are hoping it will be fast-tracked for a House vote.

Families believe changes in the law can save lives, but there’s only a month left to get it done. The Legislative session ends on Memorial Day.

Many North Texans have been involved in the progress some bills are making in the Capitol, including Carrollton Police Chief Roberto Arredondo.

“I have never come to the Capitol, to testify on anything,” he said in front of lawmakers during a House committee hearing on Tuesday.

But Arredondo says he’s doing it for the future of his city.

“We’re fighting the good fight,” he told NBC 5 on Friday.

He spoke this week in support of House Bill 1581, which would increase felony offenses for drug dealers tied to overdoses or deaths. The bill’s next step is to move off to the House floor.

“I know they get it and they understand the struggles and our plight. I felt very good coming away from that committee meeting that they were going to act in our favor,” said Arredondo.

Carrollton has seen nearly a dozen overdoses and three deaths among school children in a matter of months earlier this year.

“What’s frustrating about it is people know what it does. But the addiction to the opioid is so strong that they can’t fight it, as they should,” he said.

Arredondo says this bill and ones like it can’t pass soon enough.

“We’re depending on them to give us the resources we need so that we can rid our great communities of this poison,” he said. “We need to have stronger laws that will help us prosecute these manufacturers and dealers that are supplying our kids with this.”

Debbie Petersen of Carrollton also testified with the chief this week, sharing the loss of her adult son Matt last year.

“He stopped breathing within one minute and all of his dreams were crushed,” she said. “I am hoping that Austin will step up and be the voice of my child, Matt Harvey, as well as the hundreds and thousands that have died due to fentanyl.”

With just weeks to go before the session ends, time is running out to address numerous fentanyl bills in Austin.

“We’re in crunch time right now. We’re needing bills to get through the House as well as the Senate on harm reduction and as well as prevention and education,” said Stefanie Turner, founder of Texas Against Fentanyl.

Turner lost her 19-year-old son, Tucker Roe, to an illicit Percocet pill that was bought from a peer on social media. After his passing, she immediately began sharing Tucker’s story to help prevent others from suffering the deadly effects of this dangerous drug that is devastating our communities.

She has also been busy this session connecting with other mothers and lawmakers, following the progress of the bills that can alter the fentanyl crisis. She’s pushing for a bill that would require fentanyl education in schools.

“My son, the first time that he used, he did not know what fentanyl was and neither did I,” said Turner.

Another bill, House Bill 6, calls for prosecuting fentanyl deaths as murder. Both the education bills and HB6 are making progress in the House and Senate.

But a key senate bill calling to legalize fentanyl detecting test strips is stalling. It led to protesters taking over parts of the Capitol on Thursday, demanding more action before the session ends in a month.

“I don’t feel that it’s happening fast enough,” said Turner. “We know fentanyl was a priority item and we’re still not making much headway through the Senate yet. So we need those bills to get on through.”

The keynote speaker was Dr. Leigh Wall, who was the superintendent of the Sante Fe ISD when there was a mass shooting at Sante Fe High School where eight students and two teachers were killed.

“The idea of a mass shooting at all is difficult, but to involve children in senseless acts is something that is very difficult for people to accept, of course, and then understand. So, that is the hope is that we can work together to learn and hopefully prevent these in the future, and at the very least do a better job of responding, and be prepared to do that,” said Wall.

Wall has since retired and now has a new focus.

“What I hope my job now is, is to work with schools, school leaders, communities and organizations that support schools and school safety, to help make the world a better place,” added Wall.

Superintendents, school-based law enforcement, administrators and counselors all heard from school safety experts.

“I hope they have this takeaway. This one takeaway. Safety is everyone’s responsibility,” said La’Evening Woodard, Region 10 Education Service Center safety and security coordinator.

Retired Dallas ISD Chief of Police Craig Miller was also at the event.

“We have to be able to work hand in hand, and I think that is what events like this are all about, is being able to get law enforcement and school administration on the same page. In the middle of a crisis is not the time to start planning,” said Miller.

Educators also received updates about bills in the Texas legislature, dealing with school safety. Both the House and Senate have passed a number of bills to strengthen it. The Senate’s bill has a new office of safety and security, which will make standards for school safety plans, and yearly audits of each school. 

The House bill includes an armed security officer at every campus. Now they must come to an agreement before the session ends.

In an interview with NBC 5, the Republican says the Senate plan will save seniors and homeowners under 65 more than the House plan, which calls for a 5% cap on annual appraisals.

“I am not taking $1,000 away from the average senior, $15,000 or $20,000, depending on how long they have their home. And I’m not taking $25,000 or so from people under 65. I am not going to do it. Hell will freeze over before I will do that,” said Patrick.

House Speaker Dade Phelan said in a statement last week that their plan provides the most relief to the most Texans and is the largest property tax cut in state history.

We asked Patrick if he can see property taxes or any issues leading to a special session.

“Oh yes, I can see any issue,” said Patrick.

Another issue facing lawmakers is using state money for private school costs. A bill has already passed the Senate providing roughly $8,000 for families to choose their own schools. Patrick says public schools will still get the money for a student who leaves for five years.

“Parents deserve a choice. If they have a child with a disability the school can’t handle, if their school is a failing school, if they feel like their child is being bullied or in danger, or if they don’t just don’t like the library books,” added Patrick.

Critics and some lawmakers have said that public schools could be hurt in future budget cycles.

“No, this is what we hear from education every session. Since I’ve been lieutenant governor, by my count, since 2019,  we have put somewhere around $15-17 billion more into public schools,” said Patrick.

The bill remains uncertain in the House. House lawmakers have passed an amendment prohibiting state money for any voucher-type program.

The path has been cleared for the House to vote on online sports betting and casinos in select areas. The bills have come out of committee. But, they don’t look to have too much support in the Senate right now.

“We have two votes that I know of for sports betting, and we don’t have any votes for casinos. So, that is where we are,” said Patrick.

The Texas Legislative Session ends on May 29.

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The bill is the latest challenge from state Republican lawmakers to the academic framework that has become a rallying cry for conservatives in recent years. The proposal would create a process for students and members of the public to file complaints against college professors teaching the framework and have them fired, regardless of tenure.

The proposal from Mineola Republican Bryan Hughes is part of a slate of higher education bills in the Senate that are among Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s top priorities during this year’s legislative session. Other bills include eliminating tenure at public universities and prohibiting colleges from maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion offices – also known as DEI.

The bill passed on a 19-12 party-line vote.

Click here to read more on the vote from our partners at The Dallas Morning News.

The heat was worst at a handful of units. The Stevenson Unit in DeWitt County was the hottest in July, with 12 days in three-figure digits. Inmates at two units in Falls and Taylor counties experienced seven days over 100 degrees last summer.

Inside inmate housing areas at Hutchins State Jail in Dallas County, the temperature exceeded 95 degrees for a total of 21 days in July.

The News obtained the indoor temperature logs, which the state recently required prisons to begin keeping, through a public information request and analyzed them for trends and patterns. The data shows that inmates and staff are exposed, at times, to dangerous levels of heat in the majority of the state’s unairconditioned jails and prisons, experts said.

Click here to read more on the heat in Texas prisons from our partners at The Dallas Morning News.

The bill would require a switch to metal plates instead in an effort to stop widespread problems with fraudulent paper tags often sold illegally online.

A yearlong NBC 5 investigation exposed how criminals use fraudulent paper plates to evade police while smuggling drugs and even committing violent crimes.

In the wake of our reporting, lawmakers called for changes in the state’s temporary tag system. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles also made leadership changes and cracked down on small state-licensed car dealers involved in illegally selling real paper tags from the DMV’s online temporary tag system.

But, as more problem dealers were shut down, police say counterfeiters have stepped in to meet the demand for knock-off paper plates, which authorities say are easy to spoof because they come in a simple PDF document format.

The fake plates are also purchased by drivers with cars that cannot pass inspection or do not have insurance, according to law enforcement officials.

At a House Transportation Committee hearing last week, Grand Prairie Police Chief Daniel Scesney was among those testifying in support of the bill. Scesney has been outspoken in his frustration with paper tags, following the death of Grand Prairie Police Officer Brandon Tsai who was killed in a crash while pursuing a suspect with a fraudulent paper tag.

House Bill 718, which would eliminate paper tags, was authored by State Rep. Craig Goldman from Forth Worth. The bill is now expected to head to the House floor in the next several weeks. State Sen. Royce West from Dallas has introduced an identical bill in the Senate.

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PREVIOUS REPORTS

• March 27, 2023- Texas DMV’s New Paper Tag Design Easily Counterfeited, Police Say
• Nov. 17, 2022 – Texas DMV Redesigns Paper License Tags to Include New Security Features
• Nov. 15, 2022 – Police Searching for Paper Tagged ‘Ghost Car’ in Deadly Grand Prairie Chase
• June 1, 2022 – Police Make Bogus Tag Bust Tied to Social Media Ads
• May 18, 2022 – TxDMV Names New Executive Director Amid Paper Tag Crisis
• May 17, 2022 – Vehicle Used in Dallas Salon Shooting Had Paper Tag
• May 12, 2022 – Ads for Fake Tags Persist, Despite Facebook, TxDMV Efforts
• May 4, 2022 – Texas’ Paper Tag Problem Compounded by Small Dealers Misusing Them
• May 3, 2022 – Dallas Police Shut Down Accused Fake Paper Tag Dealer
• April 26, 2022 – Texas House Set to Hold Paper Tag Hearings
• April 14, 2022 – Texas DMV Cracks Down on Dealers Selling Temporary Paper Tags
• April 13, 2022 – TxDMV Closes Inspection Loophole That Put Unsafe Cars on Roads
• April 12, 2022 – Dallas Police Go Undercover to Fight Illegal Paper Tags
• April 7, 2022 – Police Warn of Fake Paper Tags Used to Cheat Car Buyers
• April 5, 2022 – Texas Senate Will Investigate Illegal Paper Tag Crimes, Smuggling
• March 9, 2022 – Texas Paper Tag Crime Danger Extends Nationwide
• March 5, 2022 – Texas House Will Hold Hearings on Paper Tag Mess
• Feb. 28, 2022 – License to Smuggle: Drug Cartels and Human Smugglers Use Paper Texas Tags to Evade
• Feb. 15, 2022 – Fort Worth Police Announce Special Operation Targeting Paper Tags
• Feb. 14, 2022 — Crash Victim’s Parents Want More Cops to Police Paper Tag Fraud
• Feb. 13, 2022 – More Funding Need to Fight Criminals Using Bogus Paper Tags: Police
• Feb. 10, 2022 – Police Report Drop in Fraudulent Tags But Warn Crooks Are Adapting
• Feb. 9, 2022 – Texas DMV Shuts Down Six More Dealers Suspected of Selling Paper License Tags
• Feb. 7, 2022 – TxDMV Director Resigns Amidst Paper Tag Mess
• Jan. 27, 2022 – TxDMV Takes Emergency Action to Keep Crooks From Selling Paper Tags
• Jan. 21, 2022 – Dallas Police Operation Targets Fraudulent Paper Tags
• Jan. 17, 2022 – Recording Shows Police Warned TxDMV of Paper Tag Security Flaw Years Ago
• Dec. 16, 2021 – DMV Committee Recommends Fingerprinting Some Dealers to Slow Paper Tag Fraud
• Dec. 14, 2021 – Texas House Transportation Chair Vows to Stop Paper Tag Fraud
• Dec. 6, 2021 – Texas DMV Boss Deflects Blame for Paper Tag Debacle
• Nov. 23, 2021 – Illegal Paper Tags Costing Texas Taxpayers and Toll Roads Millions
• Nov. 10, 2021 – Suspected Paper Tag Peddler Shut Down Tuesday, Reopens Wednesday: Investigators
• Nov. 8, 2021 – How Texas Paper Tags Became a $200M Criminal Enterprise: NBC 5 Investigates

Dressed in red and wearing photos of their mothers, Loren Adair-Smith and Shannon Dion prepared to speak Tuesday at the Texas State Capitol in support of legislation related to senior living communities.

Smith and Dion are among some of the family members of Chemirmir’s victims who started Securing Our Seniors’ Safety, an advocacy group pushing for legislation they believe could have saved their mothers and will save lives in the future. Both women now serve on the group’s board of directors.

The legislation they’re supporting includes requiring background checks for employees and contractors at senior living communities, along with ID badges for visitors, and requiring facilities to report crimes on the property to residents and police.

“Just like a neighborhood crime watch, when you hear of something going on you talk about it, you don’t just ignore it,” said Dion. “They allude that everyone is safe and they’re not.”

Prosecutors said Chemirmir targeted senior living communities, stalking his victims to kill them and steal their jewelry. However, because reports of Chemirmir trespassing on the property and reports of stolen jewelry were never shared with police, the deaths of the women were ruled “natural causes” and the murders went unnoticed.

“It has haunted us that if we had known that prior to my mom’s murder that there had been another murder in the facility perhaps 23 more lives might have been spared,” Smith said.

They hope their efforts will better protect seniors and save other families from heartache.

“We could not bear to wake up one morning and hear on the news of a similar story and that we had not done anything to try and prevent it,” said Smith.

Dallas County prosecutor Glen Fitzmartin, who tried the cases against Chemirmir, voiced support for the legislation to lawmakers Tuesday.

“[Chemirmir] was able to walk into these facilities unmolested,” said Fitzmartin. “He stayed on the facility for hours at a time, just wandering the halls picking out his next victim.”

Chemirmir is currently serving two life sentences in state prison after Dallas County jurors convicted him of capital murder last year. It wasn’t until a woman survived an attack on her life and Chemirmir was arrested that dozens of cases of “unattended deaths” were re-examined.

Chemirmir has been indicted on 22 capital murder charges but has been linked to other deaths, one of whom was a man, through medical examiner reports and civil case filings.

