Frisco | February 2023

AT THE CAPITOL

News from the 88th legislative session

QUOTE OF NOTE

Texas House re-elects Speaker Dade Phelan on rst day of legislative session

Sign up for our newsletter at communityimpact.com for daily updates throughout the session. SUBSCRIBE TODAY HOUSE BILL 1655 In January, Patterson also led a bill relating to the regulation of books sold to or included in public school libraries. The bill would also create mandatory library standards for public schools. HIGHLIGHTS HOUSE BILL 1155 Rep. Jared Patterson, representing District 106 in east Denton County, led a bill in January related to parental rights in public education. The bill discusses prohibiting instruction regarding sexual orientation or gender identity for certain public school students. NUMBER TO KNOW This is how much lawmakers can spend as they create the state’s budget for scal year 2024-25. This is an unprecedented amount of money and is largely due to high sales tax revenue, energy prices and economic growth. $188.2 billion “WE ALL KNOW THAT INCREASED DEMAND IS GOING TO BE PLACED ON THE GRID AS TEXAS CONTINUES TO GROW. ... WE WILL BUILD A GRID THAT POWERS OUR STATE NOT FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, BUT FOR THE NEXT 40 YEARS.” GOV. GREG ABBOTT

BY HANNAH NORTON

Slaton of Royse City and Nate Schatzline of Tarrant County. In a statement, Schat- zline said he voted for Tin- derholt to “stand against the practice of nominating Democrat chairs.” Members of the minority party are routinely appointed to lead some House committees, but some want to end the practice. Phelan appointed Democrats to lead 13 of the 34 House committees in

2021 and has vowed to do the same in 2023, according to The Texas Tribune . Every House Democrat voted for Phelan. As speaker, Phelan assigns House members to committees, appoints committee leaders and presides over the chamber throughout the session. He is required to sign all passed legislation. Speaking before his colleagues, Phelan out- lined his priorities for

Members of the Texas House of Representatives re-elected state Rep. Dade Phelan, RBeaumont, for a second term as speaker Jan. 10. Phelan beat state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, RAr- lington, to secure the chamber’s top leadership position. Phelan garnered 143 votes, while Tinderholt received three—one from himself, alongside Repub- lican state Reps. Bryan

Dade Phelan

the session. He called for a “family-focused House” that prioritizes what matters most to everyday Texans. Phelan emphasized a need for lasting property tax relief, which Gov. Greg Abbott and other state leaders have as a top issue.

Texas mayors aim to maintain local control, expand funding for mental health services

Gov. Abbott vows to prioritize property tax relief, public safety

BY HANNAH NORTON

of 18 mayors who represent approxi- mately one-third of Texas’ population. Three of the 10 largest cities in the nation—Houston, San Antonio and Dallas—are in Texas. On Jan. 13, the group announced its priorities for the 2023 legislative session, including public safety and mental health. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the large amount of money available for Texas’ biennial budget gives lawmakers “an opportunity to be transformative in making invest- ments in mental health.” Turner said lawmakers must invest now, “or it is very unlikely to happen anytime soon.”

BY HANNAH NORTON

Preserving local control is a key concern for the mayors of Texas’ most populous cities, said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who serves as chair of the Texas’ Big City Mayors coalition. “Each community of ours has unique needs,” Nirenberg said. “As mayors with the responsibility of managing services and operations that largely impact the daily lives of our residents, we believe that we are best positioned to determine local policies that improve [the] lives and meet the needs of our respective communities.” The bipartisan coalition is made up

To kick o his third term as Texas’ top ocial, Gov. Greg Abbott spoke about his priorities for the 88th legislative session, including property tax cuts, infra- structure and public safety. During his Jan. 17 inauguration speech, he highlighted recent successes, including economic development, job growth and the $32.7 billion budget surplus. “We will use that budget surplus to provide the largest property tax cut in the history of the state of Texas,” Abbott said.

Be romanced by perfect air quality and comfort with 15% OFF all indoor Air Quality Products. Don’t let bad air harm loved ones. Call Aire Serv of Flower Mound today to keep comfort close to the heart.

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM