Texas Gov. Greg Abbott laid out his priorities for the 88th legislative session during his 2023 State of the State address on Thursday evening.
The Republican governor touted the state’s “booming” economy, jobs, and growing population as he spoke on the manufacturing floor of Noveon Magnetics in San Marcos. Noveon manufactures rare earth magnets used in MRI machines, oil rigs, refrigerators, and more.
Abbott said Texas ranks number one in the country on jobs, economic development, exports, and Fortune 500 headquarters.
“Our $2 trillion economy makes Texas the ninth-largest economy in the world,” he added.
But the governor’s focus was on a list of emergency items he wants lawmakers to begin moving on immediately.
Typically, lawmakers may not hear or pass bills until the legislature is 60 days into the session, which began Jan. 10. However, bills related to the governor’s emergency topics can start moving through the process before the 60-day mark. The Texas Legislature’s regular biannual session runs through May 29.
Property Taxes
Property tax relief is on the governor’s list of emergency items this session.
Texas is sitting on a nearly $33 billion budget surplus, the largest in the state’s history. Abbott wants to earmark a big chunk of the massive surplus to cut property taxes.
“Property taxes are suffocating Texans,” Abbott said. “We must fix that this session.”
“We should return it to you with the largest property tax cut in history.”
His proposal would earmark $15 billion of the surplus to deliver the largest property tax cut in the state’s history.
COVID Restrictions
Another emergency item on Abbott’s list is the end to COVID restrictions “forever.”
“We must prohibit any government from imposing COVID mask mandates, COVID vaccine mandates, and from closing any business or school because of COVID,” Abbott said.
Abbott received backlash from some GOP lawmakers when he imposed restrictions and shut down schools and businesses at the beginning of the pandemic.
“Also, we must change how government responds to future pandemics, including requiring the legislature to convene if another pandemic is ever declared,” he added.
Texas was among the first states to lift COVID restrictions, earning him additional backlash from opponents.
Education
Abbott said protecting the “freedom and rights of parents” is another emergency item that will be prioritized in this session.
Texas public schools are “excellent,” he said, adding that the state is number one for National Blue Ribbon Schools.
However, he said he has heard from frustrated parents whose special needs children are not receiving the help required to succeed in school, as well as from angry parents who discover the “woke agenda” is being forced on their kids.
“Let’s be clear: Schools are for education, not indoctrination,” Abbott said. “Schools should not push woke agendas.”
The governor said parents “deserve access” to curriculum, school libraries, and what their children are being taught in school.
“We will do that with the Parental Bill of Rights,” Abbott continued.
He said that parents “deserve education freedom,’ as he introduced his plan to implement school choice through “state-funded Education Savings Accounts.”
“It’s time to provide every parent with the ability to choose the best education option for their child,” Abbott said.
GOP lawmakers have filed several bills, including SB 176 (pdf) and HB 557 (pdf), that would allow more education options for parents.
School Safety
Another emergency item is school safety. Texas has experienced two mass school shootings in the past five years.
Last May, 19 students, and two teachers were killed when an 18-year-old opened fire on two classrooms at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. The shooter was killed by law enforcement more than 74 minutes after the shooter entered the school.
In 2018, a 17-year-old student went on a shooting rampage that left eight students and two teachers dead at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe. Thirteen others were wounded. The suspect admitted to the crimes but was declared unfit to stand trial. He is in custody at North Texas State Hospital.
“We cannot let another year go by without making our schools safer,” Abbott said.
The safest standards must be established to protect students, and there must be more mental health professionals in schools, he continued.
Compliance will be mandated by the Chief of School Safety and Security. The position was created after the tragedy at Robb Elementary.
Other Priorities
Abbott wants tougher bail policies for violent criminals and mandatory 10-year minimum sentences for criminals who illegally possess guns.
Securing the border is another top priority.
“We know that more must be done,” Abbott said. “That’s why the House and Senate are proposing another $4.6 billion to strengthen our border security efforts.
The governor said he also wants to “end the cartel killings of Texans” by prosecuting fentanyl deaths as murders and increasing the supply of Narcan, a medication that can reverse the effects of opioids.
“DPS has arrested more than 24,000 criminals and seized enough fentanyl to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States,” Abbott said.
From The Epoch Times