A house bill filed by State Rep. Julie Johnson also calls for changes in how victims can pursue civil action against senior living communities. The families have been involved in ongoing litigation against the facilities.

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An amendment from State Rep. Abel Herrero (D-Robstown, District 34) would prohibit funding for non-public schools across the state.

“The amendment would prohibit public funds going to private schools basically,” said Rep. Charlie Geren, (R-Fort Worth, District 99), adding later, “ I am very pro-public education.”

Geren has signed onto the amendment, which said money appropriated may not be used to pay for or support a school voucher, including an education savings account, tax credit scholarship program, or a grant or other similar program through which a child may use state money for non-public primary or secondary education.

Geren believes this will get more than 100 votes in the Texas House, adding it has in the past. He thinks it will get added to the House budget bill.

School choice is a top priority of the two leading Republicans, Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

“All of Texas students will be doing better with a robust school choice program,” said Abbott at a school choice rally in March.

A school choice bill, which creates education savings accounts, was passed by the Senate Education Committee.  The bill gives families taxpayer money to pay for private schooling through an education savings account, or ESA.

“We are all fully intentioned to lift up public schools with the funding they need, and also provide educational opportunities to those that need it most, and those can reconcile,” said Rep. Brandon Creighton, (R-Conroe, District 4). Creighton is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Education.

“There are a lot of promises being made this time, and there is a lot of funding to offset what vouchers may do, but there is a budget every two years. At some point it will affect public school funding,” said Geren.

Even if the amendment is added to the House Budget, the House and Senate must agree on a final version.

“The CROWN act stands for creating a respectful and open world for our natural hair, and it is a national movement with passage already in 20 states,” said State Rep. Rhetta Andrews Bowers, D-Garland, who authored the bill.

The bill protects men and women from hair discrimination based on hair texture and a protected hairstyle commonly associated with race. Protected hairstyles in the bill include braids, locks and twists.

“I am often reminded of a time in 2008 where I was actually forced to cut out my braids in school because of the school dress code policy. That stated that braids and extensions were distracting and extreme hairstyles,” said witness Angel Carroll, director of advocacy for MEASURE, an Austin-based research nonprofit.

“Kids who face hair discrimination are subject to removal from an educational setting such as suspensions, or they are denied opportunities to participate in extra-curricular or ceremonial activities, like graduation,” said Sharon Watkins Jones, chief equity officer of Children at Risk.

No witnesses spoke out against the bill. During the last session, the bill passed the committee unanimously but did not make it to the full House floor before time ran out. Rep. Bowers remains hopeful it will be different this time around.

Online: Read HB 567 here.

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“Hundreds of thousands of Texans right now who are placing sports bets illegally, criminally right now, should be allowed to come out of the shadows,” said State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, who authored a bill that would legalize and regulate online sports betting.

He spoke before the State Affairs Committee on Wednesday morning to talk about HB 1942 , a proposed bill to regulate sports wagering, and HJR 102, a proposal for a constitutional amendment to legalize sports betting in the state.

“The people of Texas deserve a right to vote on this,” said Leach who wants to see the subject on the ballot in November.

“We have an obligation and an opportunity right now to put a regulatory framework in place,” said Leach about regulating sports wagering.

The proposed bill would require operators to get a license at the cost of $500,000. Sports franchises would be able to apply and operate online sports bets.

“The Dallas Cowboys organization would love to give our fans an opportunity to engage with our game in a new way by providing fans a safe and responsible way to place wagers,” said Jason Cohen, a legal counsel for the Dallas Cowboys, at the committee hearing.

The bill is getting some major support from the Texas Sports Betting Alliance, which is made up of professional sports teams from across the state like the Dallas Cowboys, The Dallas Mavericks, the Texas, Rangers, Houston Astros, Houston Texans, FC Dallas, the Dallas Stars, the Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs and others.

Online sports betting platforms like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Barstool also support the Texas Sports Betting Alliance.

Not everyone is on board with the bills and those against gambling spoke to the committee as well.

“Gambling in any form is addictive and harmful to families and disproportionately affects those who cannot afford to lose anything,” said Jonathan Covey, policy director for Texas Values

Those from the grassroots organization, Texas Against Gambling, also opposed the bills.

No action was taken on Wednesday. In order for the bill to move to the floor, it has to make it out of committee.

The rally came one day before Senate Bill 8 is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Education Committee. If passed, the bill would give families taxpayer money to pay for private schooling through an education savings account, or ESA.

“The solution to all of this is to empower parents to choose the school that is right for them, and that is what we will pass this legislative session,” Abbott told the crowd. Attendees were bussed in from other cities across the state, KXAN-TV reported.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, authored several of the bills that will be heard by the Senate Education Committee Tuesday.

“This allows for the parents to make a choice and take their children to a place that they think they can get a better education,” said Bettencourt.  

Bettencourt says average families would get about $8,000 per student and schools wouldn’t be hurt by this.

State Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, says there are many well-intentioned people behind the idea, but said the evidence isn’t there to show the plan works.

“Our whole attitude towards public schools is undermined by a voucher system. Are we saying we can’t do it? Our public schools just can’t do it. We throw our hands up. We are going to privatize the whole system. I don’t believe that is the right answer,” said Johnson.

State Board of Education member Aicha Davis, D-District 13, will be testifying against the bills.

“I think the bills are so heavy with parental choice information, that they infringe on the success and what schools can actually do to provide services for students,” said Davis.

Whatever comes out of the Senate hearings will also have to be passed by the Texas House.

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The bill, which Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick considered a top priority in this year’s legislative session, would change the current state law, passed in 2021, which made illegal voting a Class A misdemeanor.

The 19-12 vote Monday was split between party lines with 19 Republicans voting for the measure and all 12 Democrats voting nay. The bill now moves on to the Texas House for consideration.

Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas Chapter of the NAACP, expressed opposition to the bill at a committee hearing last month.

“I think it is really an abomination,” said Bledsoe, who said it could turn minor mistakes into serious felonies. “It will have a chilling effect on African-Americans and Latinos who understand that they are likely to become the next Hervis Rogers or the next Crystal Mason.”

Crystal Mason was a Fort Worth woman sentenced to five years in jail after she filled out a provisional ballot while under supervised release. Mason later said she did not know she was not eligible to vote at the time.

In May, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ordered a lower court to review whether there was sufficient evidence to convict Mason. The court’s majority determined that Texas election law requires that individuals know they are ineligible to vote to be convicted of illegal voting.

TEXAS LEGISLATURE

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Patrick issued a statement Tuesday in support of the Senate’s passage.

“Maintaining the integrity of Texas’ elections has been a top priority of mine since I was elected to the Texas Senate and throughout my tenure as Lt. Governor,” Patrick said. “For years, I have been explicit in saying that I want to make it easier for Texans to vote and harder to cheat. Voters demand secure elections.”

The bill now moves on to the Texas House. If it passes there it’ll go into effect on Sept. 1 after being signed by Gov. Greg Abbott who tweeted his support of the bill on Monday night.

“Texas Senate gives first OK to make illegal voting a felony again. You cheat. You go to jail,” the governor tweeted.

“The good news is both the house and the senate right now are focused on how to return that money best back to the general public,” said Dale Craymer, Texas Taxpayers and Research Association.

The plans are different. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was with some senators as they unveiled their bills.

SENATE BILL 3:

Relating to an increase in the amount of the exemption of residence homesteads from ad valorem taxation by a school district, an adjustment in the amount of the limitation on school district ad valorem taxes imposed on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect increases in the exemption amount and the protection of school districts against the resulting loss in local revenue.

“All 31 senators have signed on to a homestead exemption increase,” said Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston.

Dale Craymer, the President of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, went through the numbers. He said the plan also calls for an 18% cut in the school tax rate.

SENATE BILL 4:

Relating to the maximum compressed tax rate of a school district.

The senate estimates saving for a property with a $70,000 homestead exemption would be $756 in the first year, and  $798  in the second.

For a property with a $100,000 exemption, the estimate is $1033 in the first year, and $1062 the second.

There are also exemptions in the Senate legislation from small business personal property and an inventory tax credit.

SENATE BILL 5:

Relating to an exemption from ad valorem taxation of a portion of the appraised value of tangible personal property a person owns that is held or used for the production of income and a franchise tax credit for the payment of certain related ad valorem taxes.

The Texas House Bill is from Sen. Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas. It lowers school district property taxes by 28%, and it reduces the limit on annual appraisal increases to 5%. Their estimate is it saves homeowners $460 in 2024 and $590 in 2025.

HOUSE BILL 2:

Relating to providing property tax relief through the public school finance system and property tax appraisal and administration.

“Skyrocketing property taxes have become unaffordable for too many residents in this state, and I thank Representative Meyer for filing legislation that would bring real relief to Texas taxpayers by making much-needed improvements to the state’s appraisal system,” said House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, in a statement.

“What you are seeing right now is the house and the senate are kind of battling over who can produce a bigger amount of tax relief, and the bottom line is there is the only winner in that game and that is going to be the taxpayers,” said Craymer

Lawmakers have until May 29, when the session ends, to work out a plan

It’s part of Public Education Advocacy Day at the Texas capitol, as the legislative session continues.

“It is absolutely exhilarating to be here,” said Rena Honea, president of Alliance AFT, one of the largest unions that represents Dallas ISD employees. “We were not able to come two years ago during the legislative session because of COVID. So this is the first time in four years that we’ve been able to get back together.”

The teachers are spending their first day of spring break joining hundreds of other educators who have gathered in Austin for the occasion, which is organized by the larger Texas American Federation of Teachers.

The North Texas group left early Monday morning by bus to begin a busy day of meetings with lawmakers, panel discussions and other events.

It’s all in an effort to stop the mass exodus of teachers, as the state’s teacher shortage reaches new levels. According to Texas AFT, up to 70% of Texas teachers say they’re thinking of leaving education.

“I think [this rally] is a way for it to get started and quite frankly, we have fabulous educators. But so many of them have chosen to leave the profession because of these conditions that they’re having to work in,” said Honea. “What we’re asking is for respect in the paycheck.”

The union’s demands to lawmakers are specific:

• Minimum 10k raise for teachers
• Minimum 15 percent raise for support staff
• Close class size loopholes
• Create a defined work year
• More resources so teachers aren’t spending their own money on classroom supplies

Some of these demands are even emblazoned on shirts teachers are wearing at the capitol and are listed in detail online as the union’s Campaign of Respect.

DISD bilingual teacher Tania Hernandez is attending her first-ever rally after years of uncertainty working through the pandemic.

“I think the pandemic put me in a situation as an educator that it was either going to make me or break me – and it made me,” she said.  “I love being here with my union siblings, showing our union muscle and showing how we stand up for our communities and educational workers all over the state.”

Bilingual teachers are especially needed in Texas as the Latino population grows and dual language programs in districts grow. Some districts like Dallas ISD and Fort Worth ISD are even offering incentives for new bilingual teachers.

Hernandez said she is especially keen on seeing better control of class sizes, which has been hard to balance during the teacher shortage.

“I have had class sizes of 29 students in kindergarteners and I can tell you how that can get. But it really affects how children learn how to read,” she said. “Kindergarten is very critical in getting children started starting to read, especially bilingual kids. And you don’t Want to start off behind. Usually, in those class sizes, who gets more affected are those students that are struggling. It’s almost impossible because the day has 24 hours and you cannot make more time to dedicate to these students when they really, really need it.”

The union is supporting several bills that were filed by last Friday’s deadline, including one that increases funding for public schools and another that would boost teacher pay by $15,000 across the state. It would be the largest teacher pay raise in Texas history and

That bill would also include a 25% bump for support staff in schools working in key positions like school nurses, cafeteria workers, counselors, and bus drivers. The average pay for such positions is just over $29,000.

That could be a game changer for smaller districts, which haven’t been able to match the pay and budgets of larger ones. While starting salary for teachers in districts like Dallas and Fort Worth is $60,000, rural districts with less funding can’t come close to higher salaries without help from the state.

“That’s one of the things that our state needs to be responsible for and make it livable,” said Honea. “There is a district about 30 to 40 miles outside of Dallas – I learned today their teachers make $30,000 a year. And that is just unbelievable to me in 2023.”

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, Texas teacher salaries average around $58,000 and currently rank in the bottom 10 states across the country. If some of the newly filed legislation passes this session, Texas could move into the top 10 states for teacher pay.

“These people need a paycheck increase, especially our retirees who have not had any kind of increase since 2004,” said Honea. ‘Inflation has gone up, everything has gone up but their paychecks have remained the same…it’s not nearly enough to cover the expenses for living as we get older for doctor’s visits medications, housing, and food. All of that is so vitally important.”

Much of what teachers are demanding in Austin right now aligns with recommendations in a recent report by the state’s Teacher Vacancy Task Force created by Gov. Greg Abbott. In addition to better pay, the task force is also recommending lower health care costs and improved working conditions and training for teachers.

Meantime, the union is fighting back against a school voucher bill championed by Gov. Greg Abbott this session, which would allow parents to opt out of their local district and use tax dollars to pay for private schooling.

“There is nothing right about that, in my opinion, when our public schools in Texas get 30-40% of the funding,” said Honea. “We have got to stop funding dual educational systems and take care of our public schools that take every student and are not selective in their process.”

Teachers have been meeting one on one with legislators throughout the day in Austin on Monday before those bills are voted on in the coming weeks. The meetings were followed by a rally outside.

“We have got to speak out for those kids, those educators and help these legislators understand,” said Honea. “You have got to meet your responsibility in funding public education.”

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Texas state Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-North Richland Hills, said the bill will bring together different sources of data together.

“Right now, you’ve got local folks doing it. You’ve got state law enforcement, and you’ve got federal law enforcement,” Rep. Klick said. “We need it all in one place. But we also need to bring in the healthcare entities as well. They’re the ones seeing the people in the emergency rooms.”

Klick, chairwoman of the Texas House Committee on Public Health, hosted a town hall Friday night in North Richland Hills on the dangers fentanyl poses to students. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is known to be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. It is often lethal with as little as two milligrams.

