The Texas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a rules package dictating how the chamber will operate this legislative session. One of the most notable rules changes will prevent members from the minority party from serving as committee chairs. This change, which became a conservative plank and fueled much of the controversy during the Speaker’s election, overturns precedent stretching back to the 1970s when Democrats were the majority party.
The rules package adopted by the House also abolishes eight standing committees from the previous session, Business and Industry, County Affairs, Defense And Veterans’ Affairs, Homeland Security and Public Safety, International Relations and Economic Development, Juvenile Justice and Family Issues, Resolutions Calendars and Urban Affairs, and rolls most of their duties into three new committees named Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans’ Affairs’; Intergovernmental Affairs; and Trade, Workforce and Economic Development. The rules also created a new committee on Delivery of Government Efficiency.
In total, the House will have 30 standing committees, down from 34. And while there is chatter that the speaker will announce committee chairs and assignments soon, it usually takes several weeks.
The House and the Senate also released competing versions of the constitutionally mandated, two-year funding bill that were close in overall spending. Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood) introduced House Bill 1, which totaled $335.7 billion, while Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Joan Huffman (R-Houston) filed Senate Bill (SB) 1, which totaled $332.9 billion. The Senate will take the lead this session when the two bills are reconciled in conference committee.
Both bills provide $6.5 billion for border security operations and $1 billion for education savings accounts to cover some costs associated with private school tuition. While the border funding is the same as the current budget cycle, the education voucher outlay is double what was considered last session.
The bills also provide $4.85 billion in new funding for public schools and an additional $400 million specifically for school safety.
A provision in the Senate bill would increase teacher pay across the board by $4,000 while rural teachers would receive an additional $6,000 increase.
The House version does not specify how much should be allocated for teacher raises.
The bills also propose $10 billion for water, broadband and energy infrastructure, however the $2.5 billion provided for the Texas Water Fund is only half of the $5 billion proposed by Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) and stakeholders, including Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA).
Following release of the budget proposals, Senate Education Committee Chairman Brandon Creighton, (R-Conroe) on filed SB 2 to create an education savings accounts program which would provide families with $10,000 a year per student ($11,500 per student for children with disabilities) in taxpayer dollars to pay tuition at an accredited private school and additional expenses like textbooks, transportation and therapy. The legislation also would provide at least $2,000 a year per student for home-schooling families who participate in the program.
The bill is a priority for Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) and will likely be one of the governor’s emergency items that the legislature can begin work on immediately. The bill should sail through the Senate and have fewer headwinds in the House since the governor and Lt. governor helped defeat many voucher opponents during the last election cycle.
TCFA will continue to provide updates throughout the Texas Legislative Session. Please contact TCFA Director of Government Relations Josh Winegarner at josh@tcfa.org with any questions. — TCFA
