AT THE CAPITOL
News from the 88th legislative session
QUOTE OF NOTE
Property tax relief among leading House priorities Two months into the 88th Texas Legislative Session, Speaker Dade Phelan announced eight priority bills that are likely to pass in the Texas House and include property tax relief and corporate tax incentives. that relocate to Texas. The legislation would replace Chapter 313, a similar program that expired in December. Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, filed HB 19, which would create a state business court system to handle BY HANNAH NORTON STATE PRIORITIES House Speaker Dade Phelan has endorsed several bills as his top priorities for the 2023 Texas Legislature. House Bills 1-20 are typically reserved for the speaker’s priorities, which include:
NUMBER TO KNOW This is how much the Texas Department of Transportation plans to use to fund roadway safety and mobility projects across Texas for the next 10 years. $100B UPDATES FROM LOCAL LEGISLATORS “TO BUILD THE TEXAS OF TOMORROW, WE MUST CONTINUE THE STATE’S UNRELENTING EFFORTS TO BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE, GROW THE ENERGY SECTOR, IMPROVE JOB TRAINING AND PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND ENSURE HEALTH CARE ACCESS.” GOV. GREG ABBOTT IN HIS STATE BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR 2024-25
End of emergency SNAP benefits impacts 3M recipients in Texas R-Stephenville, respectively. The bills aim to give Texans more authority in how companies collect and monetize data from themselves and their chil- dren. Many minors are overexposed to social media, which can increase suicide rates and other mental health issues, Slawson said. lawsuits and regulatory cases. Rep. Gary VanDeaver, R-New Boston, filed HB 8, which would overhaul the funding system for Texas community colleges with a focus on measurable student outcomes, such as graduation rates and credentials earned. The changes were recom- mended by the Texas Commission on Community College Finance. Phelan also endorsed HBs 4 and 18, filed by Reps. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, and Shelby Slawson,
Other bills focus on data privacy, Medicaid eligibility and feminine hygiene products. Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas, filed House Bill 2, also known as the Property Tax Relief Act. According to a news release, the bill would cut school property taxes by 28% and prevent property values from increasing by more than 5% each year. Phelan’s office said this would be the largest property tax cut in Texas history, with a $460 reduction for homeowners in 2024. If HB 2 is approved, Texans could vote on the policy change during the Nov. 7 general election. Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, filed HB 5, which would give substantial tax breaks to corporations
HB 2 : Property tax relief
HB 5 : Corporate tax breaks
HB 19 : New state business court HB 8 : Community college funding redesign HB 4 and HB 18 Online data privacy HB 12 : Expanded postpar- tum Medicaid eligibility HB 300 : Tax-free baby and period products
SOURCE: TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
ERIN ZWIENER D-Driftwood Elected: 2018
HB 970 Relating to the repeal of statutes regarding the criminality or unacceptability of homosexual conduct and to the recognition of certain same- sex relationship statuses
Each SNAP household lost at least $95 in monthly benefits, but some Texans will see a much larger reduc- tion. Monthly benefits are typically determined based on household size, income and expenses, such as rent, but states provided recipients with the highest possible dollar amount for their household size under the emergency allotment. Benefits will decrease by $340 million from February to March, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
NEW SNAP BENEFITS
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments will now be: Household size Maximum monthly SNAP benefit 1 $281 2 $516 3 $740 4 $939 5 $1,116 SOURCE: TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
BY HANNAH NORTON
JUDITH ZAFFIRINI D-Laredo Elected: 1987
Approximately 3.6 million Texans began receiving reduced Supple- mental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in March, after the federal government ended emergency allot- ments to help with food costs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SB 31 Relating to the interconnection of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas power grid to grids outside its region
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