“I think the number of deaths last year doubling is a wake-up call that we need to do more,” Klick said.

Illegally manufactured fentanyl is often added to other substances like counterfeit pills, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. As a result, many people may not know they’re ingesting fentanyl, leading to accidental poisoning.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), 883 people in Texas died from fentanyl-related overdoses in 2020. Since 2020, Texas has experienced a 120% increase in fentanyl-related deaths, according to provisional data from DSHS. 

In February, district families learned three Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD students died and six more were hospitalized after taking Percocet and OxyContin pills laced with lethal doses of fentanyl.

At the town hall Friday night, North Richland Hills police chief Jimmy Purdue said fentanyl has not been identified in the school district so far this year.

However, Perdue said the synthetic drug is regularly encountered by officers in the community.

“Fentanyl is being placed in all sorts of drugs. Cartels, the different groups are saturating our public with fentanyl,” Perdue said.

Dionel Waters with IDEA Public Schools said the issue of fentanyl has not affected their Tarrant County schools yet.

“And I want to emphasize that word ‘yet’,” Waters said Friday.

Waters and other leaders urged parents who attended Friday to have open and honest conversations with their children about the dangers of fentanyl.

Rep. Matt Shaheen, (R-Plano)  wants this weekend to be the last time you change your clocks.

“This Sunday, you would set your clock back forward and you just keep it that way,” said Rep. Matt Shaheen (R-Plano), who filed a bill to make daylight saving time permanent.

“The reasons that we switch our clocks back and forth are pretty antiquated. It is back to when we were mostly an agrarian economy. And citizens have told me they really don’t like changing their clocks, they would rather just keep daylight saving because you have an extra hour in the evening of daylight,” said Shaheen.

There have been bills in past sessions regarding time changes. Shaheen says he believes bills may have a better chance this time because he is hearing about this more often from constituents.

His bill would also put the whole state on the same clock. Right now, El Paso and some other areas are on Mountain time.

Austin Democratic Rep. Vikki Goodwin is one of the House members sponsoring a resolution on the time change.

“I have had a lot of constituents ask for it,” said Goodwin.

Her resolutions would let voters make a time-change decision. The resolution allows voters to choose whether they want standard or daylight saving time year-round.

“I think it should be up to voters to decide. People have very strong opinions about whether they want to have standard time year-round versus daylight saving time year-round,” Goodwin said. “So, I think it should be up to voters to make that decision.”

The same resolution has been filed on the senate side by Sen Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo).

There is a national push, too. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) has reintroduced legislation to make daylight saving time permanent. It got through the Senate last year but didn’t make it through the House before the session ended.

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Senator Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) and Representative Giovanni Capriglione (R-Keller) filed SB 1541 and HB 3395, aimed at shielding Texas merchants from costly swipe fees when they are required to collect taxes on behalf of state and local governments.

According to the Texas Restaurant Association — which is supporting the measure — the swipe fee fairness legislation will save Texas businesses over $587 million a year without creating any new costs for the government or Texas consumers.

“We are incredibly grateful to Sen. Parker and Rep. Capriglione for filing swipe fee fairness legislation in Texas,” said Emily Williams Knight, Ed.D., President & CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association. “Swipe fees have become one of restaurants’ highest costs—behind only food and labor—requiring even small, family run restaurants to spend thousands of dollars a year to collect taxes that they must turnover to our government. Restaurants play a critical role in our economy and in our communities; we shouldn’t expect these main street businesses to pay costly fees to collect our government’s taxes.”

Like legislation filed in other states, Texas’ swipe fee fairness bill prevents banks and card companies like VISA and Mastercard from charging merchants a swipe fee when they collect sales, alcohol, hotel occupancy, and other consumption taxes on behalf of the government.

“It’s essentially when businesses are collecting tax revenue, not for themselves, but for the government, they shouldn’t have to pay a third party a fee in order to do that,” said Kelsey Erickson Streufert, Chief Public Affairs Officer of the Texas Restaurant Association. “And especially with inflation, the cost of these swipe fees has really skyrocketed in recent years for restaurants. It’s usually the third highest cost restaurants face after food and labor.”

Currently, merchants like restaurants, hotels, and retailers pay card processors a fee ranging from 2-5% on every transaction, including any taxes they are required to collect and send to the government. The TRA said businesses have very little control over these costs because they are required by law to collect taxes.

Those fees have also increased since the pandemic, as more people use credit cards and move away from physical cash. Data shows nearly 67% of payments are made with a credit or debit card.

“Our mom-and-pop shops operate on thin margins where every penny counts,” said Annie Spilman, Texas State Director for NFIB. “Unfortunately, as swipe fees have more than doubled since 2012, those margins have only continued to shrink. Skyrocketing inflation acts as a multiplier, since swipe fees are a percentage of each sale. Our members are grateful to Sen. Parker and Rep. Capriglione for introducing this legislation to ensure our small business owners can continue to keep their doors open and meet their customers’ needs.”

A number of advocacy groups are supporting the legislation. It would apply to all businesses in Texas, large or small, no matter the industry.

If it passes, the bills would take effect this September. The current legislative session ends on May 29.

“Retailers are proud to help power the Texas economic engine that relies in large part on our state’s business-friendly environment,” added John McCord, Executive Director of the Texas Retailers Association. “The legislation proposed by Sen. Parker and Rep. Capriglione will help fight inflation, keep consumer costs down, and spur economic growth.”

In a statement, Phelan said the latest additions to the list of legislative priorities expand “the state’s framework for broadband development, dedicating dollars toward improving water infrastructure and cutting burdensome red tape around property development projects.”

Phelan, who is in his second session leading the Texas House, announced three bills he said will continue to support the state’s rapidly-increasing demand for internet, water and housing.

The bills are detailed below.

• House Bill 9 by Rep. Trent Ashby
  HB9 by Representative Ashby would create the Texas Broadband Infrastructure Fund to administer the state’s broadband development program, foster community outreach for expansion and affordability efforts and ensure the universal service program is fully funded, among other things. Under House Bill 9, the Texas Legislature would have guidance over the appropriations of the fund and maintain flexibility to address rapidly-evolving technology and consumer needs. Representative Ashby has also filed House Joint Resolution 125, which would put House Bill 9 on the Texas ballot if passed by the Legislature, leaving it up to voters to decide whether it is adopted as state law.
• House Bill 10 by Rep. Tracy King
  HB10 by Representative King would dedicate billions of dollars toward water development projects in Texas, improving the state’s water infrastructure and security amid rising demand. Under the legislation, which would create the Texas Water Fund, applicants of existing programs administered by the Texas Water Development Board could receive assistance in financing new water sources for the state, including projects to acquire water from other states and develop infrastructure to transport water. House Bill 10 would also create a technical assistance program for water loss audits and require the Texas Water Development Board to report updates to the Legislature every 5 years. Representative King has also filed House Joint Resolution 130, which would put House Bill 10 on the Texas ballot if passed by the Legislature, leaving it up to voters to decide whether it is adopted as state law.
• House Bill 14 by Rep. Cody Harris
  HB14 by Representative Harris would streamline the approval process for property development and building reviews, requiring cities and counties that fail to complete such projects in a timely manner to utilize third-party reviewers.

“The Texas Legislature must continue to support our state’s rapidly-increasing demand for internet, water and housing, and I appreciate Representatives Ashby, King and Harris for filing legislation that would lay the necessary foundations to continue fostering those efforts,” Phelan said. “Members of the Texas House will discuss this legislation and more in the coming weeks, and I look forward to our chamber passing these proposals during the 88th Legislature.”

Phelan’s office said additional legislative priorities of the Texas House will be announced in the coming days. Last week the Texas Speaker announced three bills he said will help the state remain competitive on a global scale in courting new businesses and creating new jobs.

The 140-day 88th session convened on Jan. 10 and runs through May 29.

TEXAS LEGISLATURE

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House Bill 2 by Dallas Republican Rep. Morgan Meyer also would slash rates on schools’ main property levy, delivering a $461 tax break next year for the owner of a $350,000 home – and $590 in fiscal 2025, Phelan said.

The House “is going to focus on property tax relief in a new way, the likes of which we haven’t seen in many, many decades,” he said at a policy summit sponsored by the conservative think tank the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Under an amendment to the Texas Constitution voters approved in 1997, the appraisal for a home declared as a homestead may not increase more than 10% a year. Phelan said spiraling real estate values make notices of new appraisals traumatic.

“You get your appraisal, you hold your breath and open it. It’s like getting a letter from the IRS. This is not good news,” he said.

Click here to read more from our partners at The Dallas Morning News on the House’s plan.

Texas Senate Bill 2 would change state law, again making voting illegally a felony in Texas.

“We just want to make sure the laws do their job and deter crime, and hold people accountable when they do break the law,” said Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, who authored the bill.

In 2021, the Texas Legislature made illegal voting a misdemeanor, and Hughes says he wants to restore the penalty to what it had been.

At a committee hearing Monday, witnesses spoke both for and against the bill. Opponents say it goes too far. Gary Bledsoe, President of the Texas Chapter of the NAACP, is opposed.

“I think it is really an abomination,” said Bledsoe, who says it could turn minor mistakes into serious felonies. “It will have a chilling effect on African Americans and Latinos who understand that they are likely to become the next Hervis Rogers or the next Crystal Mason.”

North Texan Crystal Mason was sentenced to five years in jail after voting illegally. She filled out a provisional ballot while under supervised release at the time. She said she did not know she was not eligible to vote.

Hughes says the bill is not racially motivated. “This bill applies across the board to everyone,” said Hughes.

By a 7 to 3 vote, the committee voted for the bill advancing it for a full vote on the Senate floor. The Texas House must approve identical legislation.

In a statement, Phelan said the latest additions to the list of legislative priorities “are aimed at defending the state’s economic growth over the past two years and creating an opportunity for even more development as population continues to expand at a rapid pace.”

Phelan, who is in his second session leading the Texas House, announced three bills he said will help the state remain competitive on a global scale in courting new businesses and creating new jobs.

“We have a good thing going here in Texas, and I thank Representatives Hunter, VanDeaver and Murr for authoring measures that seek to continue that trend line in our state,” Phelan said in a statement.

The bills are detailed below.

• House Bill 5 by State Rep. Todd Hunter
  HB 5, also known as the Texas Jobs & Security Act, would provide Texas with a critical economic development tool to create additional jobs, investments and tax revenue, keeping the state competitive in drawing businesses to relocate or expand here. Under House Bill 5, the incentives would be targeted and temporary in attracting large-scale, capital-intensive projects related to the manufacturing, national security and energy infrastructure industries. Texas taxpayers would also have transparency into how those state incentive dollars are used, the number of jobs created and the full economic impact of such projects on communities.
• House Bill 8 by State Rep. Gary VanDeaver
  HB 8 would establish a new funding model for community colleges in Texas that recognizes and rewards such institutions for the important role they play with associate degrees, non-credit workforce education programs and other credentials of value that will be required in more than 60% of jobs in the state over the next decade. House Bill 8 would also create a new scholarship program, increasing the opportunity for economically disadvantaged high school students to enroll in dual credit courses, and expand access to higher education opportunities across the state by creating new shared services for institutions through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, enabling colleges to expand their range of offered academic and workforce programs.
• House Bill 19 by State Rep. Andrew Murr
  HB 19 would create a business court system in Texas, strengthening the state’s already strong pro-business reputation that has driven economic and job growth to the state. A specialized court system for complex business cases in the state would establish a new avenue for those companies to solve their legal matters in a fair, streamlined and consistent manner.

“With so much job growth happening in our state, it’s also important that we have the necessary avenues that foster workforce development to keep up with demand,” Phelan said in a statement. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Texas House on discussing these three legislative proposals in the coming weeks and passing them out of our chamber.”

Phelan’s office said additional legislative priorities of the Texas House will be announced in the coming days.

The 140-day 88th session convened on Jan. 10 and runs through May 29.

TEXAS LEGISLATURE

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TEXAS SENATE Feb 13

Texas Senate's Top Priorities Target Property Tax, Higher Ed, Children's Safety

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan formed a new, 13-member Select Committee on Community Safety. The committee will have jurisdiction over all proposals for community safety relating to the possession, use, sale and transfer of firearms and ammunition, and associated criminal offenses and penalties. 

“The Texas House intends to do everything in our power to keep children and classrooms in our state safe,” said Phelan. “While there are many factors related to this wide-ranging issue that our chamber will discuss during the legislative session, such as mental health, social media and school safety, a necessary component to this conversation will be related to firearm safety.”  

This committee is less than a year after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where 19 students and two adults were killed by an 18-year-old gunman.

“I don’t see how we move forward without addressing it to make sure that Texans know we are serious in the legislature about their safety, with the loss of those 21 lives,” said State Rep. Rhetta Andrews Bowers, D-Garland, who is on the committee.

“I think it is important that we have a sincere, respectful, serious, conversation about these issues that have happened over the last 5 years,” said State Rep. Justin Holland, R-Heath. 

House lawmakers who represent Uvalde and El Paso, where 21 people were killed at a Walmart, and Odessa, where seven people died in a shooting rampage, are also on the committee.

Bowers is hoping red flag laws and bringing the purchase age to 21 are on the table. 

“It is one thing to be a law-and-order state, yes. I get that. But, we really should be about protecting the citizens of the state of Texas,” said Bowers.  

Holland pointed to penalties in the conversation. 

“We want to make sure that your constitutional Second Amendment rights are not infringed upon, but at the same time, we can do things that are commonsense. 

“The Senate Bill 23 that has been proposed increases penalties for gun offenders,” said Holland. 

The 13-member committee is made up of seven Republicans and six Democrats and will likely have many proposals come before them.

Property tax cuts have been the main discussion so far. A sales tax reduction could touch everyone who spends money in Texas.

