Education
A day after the Texas House of Representatives unveiled a proposal to pump more than $7 billion in new state funds into public schools, the Texas Senate answered with a budget that would boost the state’s share of public education spending by about $4.3 billion compared with the previous two-year budget cycle. A Senate bill would give schools $3.7 billion to provide $5,000 pay raises to all full-time classroom teachers. A bill filed by state Rep. Shawn Thierry, D-Houston, would require school districts and open-enrollment charter schools have metal detectors on each campus.Property taxes
On Feb. 11, a Senate committee passed Senate Bill 2, which would require an election when local governments want to collect an additional 2.5 percent or more in tax revenues from existing properties, regardless of the total taxable values assigned to properties. The measure now goes to the full Senate.State budget
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced the state will have $119.1 billion for lawmakers to use in putting together the state’s 2020-21 budget.Transportation
In early January, Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen announced his goal to alleviate “frustrations people feel when they visit one of our state’s driver’s license offices.” In its 2020-21 funding request, the Texas Department of Public Safety asked for an additional $420 million to properly staff driver’s license offices and increase the number of locations. The new House spending plan would add $200 million and 962 new full-time employees to shorten wait times at state driver’s license offices—and transfer the program from DPS to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. The Senate budget proposal listed no major changes, but senators debated reforms Jan. 28.Public safety
The Texas House’s budget plans would give the state prison system $160 million more to help care for inmates. The Senate’s plan would cut funding.Health care
Amid uncertainty about the federal Affordable Care Act, state legislators will tackle a variety of issues during the session, including mental health, opioids and funding for Medicaid.Other
A bill authored by state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, would make it a felony to threaten a romantic partner into taking on debt or financing expensive items such as vehicles.
Rep. John Bucy III
D-Cedar Park • Elected 2018 [email protected] On Jan. 16, Bucy filed House Bill 840 and House Joint Resolution 46 to expand Medicaid in Texas. HB 840 would expand the number of eligible Texans to participate in Medicaid. HJR 46 would call for a constitutional amendment.
Rep. Donna Howard
D-Austin • Elected 2006 [email protected] On Jan. 28, Howard filed HB 1146 that would require health care facilities to establish a workplace violence-prevention committee or authorize an existing one to develop and implement a workplace violence-prevention plan.
Rep. Celia Israel
D-Austin • Elected 2014
On Jan. 25, Israel filed HB 1001 that would address limitations in the Whistleblower Law to provide protection to public employees who report violations of the law to their supervisors, human resources staff and government staff.
