3 bills with a big impact at the end of the 85th legislative session
SB 6, the bathroom bill, was passed in mid-March in the upper chamber but made no additional movement in the House. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick threatened a special session should the issue fail. The House passed weaker provisions, which the Senate rejected, thus killing the bill.
SB 2, the property tax bill, was sponsored by state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and initially capped property tax rates from growing more than 5 percent annually, after which an election would be triggered. The House version stripped out this provision.
HB 21, the school finance bill, came amid calls to fix public school financing. The House proposal returned from the Senate with a school voucher provision attached for special needs students. House members refused the proposal, killing the bill.