Everything sold at De Novo Active Boutique in the Dallas Bishop Arts District has sales tax added on top of the price. Store owner Lawrence Woodson said people are buying fewer items in these days of rising prices, so a sales tax reduction to help them would be great.

“Any little cutback is what we need because people are definitely cutting back, watching their wallet,” Woodson said.

At the grocery store, state sales taxes are not charged on food items, but some edible items like candy or soda pop are taxed, along with hygiene items and paper goods.

Customers at the new Food Basket grocery store on Simpson Stuart Road said they like the sound of a sales tax reduction.

Veralane McArthur said not enough is being done for people who really need help.

“Anything that helps cut down on the cost of food, gas, all the necessities that we all have to use is a bonus,” she said.

Customer Gayla Brackens said she shops around at multiple stores to save as much as possible so a sale tax reduction would help.

“Every little bit helps, you know what I’m saying, whether it’s big or little,” she said.

The proposed 8% sales tax reduction would change the state’s rate of $0.0625 per $100 to $0.0575. Shoppers who spend $1,000 would be taxed $57.50 instead of $62.50, a savings of $5.00. It amounts to much more on bigger items.

Dallas Democratic State Senator Royce West said he wants more than just a property tax cut.

“Sales tax relief is a broader base of relief if you will for citizens in the state of Texas, especially those persons who don’t have homesteads,” West said.

In Dallas, there are more renters than homeowners.

“If I had to choose between property tax and sales tax, at this point in my life I would choose sales tax,” Woodson said.

Lawmakers in Austin are now talking about both and the sales tax reduction has bi-partisan support.

In addition to West, Republican State Senator Bob Hall from Edgewood is also backing the sales tax rate cut.

During his 30-minute biennial address, the third-term Republican governor focused on the economy, education and public safety with seven emergency items that lawmakers can immediately vote on.

Abbott offered no hints about whether he might run for president in a rare primetime address Thursday night but used it to make a case that hard-line immigration measures, tougher criminal penalties and a humming economy are a model for the rest of the U.S.

“We will ensure Texas remains the leader of this nation as an unflinching force in this world,” Abbott said during his biennial State of the State, which was broadcast across Texas.

The speech drew applause from inside a Texas factory that Abbott chose as the backdrop to lay out his third term agenda, but some audiences elsewhere were not as enthusiastic.

He made no mention of last year’s Uvalde school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers during the half-hour address — which was immediately followed on Texas airwaves by parents of slain Robb Elementary students criticizing him for not supporting tougher gun laws.

Although Abbott used the speech to name school safety a priority for Texas lawmakers to tackle over the next three months, he did not lay out any specific proposals and reiterated a general opposition to new restrictions on firearms.

The speech came a day after gunfire at an El Paso mall left one person dead and three others injured, a shooting that took place across a large parking lot from the Walmart where 23 people were killed in a racist attack in 2019.

“Some want more gun laws,” Abbott said. “But too many local officials won’t even enforce the gun laws that are already on the books.”

For most governors, the State of the State rarely strays from pomp and tradition, serving as part highlight reel of past achievements and part unveiling of new priorities. Most are delivered in state capitols to an audience of newly elected legislators — as formerly was the case in Texas.

But Abbott has not only reimagined them as made-for-TV, but taken the show on the road. His speech Thursday was broadcast from a manufacturing plant in San Marcos, along the booming corridor between Austin and San Antonio that has become a sprawling symbol of Texas’ turbocharged growth the last two decades.

Reporters were not granted access to the speech. Nearby, immigrant rights advocates organized a small protest over Abbott’s hard-line measures on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Texas Democrats, who two years ago staged a dramatic 38-day walkout in the state House to temporarily stall a GOP package of new voting restrictions, remain heavily outnumbered in the state Capitol and have little ability to block Abbott’s agenda.

They used their 10 minutes of airtime after Abbott’s speech to broadcast recorded messages from several Uvalde parents who have been persistent critics of the governor since the shooting last May.

“I guess I am not surprised now after I heard the governor talking about his priorities, especially when it comes to vouchers, this is just something that is a non-starter with House Democrats,” said Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair.

“We’re once again begging Gov. Abbott, please, listen to these voices,” said Democratic state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, whose district includes Uvalde. “It’s too late for these families. But maybe, if you show some political courage, you can save the next family from having to endure this kind of heartache.”

Abbott is starting a record-setting third term in which his grip on Texas has seldom appeared tighter. He called on lawmakers to deliver another $4 billion in border security spending, mandatory 10-year sentences for migrant trafficking convictions and an end to all pandemic-era restrictions in Texas.

Abbott, 65, has mostly deflected questions about whether he will run for president like his two predecessors in Texas — former governors Rick Perry and George W. Bush — but he hasn’t ruled it out.

Dave Carney, Abbott’s chief political strategist, said the governor will survey the field of Republican presidential contenders once the Texas Legislature adjourns in May. Abbott will then decide if the race would benefit from his experience in Texas, said Carney, who was also a strategist to Perry’s presidential campaign in 2012.

Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador, launched a run for president this week to become the first major GOP challenger to former President Donald Trump.

“If he doesn’t think that there’s a need for his running, he won’t,” Carney said of Abbott. “He’s not this blindly ambitious guy who has to run for the very next thing all the time.”

Last week Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released his list of the Top 30 legislative priorities for the Texas Senate, a list that targeted property tax reform, higher education and children’s safety, among the priorities.

Abbott made headlines in recent days after his office told state agencies and public universities to stop considering diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the hiring process because they were illegal. He also told a crowd in Dallas that he wants to see legislation passed that would ban transgender athletes from competing in college sports in Texas.

Patrick’s list of top bills includes the aforementioned state budget (SB1) but also includes popular efforts to reduce the property tax burden on Texas landowners (SB4) while also using the state budget surplus to fund a raise for teachers (SB9) and give retirees a 13th check (SB10).

The list also includes potentially controversial legislative efforts around the teaching of critical race theory in college (SB16), banning DEI hiring policies in higher education (SB17) and ending tenure at public universities (SB18). The Texas Senate also wants to add provisions that would allow elected district attorneys (SB20) and judges (SB21) who do not follow state laws to be removed from office.

The lieutenant governor’s list of priorities also includes bills that would block gender modification surgeries in children (SB14), ban children from attending drag shows (SB12) and protect children from “obscene books” in libraries (SB13).

Only the first bill has been filed, SB1, so details regarding the specifics of the other 29 bills will not be known until they are filed by lawmakers.

“I believe Texans support our priorities because they largely reflect the policies supported by the conservative majority of Texans. Most will pass with bipartisan support,” Patrick said in a statement.

The lieutenant governor typically holds back the first 30 bill numbers for his legislative priorities but said there were so many issues to tackle during this session he could have expanded it to 50.

“Just because a bill does not make the priority list does not mean it is not a priority for me or the Senate. We will pass over 600 bills this session. As I like to say, every bill is a priority to someone, otherwise, we would not pass it,” Patrick said.

LT. GOV. PATRICK’S PRIORITY BILLS

As of Feb. 13, only SB 1 has been filed. The other bills will be listed here once filed by a lawmaker.

Senate Bill 1 – State Budget
Senate Bill 2 – Restoring Voter Fraud to a Felony
Senate Bill 3 – Increasing the Homestead Exemption to $70,000
Senate Bill 4 – Adding Additional Property Tax Relief
Senate Bill 5 – Increasing the Business Personal Property Tax Exemption
Senate Bill 6 – Adding New Natural Gas Plants
Senate Bill 7 – Continuing to Improve the Texas Grid
Senate Bill 8 – Empowering Parental Rights – Including School Choice
Senate Bill 9 – Empowering Teacher Rights ¬¬– Teacher Pay Raise
Senate Bill 10 – Adding 13th Checks for Retired Teachers
Senate Bill 11 – Keeping Our Schools Safe and Secure
Senate Bill 12 – Banning Children’s Exposure to Drag Shows
Senate Bill 13 – Protecting Children from Obscene Books in Libraries
Senate Bill 14 – Ending Child Gender Modification
Senate Bill 15 – Protecting Women’s College Sports
Senate Bill 16 – Banning Critical Race Theory (CRT) in Higher Education
Senate Bill 17 – Banning Discriminatory “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” (DEI) Policies in Higher Education
Senate Bill 18 – Eliminating Tenure at General Academic Institutions
Senate Bill 19 – Creating A New Higher Education Endowment Fund
Senate Bill 20 – Removing District Attorneys Who Refuse to Follow Texas Law
Senate Bill 21 – Removing Judges Who Refuse to Follow Texas Law
Senate Bill 22 – Assisting Rural Law Enforcement Funding – Increasing Pay and Needed Equipment
Senate Bill 23 – Creating A Mandatory 10-Year Prison Sentence for Criminals Committing Gun Crime
Senate Bill 24 – Expanding Alternatives to Abortion
Senate Bill 25 – Creating New Scholarships for Registered Nurses
Senate Bill 26 – Expanding Mental Health Care Beds Across Texas – Focus on Rural Counties
Senate Bill 27 – Creating A New Business Specialty Court
Senate Bill 28 – Addressing Texas’ Future Water Needs
Senate Bill 29 – Banning Local COVID-19 Mandates
Senate Bill 30 – Supplemental Budget

The 88th legislative session began on Jan. 10 and will adjourn on May 29.

“Just so blessed. Breaking the glass ceiling and just not really caring about the color, faith, religion or whatnot.  Just really working hard for the people,” said Rep. Bhojani.

Bhojani was sworn in on a historic copy of the Quran that’s more than 200 years old.  Tuesday, Bhojani and Republican State Representative Jacey Jetton will lay out their vision for religious freedom in the state.

“I feel like it’s so important that every Texan deserves freedom of religion and their own beliefs, and I think that is what we are trying to protect,” said Bhojani.

Bhojani has created three bills. House Bill 1882 calls for increasing the number of optional state holidays, to include holy days of more faiths. HB 1883 ensures state-mandated testing and final exams, like the STAAR, don’t take place during certain holidays. HB 1884 would recognize legal marriages in ceremonies performed by all religious leaders.

“A lot of people tell me that since I am the first Muslim, I am going to focus only on my faith. I just want to make sure that this really settles the fact that I want to work on every faith and for every constituent, whether Republican, Democrat or independent, “ said Rep. Bhojani.

Bhojani is hoping to shore up support on the senate side. He tells NBC 5 the next set of bills he’s working on will focus on the economy, health care, and education.

“Teaching is important to me because we get an opportunity to see people grow,” Fort Worth ISD teacher Marcus Brookins said. He is a former Fort Worth ISD teacher of the year and is also the assistant band director at O.D. Wyatt High School.

“Teachers are to me underpaid and under-appreciated,” Brookins said. “At the end of the day when you think about it, from you — where you are — to the man behind the camera, to people that’s just driving by, they’ve all been impacted by teachers.”

Democratic State Rep. James Talarico plans to file a bill that could boost teacher pay by $15,000. UNT political science assistant professor Leslie Finger said it might be a tough sell.  

“Unfortunately, Republicans control the legislature and this is traditionally a more Democratic issue. So, to an extent, I think James Talarico is going to have a lot of work to get Republicans on board but I don’t think it’s impossible.”

“I personally think this is a huge step in the right direction,” said Eddie Conger, the founder and superintendent of International Leadership of Texas, a public charter school.

Conger was in Austin Wednesday advocating for teachers’ rights.

“For us to be competitive, we’ve got to invest funds to make sure we are compensating teachers at least on the salary side to entice them to stay and put up with us administrators,” Congers said.

Administrators and teachers are hoping political differences get set aside for education in Texas.

“Let’s get together and come together on one accord about what we need to do to make it better for our teachers,” Brookins said.

Among those business owners is Tim Green, who owns Fox Scientific in Alvarado. It is a small business of about 25 employees and a large warehouse storing industrial laboratories and equipment — inventory items Green must pay property tax on.

“Texas is a great state to own and operate a small business in, right? But we can’t be complacent that we are just great,” Green said. “Take for example, if we load up on inventory and a customer quits buying it. Guess what? We get to keep paying that tax on it.”

According to the National Federation of Independent Business, Texas is one of nine states that still has an inventory tax. State Sen. Drew Springer, (R-Muenster), is writing a bill to eliminate it.

“I think this is a great way of giving some of those tax dollars back to Texans,” said Springer. “With inflation this year that we are seeing, I think anything we can do to eliminate taxes, let businesses be more competitive, they’ll compete against each other and the consumer really benefits in the end.”

For Green, who took a hit to his business during COVID-19, any relief would be helpful.

“Every little bit helps, yes, absolutely,” said Green.

“With a roughly $33 billion budget surplus, small business owners are eager for the Texas Legislature to pass needed reforms to keep the Lone Star State competitive and open for business,” said National Federation of Independent Business Director Annie Spilman in a statement regarding property tax relief. “From cutting the inventory tax to ensuring regulatory consistency, there is work to be done to shore up Main Street’s recovery, which continues to battle historically high inflation, a worker shortage, and a looming recession. We look forward to working with the Legislature on behalf of small businesses.”

At the Texas Capitol building, Gutierrez introduced two concurrent resolutions and two bills to the Texas Legislature he said would improve access to justice for shooting victims and their families.

Here are the bills put forth by Gutierrez on Tuesday.

• SCR 11 (Senate Concurrent Resolution), Repeal PLCAA, which would urge the U.S. Congress to repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which shields gun manufacturers and distributors from liability related to crimes or violence committed with their products despite reckless and inflammatory advertising.
• SCR 12, Sue the State, would empower any student or teacher injured or killed during the massacre at Robb Elementary to sue the state of Texas and any of its agencies.
• SB 574 (Senate Bill), School Violence Victims’ Compensation Act, would create a permanent compensation fund for the victims of school gun violence and allow additional relief to reach Texas families impacted by school shootings. It establishes a tax imposed on every retail sale of firearms and ammunition sold within the state of Texas.
• SB 575, End Qualified Immunity, would end qualified immunity for peace officers employed by local governments or the state, allowing individuals harmed by the officers’ actions or failure to act, to hold those officers liable for damages and/or the violation of their rights.

