Wins for limited government and low taxes
There are just over six weeks left in the 88th legislative session! This past week we had major wins for limited government and low taxation on the House floor.
State Budget
Last Thursday, April 6th, Texas House members stayed late into the night to hear amendments and vote on House Bill 1, the state's budget for the next two years. House Republicans supported my budget directive to defund woke "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) programs in public universities in a party-line vote. DEI means one thing: applying unequal standards to ensure preferential outcomes for individuals and groups, and it has no place in Texas' colleges and universities.
HB 1 currently includes over $17 billion in property tax relief for Texans, which is a great start! However, the people of Texas need serious relief from their property taxes, and I will be pushing for even more. HB 1 also includes $4.6 billion allocated to defending our Texas border, $125 million for alternatives to abortion, and $1.6 billion for school safety. It has been a privilege to serve on the Appropriations Committee, but there is still more work to be done. The Senate is now creating their version of the budget, and when they have completed it, the two chambers will convene in a conference committee. Numbers for the budget will be finalized sometime in mid-May. I will be sure to keep y’all updated and fight to protect your tax dollars from waste, fraud and abuse.
Property Tax Relief
Last week, House Bill 2 was passed by overwhelming margins. This bill would result in the largest property tax cut in Texas history, a 28% reduction in school property taxes resulting in more than $17 billion in tax relief when combined with HB1.
School Nutrition
Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) hosted Fruit and Veggie Day at the Capitol. TIPA brought fresh fruit and vegetables to our Capitol and talked about the over 60 types of produce grown in the Lone Star State. This was a wonderful collaboration to promote HB 3991, my bill that designates the first Friday in April as Texas Fruit & Vegetable Day in public schools. The child obesity rate has tripled over the past 30 years, and their expected lifespan is now less than their parents! Obesity affects more than one in five children. Eating behaviors, including the intake of fruits and vegetables, are developed during childhood and continue into adolescence and adulthood. Proper nutrition should be a key component of any public health effort to promote childhood wellbeing. This bill will be heard on Tuesday in the Committee on Public Education.
Education Freedom
Governor Abbott also made his way to the House Floor last week to discuss the importance of education freedom and parental empowerment. The governor and I both firmly understand and respect the importance of empowering parents by giving them full autonomy over decisions regarding their children and their education.
Bill Progress
There has been great progress on several of my bills. My House Bill 3137 was favorably voted out of committee last week. It will restrict local governments, under state firearms preemption law, from requiring firearm owners to obtain liability insurance. Recently San Jose, California, became the first city in the nation to pass an ordinance that would require all gun owners to pay a registration fee and carry separate liability policies on their firearms after registering them. This ordinance infringes on the Second Amendment and creates an illegal gun registry. HB 3137 protects an individual's ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights by limiting local municipalities' ability to require an owner of a firearm to obtain liability insurance coverage.
My Wimberley Dark Skies bill, HB 4660, was favorably voted out of committee. This bill will help the city and community utilize economic development tools to promote Dark Sky tourism events to encourage appreciation of the Hill Country's natural beauty.
This coming Tuesday, HB 3138 will be heard in the Committee on Community Safety. This bill establishes automatic reciprocity for residents of other states whose states also recognize Texas' right to carry.
I appreciate the continued support of my constituents in my continued fight for freedom in the Texas House. It is an honor to be serving the people of House District 73 this session.