Tonight Governor Greg Abbott gave his State of the State address and announced seven “emergency items.” This designation means lawmakers can take up this issue in the first 60 days of the session. Those items for the 88th Session are:
- Cutting Property Taxes “We have all proposed using $15 billion to cut property taxes. Now we must ensure that it provides lasting property tax relief. To get that done, cutting property taxes will be an emergency item this session.”
- Ending COVID Restrictions “We must prohibit any government from imposing COVID mask mandates, COVID vaccine mandates, and from closing any business or school because of COVID. Also, we must change how government responds to future pandemics, including requiring the legislature to convene if another pandemic is ever declared.”
- School Choice “Parents also deserve education freedom. Without it, some parents are hindered in helping their child succeed. That must change this year. The way to do that is with school choice through state-funded Education Savings Accounts.”
- School Safety “We must establish the safest standards, and then use the newly created Chief of School Safety to mandate compliance with those standards, and we must provide more mental health professionals in our schools.”
- Revolving Bail “We must shut and lock that revolving door by passing laws that keep dangerous criminals behind bars and hold accountable the judges who let them out.”
- Border Security “We must impose a mandatory minimum jail sentence of at least 10 years for anyone caught smuggling illegal immigrants in Texas.”
- Fentanyl Crisis “We must call fentanyl deaths what they are — poisonings — and prosecute them as murders. We must also increase the supply of lifesaving NARCAN, so we can save more Texans who are ambushed by fentanyl.”