Regarding SCR 11, Gutierrez said the U.S. Congress needs to stop protecting gun manufacturers and that laws need to be changed to allow victims to sue gun manufacturers.

“You can sue big tobacco. You can sue big beer. But you can’t sue big guns?” Gutierrez asked. “It’s kind of crazy. We need to allow that to happen.”

Gutierrez said with SB 574 he wants to make it possible for the families to receive compensation from the state if their child is injured or killed in a school shooting.

SB 574 provides $1 million to families if their child is killed in a school shooting. Families who have a child physically injured in a school shooting would receive $250,000 and those families who have a child suffer mental injuries would receive $100,000.

“I think that if your child gets killed in one of our schools that we should compensate you,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez said the compensation plan would be funded by a tax of $.05 per bullet sold in Texas. Gutierrez said a billion bullets are sold in the state every year and that the tax could raise $50,000,000 for the fund.

Gutierrez shared his filings Tuesday alongside family members of Uvalde victims, saying this has to be the session where Texas lawmakers do something about gun safety instead of holding round tables and just talking about it.

“This state agency, the Department of Public Safety that failed these children for 77 mins, for a lack of leadership, under no circumstances should they be allowed to walk away and not compensate people,” Gutierrez said Tuesday. “There’s not an amount of money that’s gonna bring back their children, not one bit, but there should be justice.”

WHAT IS A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION?

According to the Legislative Reference Library of Texas, a Concurrent Resolution is one of three types of resolutions a legislator can introduce and is “a type of legislative measure that requires adoption by both chambers of the legislature and generally requires action by the governor. A concurrent resolution is used to convey the sentiment of the legislature and may offer a commendation, a memorial, a statement of congratulations, a welcome, or a request for action by another governmental entity. Concurrent resolutions are also used to memorialize (petition) the U.S. Congress, express the views of the legislature, designate official state symbols, and adopt official date or place designations. Additionally, concurrent resolutions are used for administrative matters that require the approval of both chambers, such as providing for adjournment or a joint session, but these types of concurrent resolutions do not require action by the governor.”

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They have to figure out what to do with that money. Many are pushing to prioritize education.

This week, State Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin, Dist. 50) plans to file a bill that would do just that and target one of the biggest demands from educators across the state: Raise teacher salaries.

Talarico unveiled the legislation on Tuesday plans alongside teachers associations, public education advocates, and other Texas House Democrats on Tuesday morning to share more details about the bill.

“We’re going to be proposing the biggest teacher pay raise in Texas history. Totally stop the bleeding. And try to recruit the best and brightest into our classrooms so that we can serve the next generation,” he said.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, Texas teacher salaries average around $58,000 and currently rank in the bottom 10 states across the country.

Talarico told NBC 5 that the bill would move Texas into the top 10 states for teacher pay.

“We’re about $7,500 behind the national average. So this bill, if we pass it, if we bring Republicans and Democrats together to make a big move on teacher pay, we could rocket Texas into the top 10 of states in teacher pay. And that’s something our teachers deserve,” he said.

Talarico, a former middle school teacher, said with the state’s current financial position and the $33 billion budget surplus, there’s no excuse for not making a down payment on the future.

“So even doing the biggest pay raise in Texas history will still leave more than half the surplus left to spend on other priorities. This is something we have to do for our kids. And for our teachers and for the next generation,” he said. “When I was an educator, I struggled to make ends meet and now, 40% of teachers have to work a second job just to pay the bills. So it’s no wonder that thousands of teachers are leaving the profession, throwing our state into a historic teacher shortage crisis.”

The bill would also include a 25% bump for support staff in schools working in key positions like school nurses, cafeteria workers, counselors, and bus drivers. The average pay for such positions is just over $29,000.

Many of these needs have been on the wish list of the teachers advocates for a long time – including the Alliance AFT, the union representing employees in Dallas ISD.

“There’s no question where [the budget surplus] needs to go. And that’s in the future investment of our future Texans right here in our public schools,” said Alliance AFT president Rena Honea.         

While starting salary for teachers in districts like Dallas and Fort Worth is $60,000, rural districts with less funding can’t come close to higher salaries without help from the state.

According to the Texas Education Agency, the minimum salary for classroom teachers, full-time librarians, full-time counselors, and full-time registered nurses is currently set to just over $33,000 for starting pay. The paytable shows increases with experience.

The minimum has stayed the same for the last four years, up from $28,000 in 2018.

Honea said these lower amounts are common in more rural districts as opposed to the larger districts, which are each offering highly competitive salaries and bonus incentives for new hires, as well as bonuses for existing employees. She said the paytable needs to be updated to keep up with modern-day changes.

“There are so many variables in our districts today, all of them large and small, that are dependent on the pay that the state sets and the increases that come,” Honea said. “The biggest thing right now is the educational allotment. The raises are incredibly important to stop the mass exodus of our educators all across the state, but the educational funding allotment has not taken place since at least 2004 to 2008 and so the demographics in the state [have changed], the state has grown. But our educational system has not made any adjustments for that at all. And now’s the time to do it.”

Honea said inflation has made it worse for everyone, everywhere. She said some Dallas teachers can’t afford to live in the neighborhoods they teach in.

“That’s the lack of respect for educators and school employees that’s driving them out of our underfunded jobs. So what we are asking is certainly respect in the paychecks,” she said.

Supporters of the pay increases say it can help keep teachers in the profession, as many educators continue to leave in droves across the entire state.

“I think Texas saw an exit of about 43,000 employees and teachers last year alone,” said Honea.

Talarico introduced a similar piece of legislation in 2021 that would have made the minimum salary for teachers $70,000 but it failed. The teachers union hopes the mindset is different this time around.

“So many of our legislators run on the need to improve our schools. Well, they need to put their money where their mouth is. Really take it to heart,” said Honea.

During the press conference on Tuesday, Texas Democrats said negotiations with Republican lawmakers on could result in a different number from the requested $15,000 teacher pay bump as the legislative session continues.

“I’m hoping, as much as possible, we can move the final product closer to $15,000 because, Texas, we don’t do things small, right? We do big things in this state,” said Talarico.

The legislative session runs through May.

“The CROWN Act was the first bill that I knew I was going to refile,” said Bowers.

The bill protects men and women from hair discrimination based on hair texture and a protected hairstyle commonly associated with race. Protected hairstyles in the bill include braids, locks and twists.

“It is for the classroom, the workplace, as well as in housing. Students have been held from graduation, they have been kept from the prom, they have been pulled off of basketball courts,” said Bowers.

Bowers has worked with State Board of Education member Aicha Davis (D-District 13) on raising awareness.

“A lot of school districts are open to listening to this type of conversation,” said Davis, who represents Dallas and Tarrant counties.

Davis said while she has not seen specific instances with students here there have been some throughout the state and she’s hopeful other lawmakers will hear from them.

“This session, education seems to be a priority and that is from both sides of the aisle. So I really hope that they understand the importance of this bill if you really prioritize public education,” added Davis.

Bowers said she has discussed this with House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont, District 21), and he was receptive. The bill made it through a House committee last session, but time ran out before it could get a full vote.

“I do believe we have gained the support that we need across the state.  We are still working on it,” said Davis.

Several states have already passed this legislation, and so has the City of Austin. 

• Online: Read HB 567 here.

For the third legislative session, Democrat State Rep. Jarvis Johnson of Houston filed a bill to abolish it.

“The call now is to get rid of this harmful, hateful holiday,” Johnson told reporters Wednesday in Austin.

Joined by other Democrats including State Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas, who is sponsoring the bill in the Texas Senate, they called on colleagues to end the Texas holiday honoring confederate generals.

“Being dead and fighting for the wrong cause doesn’t make you a hero,” said Johnson. “What makes you a hero is if you see what’s right and you pursue it.”

Recognized every Jan. 19 to coincide with Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s birthday, state offices remain open but employees receive paid time off.

The holiday was passed by the legislature in 1973 and at the same time, statewide efforts to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. failed.

“I’m not surprised, but horrified,” said Dr. Michael Waters, pastor at Dallas’ Abundant Life A.M.E Church. “My hope is that this state legislature will do what is right and finally take away this holiday.”

Waters helped lead efforts to remove confederate monuments in Dallas including a statue of Lee from a city park in 2017.

“It’s not surprising to me that we have a state legislature that’s unwilling to tear down these holidays to confederate heroes and at the same time are willing to push politics to harm decedents of those who were enslaved.”

Previous legislation to abolish the statewide holiday has failed to make it out of committee, though past bills have received some Republican support.

Authors of the bills said it attracts more support each season and they remain hopeful this Jan. 19 will be the last time the holiday is recognized.

“This thing doesn’t belong on our books. It creates divisions,” said Johnson. “If you wouldn’t vote for supporting it now, how can you leave it on the books?”

Providence Village in Denton County came under fire last summer when it all but banned Section 8 renters in its HOA.

The rarely seen practice led a state lawmaker to take action as soon as the new legislative session began.

“I have serious concerns that this is simply a backdoor way to engage in racial discrimination,” said State Representative Chris Turner who represents Tarrant County.

The Providence Village Homeowners’ Association adopted a rental and leasing rules resolution stating “a rent house may not be used for a publicly financed or subsidized housing program, such as Section 8 Housing.”

Turner says he has not heard of any other HOAs with such rules.

“I was surprised to learn about it,” said Turner. “I’ve talked to stakeholder who represent homeowners’ associations, they too have been surprised by it and I do think there will be broad support for hopefully ending this practice.”

If passed, House Bill 1193, would prohibit all HOAs from prohibiting or restricting property owners from renting to a person based on their payment method, including the use of rental vouchers, rental assistance or rental subsidies.

The bill has been filed in the legislature.

“This is a fairly unusual practice,” said Turner. “I don’t want people to think that all HOAs are out doing this type of thing. They are not, but in this one isolated instance it needs to be addressed and that’s what the bill does.”

The Denton County Housing Authority released statistics last year that found the majority of affected residents in Providence Village were Black and women.

“I cannot think of any other to sum it up besides discrimination,” said resident Stephen Smith in 2022.

The father of three explained he was only on the housing voucher program after getting hurt on the job.

“I extended their lease with them through May to get their kids through school,” said his landlord Alecia Bowen-Mackey.

Bowen-Mackey says she owns three homes in the community, all three tenants receive housing assistance.

“It’s been a really sad situation,” she said about the impact this battle has had on the community.

The landlord tells NBC 5 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development launched an investigation into claims of discrimination and has been interviewing residents and tenants.

Bowen-Mackey says as of now, the rules have not been enforced. Weekly fines of $300 for violators have also been tabled as the federal government investigates the allegations.

“We just received a letter from HUD stating that the investigation is so widespread and there are so many people to interview that it will be extended at least another year into October 2023,” she said.

NBC 5 reached out to the HOA and the town’s mayor but has not yet heard back.

Turner says legislative committees have yet to be formed, once that happens, the bill will make its way into committee hearings for consideration.

It could take several weeks to learn the bill’s fate, he said.

Turner says it is especially important to ban the practice statewide as 1,000 people move to Texas every day and more housing developments with HOAs are built.

“If this type of practice is allowed, you could see a situation where it would affect more people around the state and that’s why the legislature needs to outlaw it,” he said.

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In a brief interview with reporters on Thursday, the Beaumont Republican said he believes voters would approve the constitutional amendment needed to expand gambling in the state.

“What I don’t want to see is to walk into every convenience store and see 15 slot machines,” Phelan said. “I want to see destination-style casinos that are high quality and that create jobs and that improve the lifestyle of those communities.”

He described resorts equipped with golf courses, hotels and concert venues that are “major economic providers.”

Attempts to expand gambling in Texas have gone nowhere in past sessions, but the industry is gearing up for yet another strong push to bring gaming of some kind to one of the last major markets without it.

Phelan’s words of support signal the issue may be gaining ground, though other state leaders are more lukewarm.

Read more from our media partners at The Dallas Morning News

“Words of caution. Please do not confuse this body with the one in Washington, D.C. After watching Congress attempt to function last week, I cannot imagine why some want Texas to be like D.C.,” said Phelan, R-Beaumont. 

It also seemed to be a direct message to a small group of far-right lawmakers. Phelan’s comment comes after far-right Rep. Tony Tinderholt also ran for speaker, receiving three votes, and after Republicans in the U.S. House took 15 votes to elect a speaker.

“Last week America witnessed the four most transparent days in the halls of Congress in modern history, where we saw actual debate and discussion,” said Rep. Bryan Slayton, R-Greenville, in one of the nominating speeches.

A small group of far-right lawmakers is making noise this session. Besides Tinderholt running, they challenged the rules that allow Democrats to serve as committee chairs. Traditionally, Democrats have received some chairs.

The challenges did not succeed. 

“We heard from the speaker. That was coming from the top, that Texas is not Washington. The way that things happened in the House are different,” said Rep. Nicole Collier, Democratic Caucus 2nd Vice Chair. 

Collier served as a chair in the last legislative session, and Rep. Toni Rose of Dallas was a vice chair on several committees.

“My district votes probably about 89% Democrat, and I have been able to accomplish things because I am willing to work with the other side. It would be crazy for me to come here and think that I can get something done if I am not able to work with my colleagues,“ said Rose, D-Dallas. 

The legislature is now on the clock, to look at hundreds of bills from both sides of the aisle before the session ends in late May.

Many lawmakers hope for bipartisanship as the session begins.

Salman Bhojani — a convenience store cashier who became an attorney and business owner from Euless, Texas, represents District 92, covering the Arlington area.

Dr. Suleman Lalani, who came to the U.S. with a dream to help people through medicine, will represent District 76 in Ft. Bend County.

Both Democratic representatives are Southeast Asian immigrants from Pakistan.

Supporters packed into overflow rooms in the Capitol on Tuesday, watching the live stream as the two stood among their peers on the House floor and were sworn in as representatives at the start of Texas’ 88th Legislative session.

Read more from our Nexstar media partners at KXAN-TV

The Texas Legislature reconvened Tuesday in Austin for the 88th legislative session, which runs for 140 days until May 29.

The House elected Phelan with a vote of 143-3, with three votes going to State Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R-Arlington). The Texas House is made up of 86 Republicans and 64 Democrats.

Phelan was first elected speaker in 2021, during the 87th session. He replaced Republican Dennis Bonnen who did not run for reelection in 2020 following the release of a secretly recorded conversation in which he was heard seeking help to defeat members of his own party.

“It is a privilege to serve as a member of this distinguished body, and I am once again humbled by the opportunity to serve as Speaker of the Texas House,” Phelan said in his opening day remarks. “As I look out upon this distinguished gathering, I see 149 people – ordinary Texans – who are eager to get to work on extraordinary things. I am grateful to the majority of you who have honored me with your vote, but I am proud to represent all of you as Speaker of the 88th Legislature.”

Phelan’s office listed the following priorities for the House during the 88th legislature:

• Providing lasting, meaningful property tax relief;
• Increasing access to and giving patients greater control over their healthcare;
• Prioritizing criminal justice reform, DA accountability, and public safety;
• Utilizing the state’s once-in-a-lifetime budget surplus to improve infrastructure;
• Fighting back against the exploitation, sexualization, and indoctrination of Texas children;
• Making schools safer for students and teachers;
• Extending postpartum health coverage for new mothers to a full year; and
• Addressing the threats posed by a porous border.

Phelan was nominated by State Rep. Cody Harris (R-Palestine), with Reps Angie Chen Button (R-Richardson), Tracy King (D-Uvalde), John Lujan (R-San Antonio), Toni Rose (D-Dallas) and Shelby Slawson (R-Stephenville) providing seconding motions.

Phelan’s opening day speech, as provided by his office, is below. Remarks have been edited for brevity.

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SPEAKER DADE PHELAN’S OPENING REMARKS TO THE TEXAS HOUSE

As I look out upon this distinguished gathering, I see 149 people – ordinary Texans – who are eager to get to work on extraordinary things. I am grateful to the majority of you who have honored me with your vote, but I am proud to represent all of you as Speaker of the 88th Legislature.

I also see your beautiful families, friends and supporters. Let us not forget the sacrifices they have made to get you where you are today. Texas appreciates you. Members – let us give them a round of applause.

For the newcomers here, our freshman class of 2023, congratulations. Words of caution — please do not confuse this body with the one in Washington, DC. After watching Congress attempt to function last week, I cannot imagine why some want Texas to be like DC.

You are now in the Texas House of Representatives — and part of a historic assembly. One hundred years after the first woman was elected to the Texas House, our membership now includes 45 women, the highest number ever.

All of us together represent 150 unique populations from cities, the suburbs and the countryside.
194,000 strong in each district. And while our districts are certainly unique, they have one thing in common: they have trusted us to be their voice. And this is what we will be over the next 140 days – one day at a time, one issue at a time, one bill at a time.

All of that work will be rooted in one of the most fundamental, necessary elements of this institution — the Texas House rules. As the most deliberative body in this nation, our rules matter. My advice to new members is to know them, love them, and be certain we will enforce them. Because our rules keep the game fair, but they do not dictate the outcome. We will have divisions. Every session does. But that division does not have to define us.

So let the political fires that have raged compel us to come to the table for a solution, not flee from our responsibilities. There will be countless outside voices — not from your district, and some not even from this state — that seek to control our conversation, and they will be plenty loud. But the conversations that matter to us…the conversations that matter to our constituents…happen in here. They happen in this room.

In the Texas House, we do our work here, together. And when we do that, we just might be surprised to find out how much we have in common.

We can find our first patch of common ground in the most fundamental element of society – the family. If we are going to be a family-focused House, and I do hope we will be, we must take a long look at what matters to Texas families. Fortunately, everyone in here just spent the better part of a year on the campaign trail, hearing directly from our constituents.

Like you, I heard some very straightforward concerns from the families in my district. I have heard about the economy, inflation and the difficulty in making ends meet. Ever-increasing property taxes have led many to feel – year-in and year-out – that they are renting their property from the government. Like them, I believe that tax relief should be a priority.

Time and time again, we have seen the Legislature provide some form of property tax relief, but to make it lasting, we must do something about runaway appraisals. Taxpayers deserve better.

My constituents also talked about the need for quality healthcare at a reasonable price for families and businesses. They appreciate the progress we made last session, tackling the cost of prescription drugs and health plans, pricing transparency, and improving outcomes for women and children – and they need us to do more. So, let us continue our momentum by giving patients greater control over their health care as well as better access.

In my travels, I also heard about Texans’ desire for safe streets. During the 87th, we reset the national conversation on criminal justice. We showed it is possible to improve public safety while defending the rights of the accused and offering second chances when deserved. We lead the nation in decreasing incarceration rates, reducing recidivism, and facilitating reentry. We have proven you can be tough on violent criminals while also making the criminal justice system work better for nonviolent offenders. And that is what we will continue to do. We can work all day on these issues, but if rogue District Attorneys will not uphold the law, what progress are we really making? It is time to rein them in.

Our constituents also want roads that can move them in a timely manner from their home to their job, to their child’s school, or their place of worship. Texans want a reliable supply of water, resiliency from flooding, dependable energy and high-speed internet across this great state. They want exceptional schools with exceptional teachers. With a once in a lifetime budget surplus, now is the time to put a down payment on the future of Texas.

To make this down payment even more critical – over a thousand people move to Texas every single day. They do not bring these investments with them. We all serve different regions, but we recognize these as common obligations.

Perhaps we have no greater task ahead of us than protecting those who will carry on what we have started – the children of Texas. I created the Select Committee on Youth Health & Safety last session to examine the issues facing our children. The threats to their safety are all too real: child trafficking, violence in schools, bad actors seeking to exploit their innocence, and social media companies that prey on the insecurities of children, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation, sexualization, and indoctrination. Members, we must stand up for the children of Texas.

Teachers and parents alike want safer schools, and our kids deserve them. Last May, the lives of 21 Texans – teachers and children – were stolen when a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. We owe it to the memory of those children and teachers to make sensible, meaningful change.

I want to thank the families of Uvalde for inviting me to meet with them just last week. Having heard from them directly — and taking into account the findings of our investigative committee — we have insights to inform our decisions. This is going to be an especially tough conversation, but this body has proven capable of handling tough conversations in the past. I am confident we will do so again.

As we work to make Texas an even better place to raise a family, we must acknowledge there is true suffering in society, and we have to make things better for those families in the toughest situations. The most important thing to do, certainly, is to ensure our economy continues to generate quality jobs and meaningful wages. After all, an opportunity to provide for one’s family is a powerful motivator, no matter where one is in life.

At the same time, let us not forget people who need more than just a job. Even with a vibrant economy, a single parent who can work, afford childcare, healthcare, transportation and housing, is indeed rare. How can we improve their lives and their children’s futures? Tax-free diapers, wipes and other childcare supplies would be a great start, and so would ensuring health coverage for new moms that lasts – not sixty days, not six months but a full year.

Starting today, I represent Jasper County. Last week, I read a story about the local county hospital joining the 60% of rural Texas hospitals that no longer deliver babies. Mothers in rural areas now face hour-long drives for basic services. We should not leave this session without a firm commitment to reversing this trend. Because in my dictionary, the definition of “pro-life” includes ensuring access to affordable healthcare for all, especially Texas mothers and their babies.

To show the Texas House is committed to the maternal health of our own staff this session, I am proud to announce we are now offering additional resources to guarantee twelve full weeks of paid maternal and paternal leave for those working in this chamber this session.

Our names may be on the office door, but the men and women who serve in our capitol and district offices are the ones who do the heavy lifting. We must provide an environment that respects them and recognizes their value. With rapid inflation, let us also retain them by finally increasing their salaries.

Making things better for all Texas families is how we deliver on the limitless potential for our state in every area, from gainful employment to public safety. That includes border security, which is certainly on the minds of our members, but especially for those who represent border communities.

We can all agree that our border towns have been bearing the brunt of Washington’s failed immigration policies – some going as far as declaring themselves to be in a state of disaster. It is a legal and humanitarian crisis. Every Texas budget I have ever voted for has poured hundreds of millions, now billions, of dollars into the gap between federal policies and the realities on the ground. As stewards of every budget dollar, we must ensure our strategy not only fits the realities on the ground, but is truly, measurably effective.

We must also acknowledge the additional threats posed by a porous border. More than 1,600 Texans died from fentanyl overdoses in 2021. That is 1,600 too many. Before more Texas families get that heartbreaking call, we must stop the cartels in their tracks. And we will.

Members, though we may face many challenges this session, there will be even more opportunities. The work is hard, but it is worthwhile. The work is demanding, but it is noble. The work is necessary, and, because we have the privilege of doing it for the people of Texas, I know we will get it done together.

It is a privilege to serve as a member of this distinguished body, and I am once again humbled by the opportunity to serve as your Speaker. Thank you for this enormous honor and thank you for serving this great state. May God bless you and May God bless the great State of Texas.

During the 140-day session that starts Tuesday, lawmakers will approve a budget — the only task they are mandated to complete. But many bills involving taxation, education, health care, infrastructure and various social issues will be debated and sent to Gov. Greg Abbott to be signed into law.

While most legislation has a purpose, some are more impactful than others.

Our partners at The Dallas Morning News take a look at five proposals that could change the lives of Texans including property tax reduction, school choice, abortion, sports betting and mass shootings/school safety.

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Representatives Rhetta Andrews Bowers (D-Garland), Jessica Gonzalez (D-Dallas), Julie Johnson (D-Carrollton), Carl Sherman (D-Desoto) and staff members representing Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco), State Senator Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas) and Congresswoman-Elect Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas).

The lawmakers and staff heard from groups including The Senior Source, The Alzheimer’s Association, The Dallas Area Gerontological Society, Visiting Nurse Association of Texas and Secure Our Seniors Safety.

“Over time, each of us found each other and came together and realized something had to change,” said Shannon Dion, partner of Secure Our Seniors Safety. Dion says her mother was a victim of Billy Chemirmir and explained that members of the organization are made up of families who lost loved ones.

Chemirmir was twice found guilty of murder and charged with the killing of 22 seniors.

Last session, Secure Our Seniors Safety got two bills passed to help protect seniors. This year, they are going back to get more passed.

“We are just passionate about using our emotions from that anger, and that sadness, and that frustration so that other families don’t have the same experience,” added Dion.

Lawmakers listened to Katherine Krause, the CEO and president of the Visiting Nurse Association of Texas. It includes Meals on Wheels as one of its services. Krause explained that last year they delivered 1.1 million meals. Now, they are hoping for more state assistance.

“We receive $5.31 right now, but it is costing us $7 to $8 a meal to produce and get the meals out to homebound seniors,” said Krause.

Lawmakers also took questions from those who registered for the event,

“We are only better if we hear from the experts and hear the community. But we can only do our jobs best if we are able to talk to those that support seniors and advocate for them,” said Bower.

NBC 5’s Julie Fine moderated the event.

State Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco District 106) filed HB896 this week that, if passed in the next legislative session, would prohibit minors from obtaining social media accounts in Texas altogether and require users over 18 to prove their age using a photo ID as well as a second photo of the person with the photo ID.

According to the bill, social media platforms must require people to use an account to access the platform and those account holders must be at least 18 years of age. Their age, according to the bill, is verified by the following: “A social media platform shall verify the age of the account holder by requiring the account holder to provide a copy of the account holder’s driver’s license along with a second photo showing both the account holder and the driver’s license in a manner that allows the social media company to verify the identity of the account holder.“

After the person’s age has been verified, the social media platform is ordered to delete the personal information.

HB896 would also allow parents the opportunity to request a removal of their child’s account and grant enforcement of deceptive trade practices to the Office of the Attorney General.

In a statement, Patterson cited statistics showing recent increases in self-harm and suicide among teens after years of declines and attributed those to increases in social media use.

“Social media is the pre-1964 cigarette. Once thought to be perfectly safe for users, social media access to minors has led to remarkable rises in self-harm, suicide, and mental health issues.” Patterson said in a statement. “The Texas legislature must act this session to protect children because, thus far, the social media platforms have failed to do so. HB 896 is a solution to this crisis.”

According to the Pew Research Center, the use of TikTok among teens aged 13 to 17 has skyrocketed since its debut while the use of Facebook has dropped from 71% to 32%. YouTube, research showed, was the top online platform for teenagers with 95% of teens using the platform. YouTube was followed by TikTok and Instagram while other platforms, like Twitter, Twitch, WhatsApp, Reddit and Tumblr, were all ranked below Facebook.

Most platforms already require a user to be at least 13 before being allowed to sign up for access, though proof of age isn’t required.

Earlier this week, Gov. Greg Abbott banned the use of TikTok on state-issued laptops, phones and other internet-capable devices over cybersecurity concerns that the Chinese government could gain access to data from U.S. users.

Our partners at The Dallas Morning News report Patterson previously supported other longshot efforts to dissolve the city of Austin and ban books with LGBTQ content from Texas schools. Patterson also filed a bill in January 2021 requiring officials to notify next of kin when a death certificate is amended. The bill was filed in response to the cases involving accused serial killer Billy Chemirmir, where death certificates were changed as the investigation into the murders progressed.

Patterson, who was first elected to the Texas House in 2018, was reelected in 2020 and ran unopposed in November 2022.

The 88th legislative session begins on Jan. 10, 2023, and runs for 140 days through May 29, 2023. If HB896 is passed in its current form, it would go into effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

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Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick announced his list of priorities.

“The first thing we have to do is more property tax relief,” said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

The state is expected to have an almost $27 billion surplus. Patrick supports raising the homestead exemption to $65,000.

State senator Drew Springer (R-Muenster) supports that, and hopes the number eventually goes higher. Springer is also planning to meet with Lt. Gov. Patrick regarding another tax.

“One of the ones I hear about that I will visit with him and we will probably file a bill on, is to eliminate the inventory tax for businesses. Texas is one of only nine states that charges property tax on inventory,” said Springer.

Senator Nathan Johnson (R-Dallas),  says he supports raising the homestead exemption but wants to make sure it does not shift the to cost to non-homeowners.

“We need to address property taxes. There is more than one way to address it, and some ways are more productive than others. For example, if we invest in public education, it has the corresponding effect of bringing down property taxes. That’s a good use. Straight refunds of sales tax dollars to property tax dollars, is something we can look at, but it’s not something that we ought to be doing on a very large scale,” said Johnson.

This is one of the big issues that will face lawmakers when they reconvene in January. Patrick says a reliable power grid is critical and has called for more natural gas generation.

But while Patrick announced his priorities, it is up to the lawmakers to file the bills.

Members of both the Texas House and Senate formed special committees after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott asked for recommendations on school safety, mental health, social media, police training and firearm safety.

“I also issued directives to the Texas legislature to go to work on addressing any and all issues concerning the shooting and reach an agreement, and they did reach agreement on some items, such as providing $105 million to both make schools safer but also to address mental health and Uvalde,” said Abbott said last week in North Texas.

The Senate Special Committee to Protect all Texas held several hearings this summer.

In a statement. Committee Chairman and State Senator Robert Nichols about said new discussions and additional details are expanding the report and delaying its release.

 “After our hearings concluded, the committee staff began writing a report with recommendations for the next legislative session. Our staff met with all of the other members of the committee and their staff to develop recommendations, receive additional feedback, and build consensus among the members,” Nichols said in a statement to NBC 5. “As those discussions progressed, meetings with additional stakeholders began to take place. The further we researched these issues, the more we uncovered additional details and information about other policy options. Those discussions and discoveries led us to extend the timeline for releasing the report. We want to produce a report that is as thoughtful and well-researched as possible and plan to do so this fall.”

The Texas House also formed a special committee, the House Select Committee on Youth, Health and Safety. That committee held joint hearings with the House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety.

Health Youth and Safety Committee member Rep. Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth) said he expects a report later this month or next.

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The Robb Elementary School Investigative Committee heard testimony throughout the summer with much of it in executive session.

“I was in high school when Columbine happened and it was shocking because it was unheard of at the time. So I know it didn’t use to be this way, and it does not have to be this way now,” said Committee Vice-Chairman Joe Moody, (D-El Paso), at one of the hearings in June.

The committee issued its report, which said police officers didn’t adhere to active shooter training, and didn’t prioritize saving lives over their own safety. Lawmakers head back to session this January, likely with several reports to consider before voting on recommendations.

Patriot Mobile, which labels itself a Christian conservative wireless provider, donated the signs to the Carroll Independent School District and they will now be hung in CISD schools.

According to a state law passed in 2021, schools are required to display signs or posters bearing the national motto in a conspicuous place provided that the signs were donated to the school or bought with private donations.

“Patriot Mobile is honored to donate these posters to CISD, and we are very excited to see them amongst all of our schools,” said Scott Coburn, the chief marketing officer for the carrier.

At Monday night’s school board meeting three people spoke in favor of the signs, with no opposition during the presentation to the panel. 

But the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition has raised concerns.  Their founder, Anya Kushwaha, told NBC 5 the law is a disturbing dissolution between the separation of church and state.

“I feel like they don’t have a choice right now to put them up, but hopefully this will spark larger conversations about having more freedom of expression, so if they are allowed to put up signs like this there should be no reasons that other students or people can’t put up signs that have different messaging,” said Anya Kushwaha, co-founder of the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition.

The national motto, “In God We Trust,” was signed into law in 1956 by President Eisenhower and reaffirmed by Congress as the nation’s official motto several times since, as recently as 2011.

According to SB797, the sign or poster must contain a representation of the United States flag centered under the national motto and a representation of the state flag; and may not depict any words, images, or other information other than the representations listed in Subdivision (1).

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“It really does take a village to meet the needs of our children in Texas,” said Sonia Gaines, Deputy Executive Commissioner Behavioral Health, Health and Human Services Commission.

After the mass shooting in Uvalde, Governor Greg Abbott asked the Lieutenant Governor, and House Speaker for special committees to develop legislative recommendations on school safety, mental health, social media, police training, and firearm safety.

Six panels of witnesses addressed the House committees today.

“We talk a lot about first line of defense. First line of defense is whomever is talking to that child, whomever that is. Whether it is a school counselor, or a principal, or the LPC, an LMSW, it doesn’t matter, whomever is talking with that child. So we need to focus on professional development,” said Dr. Steve F. Bain, founding director, TAMUK Rural Mental Health Institute

This hearing also looked at ways to solidify reporting and detecting threats. A senior manager of the Department of Public Safety’s intelligence and counterterrorism division explained a system called IWATCH Texas.

“The use of a single statewide reporting system ensures tips from different parts of the community integrate to link critical data,” said Kimberly Jones, Senior Manager, DPS intelligence and counterterrorism division.

The police response in Uvalde was investigated by the Investigative Committee on the deadly Robb Elementary shooting. They presented that report last month. The Texas Senate Special Committee to Protect All Texans met in June.

Committee reports must be in by the beginning of this legislative session in January, but lawmakers can start filing bills in November. Bills on school safety and guns are expected.

Thanks to a donation from his son-in-law, Hancock underwent a successful transplant Wednesday afternoon and both men are doing well in recovery.

Prior to the surgery, Hancock and his son-in-law spoke with NBC 5.

“I don’t look like that I have organs failing. I do. I have had one failing for a long time,” said Hancock, who is an energetic lawmaker and a marathon runner. “I have wanted to live a full life without people knowing, or feeling sorry for me, or whatever, in order to get to the point that I could say, that I could be here and say, ‘God is sufficient and I am good with it.’”

Hancock made a visit to his doctor 31 years ago after not feeling well while playing racquetball. Tests would reveal he had IgA nephropathy, also known as Berger’s disease.

The disease occurs when immunoglobulin A deposits build up in the kidneys, causing inflammation that damages kidney tissues. IgA is an antibody—a protein made by the immune system to protect the body from foreign substances such as bacteria or viruses, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Moving forward, Hancock was regularly tested for kidney function, watched his diet and tried to stay as healthy as possible. Six years ago, he was told he would need a kidney within two years. He beat the clock, for years, until late last year when his doctor said he was at a point where he needed a new kidney.

“There is a threshold that you can’t get on the transplant list until you are bad, bad, bad, and so I had to be bad, bad, bad to get there, and he was like, ‘Alright, I need you to come in and test again,’ and that is when I was like, ‘OK, I am there,’” said Hancock.

Then it came to telling his family, which he did at Thanksgiving. At first, he tried to make light of it, but they all faced the reality.

“That is when I told them, I said, ‘Look, I was making light because that is what I do. That is how I deal with stuff.’ But the reality is I need a kidney and you know the only way really to do it is that I am going to have to be on dialysis for five to seven years to qualify for a deceased donor,” Hancock explained.

But his family was quick to get tested to see if they could make a donation to him. It turned out, it wasn’t a blood relative that was the best match.

“I got tested thinking of course I’ll be supportive. I’ll go get tested. There is no way this would work, thinking my wife would be the match, or somebody else,” said son-in-law Greg Cox. “You don’t get the opportunity to help somebody like this, and Kelly would do the same for anybody that he loved without thinking, without having to be asked, and so it’s neat to be able to do it.”

Through everything, the Hancocks have relied on faith and stayed positive.

While he has kept the news of his transplant to himself, for the most part, Hancock now said he wants to raise awareness.

Through this, he said, he has seen first-hand the need that is out there and that the healthier you are the lower you are on the list for a transplant and the longer you will be on dialysis because of greater demand than supply.

“I was blessed, incredibly fortunate to have a living donor — 2.5% of the people who have kidney transplants do it before going on dialysis,” said Hancock, adding “organ donation is very feasible, it is very doable, and I don’t think we promote it enough or talk about it enough and it is a very private issue, but we wanted to bring attention too. We can address these issues. We can address these needs. And people, there is a need.”

The recovery for Hancock and Cox isn’t easy and could take several months. But they are ready and hope their story will help others.

Hancock is serving in his third term in the Texas legislature. He is running against Democrat Gwenn Burud in November.

“As a fellow Texan, I am joined by my staff, volunteers and supporters as we keep Senator Hancock and his family in our hearts and minds,” Burud said in a statement Wednesday night.

LONE STAR POLITICS

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The court ruled 6-3 to uphold a Mississippi law at the heart of the abortion case and 5-4 to overturn Roe v. Wade more than a month after the stunning leak of a draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito indicating the court was prepared to take this momentous step of reversing a precedent for a constitutionally protected right.

WHAT IS THE TEXAS TRIGGER LAW?

Thirteen states have laws or constitutional amendments in place, so-called trigger laws, which could be quickly used to ban abortion should Roe v. Wade be overturned.

Texas is one of the states with a trigger law in place. State legislators, anticipating the possibility that one day a conservative court may overturn the case, passed the Human Life Protection Act of 2021 last year during the 87th legislative session.

The ban doesn't start right away and the exact date the ban will be in place is not yet known. The state will ban abortion 30 days after the Supreme Court issues its formal judgment, which is different than the opinion released Friday, according to an advisory from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and typically comes within a month of the opinion. Scroll down for more details on when the ban may begin in Texas.

The first sign that the court might be receptive to wiping away the constitutional right to abortion came in late summer when the justices divided 5-4 in allowing Texas to enforce a ban on the procedure at roughly six weeks, which is before some women even know they are pregnant. That dispute turned on the unique structure of the law, including its enforcement by private citizens rather than by state officials, and how it can be challenged in court.

ARE THERE EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABORTION LAW?

The Texas ban on abortion does allow abortions if the life of the mother is in danger or to prevent substantial impairment, but the law doesn't define what that is.

The Texas ban on abortion does not make provisions for cases of rape or incest.

WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT IN TEXAS?

People who have abortions won't be prosecuted, however, the Texas law does target doctors who would be facing up to life in prison and fines up to $100,000 for performing illegal abortions.

One thing that will also stay in place in Texas is the recent bounty law allowing private citizens to sue anyone who helps someone get an abortion.

TEXAS GOVERNOR RESPONDS AFTER COURT DECISION

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued a statement Friday morning, saying the Supreme Court correctly overturned Roe v Wade while touting the state's efforts to improve women's health programs.

"The U.S. Supreme Court correctly overturned Roe v. Wade and reinstated the right of states to protect innocent, unborn children. Texas is a pro-life state, and we have taken significant action to protect the sanctity of life. Texas has also prioritized supporting women's healthcare and expectant mothers in need to give them the necessary resources so that they can choose life for their child. I signed laws that extended Medicaid health care coverage to six months post-partum, appropriated $345 million for women's health programs, and invested more than $100 million toward our Alternatives to Abortion program. This critical program provides counseling, mentoring, care coordination, and material assistance, such as car seats, diapers, and housing to mothers in need.

TEXAS AG ON WHEN THE BAN WILL BEGIN IN TEXAS

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says it's unclear when the ban will begin in Texas but that his office will make that date known as soon as possible.

Paxton said the Supreme Court released an opinion on Friday and must release its formal judgment before the clock starts on Texas's 30-day countdown to outlaw abortion.

"The Court will issue its judgment only after the window for the litigants to file a motion for rehearing has closed. A judgment can issue in about a month, or longer if the Court considers a motion for rehearing. So while it is clear that the Act will take effect, we cannot calculate exactly when until the Court issues its judgment," Paxton said.

ROE V. WADE HISTORY BEGINS IN DALLAS

The landmark Roe v. Wade abortion case started in Dallas County 49 years ago with a woman named Norma McCorvey.

Dallas attorney Linda Coffee initially represented McCorvey, known as "Jane Roe," in the historic case, filing suit in a Dallas County District Court against then Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade.

Coffee and her former classmate, attorney Sarah Weddington, argued the case which later advanced to the U.S. Supreme Court. Weddington argued the case before the court twice, in December 1971 and again in October 1972, resulting the next year in the 7-2 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.

Coffee told NBC 5 earlier this year she was having dinner in May when word came of a leaked draft opinion by the nation’s High Court that indicated Roe might be overturned.

“I just felt that was awful, and I started turning it on all the channels and they said the same thing,” Coffee said. “I thought this was incredible. I didn’t understand how that could happen that someone could leak out an opinion that was just a first draft.”

During the May interview, Coffee, 79, expressed concern that if abortion were left up to individual states it would place an undue burden on women.

“A lot of women don’t have the funds to go to, like, if they were going from here to California,” Coffee said.

Coffee has always expressed concern for women living in poverty and their access to safe and legal procedures. She is once again very concerned about poor women if abortion is outlawed.

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Republican State Senators Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) and Jeff Leach (R-Plano) both tweeted Friday their support for a special session. Seliger said legislators should reconvene, “until we do something the FBI or DPS believe will lessen the chance of the next Uvalde tragedy.” Leach said bringing lawmakers back to Austin was something, “Texans expect and deserve this and time demands it.”

On that same day, State Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio) interrupted Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s news conference Friday urging him to call the lawmakers back to Austin to begin working on the issue.

Abbott did address the calls for a special session but didn’t say whether or not one would be called.

“With regards to a special session, lets me just say this, and that is, first of all, all options are on the table,” said Abbott on Friday.

GOV. ABBOTT EXPECTS NEW LAWS TO COME FROM UVALDE MASSACRE

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) last week said he expected new laws to be written following the massacre in Uvalde that killed 19 children and two teachers, but that more must be learned about the shooting before that can be done.

The governor said they will look at laws passed after the May 2018 Santa Fe shooting “to find out the extent to which those laws were complied with” and identify any shortcomings. The governor added they would also be looking at laws that could make schools safer and improve mental health care in the state.

The governor said in a news conference Friday that recent gun laws passed in 2021 were not relevant in the Uvalde massacre.

In the last legislative session in 2021, Texas Republicans who control the state House, Senate and governor’s office passed 22 new gun bills, almost all aimed at easing, not strengthening, gun restrictions in the state. One of the laws signed by Abbott allows almost anyone to openly carry a gun without training or a permit. Constitutional carry, as conservatives call it, went into effect on Sept. 1, 2021.

“Let’s be clear about one thing. None of the laws that I signed this past session, had any intersection with this crime at all. No law that I signed allowed him to get a gun, the gun that he did get. And so, again, there was nothing about the laws from this past session that has any relevancy to the crime that occurred here,” Abbott said.

The governor was expected to appear at the NRA Convention in Houston on Friday, but late Thursday night said he’d only appear via video message so that he could remain in Uvalde. In that video message, Abbott said laws restricting gun access don’t work.

“There are thousands of laws on the books across the country that limit the owning or using of firearms, laws that have not stopped mad men from carrying out evil acts on innocent people and peaceful communities,” Abbott said.

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Abbott, who as governor is the only one who can call a special session or set the agenda, has not said whether he intends to call one or wait for the next legislative session in January 2023. He did say, however, that the legislature will be tackling the issue. Whether that happens before the start of the 2022-23 school year is at the governor’s discretion.

“The status quo is unacceptable. This crime is unacceptable. We’re not going to be here and talking about it and do nothing about it,” Abbott said. “We will be looking for the best laws that we can get passed to make our communities and schools safer.”

TEXAS DEMOCRATS PUSH TO REFORM GUN LAWS

The Texas Senate Democratic Caucus is also calling for a special session and has laid out several key items they’d like to focus on around reforming gun laws.

They said they want to raise the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21, require universal background checks, implement ‘red flag’ laws that allow a judge to temporarily remove firearms from people considered a threat, and implement a ‘cooling off’ period for the purchase of firearms and regulate high-capacity magazines for firearms.

Texas Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D-District 19) represents Uvalde and said the shooting will be the catalyst for his work in the state legislature moving forward.

“We have to make sure that this never happens again because you and I both know there’s probably going to be one of these instances happening again in this state and others. We have to learn from this for sure,” he said on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday.

Gutierrez, whose District 19 covers Uvalde, wants the special session to include gun reform laws.

“These Republicans are out of touch on this issue. I don’t want to take anyone’s guns away. We need restrictions on assault rifles, we need wait times,” said Gutierrez.

Guiterrez and the other Democratic state senators sent a letter to the governor asking for the special session.

“You can’t just blame it on mental health. We have a problem with guns. We have a problem with gun culture in this state,” said State Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas).

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke confronted the governor at a briefing last week to say the governor didn’t do enough after Santa Fe and that the time to prevent the next school shooting was now.

“If we continue to accept this then it is on us. It’s not just the governor’s fault. It is on us. I’m not going to accept it. So I’m here. I’m calling attention to this,” O’Rourke said Wednesday.

SOME REPUBLICANS WANT TO WAIT BEFORE MEETING

Some Texas Republicans aren’t in a rush to gather in Austin and instead want to see the investigation into the school shooting completed before any lew legislation is considered.

“Right now the best thing to do outside of grieving with the families is to let the investigation process play out,” said State Rep. Justin Holland (R-Rockwall).

State Sen. Bob Hall (R-Rockwall) wants to see what investigators find.

“If we are going to do something we need to know what happened and determine whether or not we can fix that with a law.  I’m one of those that does not believe we can fix everything in this country by passing another law,” said Hall.

UVALDE SCHOOL SHOOTING

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A University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll in 2021 found that 57% of Texans oppose the constitutional carry law passed last year. In the same poll, 71% of voters showed support for requiring criminal and mental health background checks for all gun purchases.

Last week, in Washington, D.C., the Democrats’ first attempt at responding to the back-to-back mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde failed in the Senate Thursday as Republicans blocked a domestic terrorism bill that would have opened debate on difficult questions surrounding hate crimes and gun safety.

In a House Transportation Committee hearing, Chairman Terry Canales pointed out the legislature gave the DMV authority in 2021 to immediately stop small car dealers suspected of selling tags from gaining access to the state’s tag system.

But Canales questioned why it took the DMV more than seven months to implement administrative rules and begin immediately suspending the suspected fraudsters.

“I am not here to shoot the messenger but at some point, somebody’s got to answer to this committee and the legislature as to why it would take so long and why the media has to be the one that uncovers it so that the agency we gave a directive to can actually do something,” Canales said.

In November 2021, NBC 5 Investigates exposed how small dealers with no storefronts were continuing to print hundreds of thousands of tags, which law enforcement officials suspected were being sold for profit.

At Tuesday’s hearing, Daniel Avitia, the DMV’s new acting executive director, apologized for the delays in implementing the rules. He took over when the previous director, Whitney Brewster, resigned over the tag debacle.

“As painful as it may have been to see our agency in the media and receiving those black eyes, I will say that being in the media was part of the solution,” Avitia said.

Avitia said it had been challenging for the agency, under his predecessor, to implement the rules due to the complexities of the state’s administrative rule process.

By the time the DMV began taking swifter action, fraudulent tags were already begin put on cars used to commit serious crimes in Texas and across the country.

A top Texas of Department of Public Safety commander testified Tuesday that his agency is aware of more than 600 cases in 16 months where cars with paper tags were involved in suspicious incidents the department investigated. The tags make it difficult for law enforcement to identify the owner of a vehicle.

“Criminal street gangs and Mexican cartels are especially known to rely on this tactic, the pervasiveness we have seen time and time again”, said DPS Deputy Director Floyd Goodwin.

Sgt. Jose Escribano, a Travis County investigator who specializes in tag fraud, told the committee that the state needs to reinstate funding for task forces that used to investigate tag cases in other major cities including Dallas, where the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department once had a dedicated unit. That unit folded after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed funding that supported the task forces in 2017.

Canales urged officers to communicate with his office to help them understand what sort of funding is needed.

Committee members also discussed the need for tougher background checks for people applying for car dealer licenses and the possibility of replacing the current paper tag system with something else.

But Canales, who called the tag problem a “black eye” for the state, suggested many of the fixes could be implemented by the DMV alone, without assistance from the legislature, which cannot pass bills to address the problems until the House and Senate are back in session in 2023.

Tawny Solbrig, the mother of a young man killed in a crash involving a pickup truck that was on the road with an illegal paper tag, urged the committee not to hand the issue back to the DMV without continuing to hold the agency accountable.

“Make sure they are doing what they need to be doing because ultimately y’all are responsible too.”

The DMV has previously said it is devising a plan to begin fingerprinting car dealers who can access the electronic tag system, and hopes to approve that plan as early as June. The agency has also discussed the need for more investigators to visit small car dealers and has said it is looking at the possibility of a new more secure system to replace paper tags.

The Texas Senate Criminal Justice Committee is also investigating the paper tag mess and is expected to hold its own hearings on the issue soon.

PREVIOUS REPORTS

• March 27, 2023- Texas DMV’s New Paper Tag Design Easily Counterfeited, Police Say
• Nov. 17, 2022 – Texas DMV Redesigns Paper License Tags to Include New Security Features
• Nov. 15, 2022 – Police Searching for Paper Tagged ‘Ghost Car’ in Deadly Grand Prairie Chase
• June 1, 2022 – Police Make Bogus Tag Bust Tied to Social Media Ads
• May 18, 2022 – TxDMV Names New Executive Director Amid Paper Tag Crisis
• May 17, 2022 – Vehicle Used in Dallas Salon Shooting Had Paper Tag
• May 12, 2022 – Ads for Fake Tags Persist, Despite Facebook, TxDMV Efforts
• May 4, 2022 – Texas’ Paper Tag Problem Compounded by Small Dealers Misusing Them
• May 3, 2022 – Dallas Police Shut Down Accused Fake Paper Tag Dealer
• April 26, 2022 – Texas House Set to Hold Paper Tag Hearings
• April 14, 2022 – Texas DMV Cracks Down on Dealers Selling Temporary Paper Tags
• April 13, 2022 – TxDMV Closes Inspection Loophole That Put Unsafe Cars on Roads
• April 12, 2022 – Dallas Police Go Undercover to Fight Illegal Paper Tags
• April 7, 2022 – Police Warn of Fake Paper Tags Used to Cheat Car Buyers
• April 5, 2022 – Texas Senate Will Investigate Illegal Paper Tag Crimes, Smuggling
• March 9, 2022 – Texas Paper Tag Crime Danger Extends Nationwide
• March 5, 2022 – Texas House Will Hold Hearings on Paper Tag Mess
• Feb. 28, 2022 – License to Smuggle: Drug Cartels and Human Smugglers Use Paper Texas Tags to Evade
• Feb. 15, 2022 – Fort Worth Police Announce Special Operation Targeting Paper Tags
• Feb. 14, 2022 — Crash Victim’s Parents Want More Cops to Police Paper Tag Fraud
• Feb. 13, 2022 – More Funding Need to Fight Criminals Using Bogus Paper Tags: Police
• Feb. 10, 2022 – Police Report Drop in Fraudulent Tags But Warn Crooks Are Adapting
• Feb. 9, 2022 – Texas DMV Shuts Down Six More Dealers Suspected of Selling Paper License Tags
• Feb. 7, 2022 – TxDMV Director Resigns Amidst Paper Tag Mess
• Jan. 27, 2022 – TxDMV Takes Emergency Action to Keep Crooks From Selling Paper Tags
• Jan. 21, 2022 – Dallas Police Operation Targets Fraudulent Paper Tags
• Jan. 17, 2022 – Recording Shows Police Warned TxDMV of Paper Tag Security Flaw Years Ago
• Dec. 16, 2021 – DMV Committee Recommends Fingerprinting Some Dealers to Slow Paper Tag Fraud
• Dec. 14, 2021 – Texas House Transportation Chair Vows to Stop Paper Tag Fraud
• Dec. 6, 2021 – Texas DMV Boss Deflects Blame for Paper Tag Debacle
• Nov. 23, 2021 – Illegal Paper Tags Costing Texas Taxpayers and Toll Roads Millions
• Nov. 10, 2021 – Suspected Paper Tag Peddler Shut Down Tuesday, Reopens Wednesday: Investigators
• Nov. 8, 2021 – How Texas Paper Tags Became a $200M Criminal Enterprise: NBC 5 Investigates

Powell, who ran unopposed in the March 2022 Democratic Primary, said in a statement Wednesday she would be pulling her name off the November ballot. Republican Phil King, who defeated challenger Warren Norred in the primary, will be the only Republican or Democrat on the ballot for State Senate District 10 in November.

District 10, which previously existed entirely inside Tarrant County (in red below), was redrawn last year into a sprawling district that includes a smaller portion of Tarrant County while expanding to the west and south through seven rural counties that include parts of Parker County, and all of Johnson, Palo Pinto, Stephens, Shackelford, Callahan, and Brown counties (in purple below).

Powell, who said she was elected by a coalition of diverse voters in Tarrant County, told NBC 5 in October 2021 that the district became less diverse with the addition of the rural counties.

“Under the new map that will remain intact through November, the results of the 2022 election are predetermined. Election prospects for any candidate who relies on a diverse voter coalition will be thwarted,” Powell said. “So … I have decided to withdraw my name from the ballot for the State Senate District 10 race.”

“I cannot in good faith ask my dedicated supporters to spend time and contribute precious resources on an unwinnable race,” Powell said. “That time and those resources are better spent on efforts that will advance our causes and on the continuing efforts to restore voter rights.”

In a video posted to YouTube Wednesday, Powell said District 10, with its growing minority voting strength, has been under attack since the mid-2000s. She said a federal court ruled in 2011 that redistricting maps that were drawn then were intentionally discriminatory and ordered politicians to restore the district.

The maps approved by the legislature and Gov. Greg Abbott last fall are being challenged in court, though that hearing won’t take place until September. Additionally, the DOJ filed a lawsuit against the state in December 2021 saying the maps were once again drawn with “discriminatory intent” and that they “dilute increased minority strength.”

A request for a temporary injunction to suspend the use of the maps was denied in January ensuring the maps were in place for both the March 1 primary and the upcoming November election.

“It was a gerrymander that completely split apart the coalition of voters who voted for me,” Powell told NBC 5 Wednesday. “The African-American population, the Hispanic, the Asian-American population and this is a more Anglo population now and it would be impossible for a candidate like me, who relies on that coalition district, to be elected in the new SD-10.”

Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston), chair of the redistricting committee, defended the maps in 2021 saying she followed the law and that the maps are compliant with the Voting Rights Act and that while many factors were considered in redrawing the maps racial constituencies were not among them.

Texas Redistricting

Tarrant County Jan 25, 2022

Senate District 10 Redistricting Case Begins in Federal Court

Greg Abbott Dec 6, 2021

DOJ Alleges Texas' New Voting District Maps Were Drawn With ‘Discriminatory Intent'

Texas Legislature Oct 26, 2021

Voting Rights Advocates Sue Texas Again Over GOP-Drawn Maps

Powell said she and her staff will continue to serve the citizens of Texas through the remainder of her term and then will continue her work outside the walls of the Senate.

“I will miss it and I say this all the time, it was actually the honor of a lifetime to be able to do this and to have been elected by the Tarrant County electorate,” Powell told NBC 5 Wednesday. “It was absolutely a joy and we will look to the future with other opportunities to serve.”

The mid-term election is Tuesday, Nov. 8. The last day to register to vote in the November election is Oct. 11. Primary runoffs for the November election are on May 24.

NBC 5’s Julie Fine contributed to this report.

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