AT THE CAPITOL
News from the 88th legislative session
QUOTE OF NOTE
“I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO 2023 AND ANOTHER
STATE COMPARISONS
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas ranks in the middle of a sampling of Southern states when it comes to pre-K through 12th- grade overall per-pupil spending. Funding comes from local, state and federal sources. These numbers from the Census Bureau in 2021 show some of the surrounding states:
PRODUCTIVE LEGISLATIVE
NUMBER TO KNOW The number of bills led by Texas lawmakers a month from the start of the Jan. 10 session. Lawmakers started ling bills Nov. 14 and have until March 10—the 60th day of the session—to submit bills for this Legislature. 1,100+ SESSION THAT WILL SET THE STAGE FOR AN EVEN GREATER TEXAS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.” LT. GOV. DAN PATRICK LEGE STICKS WITH ODD YEAR PATH When the Legislature was established, lawmakers could travel across Texas on foot or by horse. Journeys were long and dangerous, so lawmakers chose to meet in Austin every two years, according to Dallas Morning News reports. Many states switched to annual sessions in the 1970s, but Texas did not. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota and Texas are the only states that do not meet every year. The Texas Legislature rst convened in 1846, according to the Legislative Reference Library of Texas. The session was just 87 days long, but lawmakers met again in 1847, kicking o the tradition of odd-numbered years. Now, sessions are limited to 140 days, according to the Texas Constitution. The governor has the authority to call special sessions, which are limited to 30 days. Each special session focuses on speci c topics chosen by the governor and only laws on those topics can be passed. In 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott called three special sessions, which dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, law enforcement, elections, the Texas-Mexico border, transgender rights and more. Sign up for our newsletter at communityimpact.com for daily updates throughout the session. SUBSCRIBE TODAY
$11,075 Louisiana
Arkansas
New Mexico
$10,388 $10,177
Texas
Oklahoma
Mississippi
$9,827 Arizona $8,625
$9,323
$9,284
SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU COMMUNITY IMPACT
JOE WARNER COMMUNITY IMPACT
Early bill lings show education, property tax relief among major priorities for 2023 legislative session
BY HANNAH NORTON
students in attendance on average. Schools earn $6,160 per student who meets the average daily atten- dance threshold. But when a student is frequently absent, their school loses money, even if the school’s day-to-day operations do not change. Multiple district administrators told Community Impact they lost more money during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic due to lower attendance rates when children were sick, quarantining or learning remotely. House Bill 31 was led by Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D Austin, to require the state to fund schools based on the average number of students enrolled during the academic year. Two bills to change state-funding criteria failed to move forward despite bipartisan support during the 2021 session. Sen. Nathan Johnson, D Dallas, led SB 88 to increase the basic allotment to $7,075. Property taxes Texas has one of the highest property tax rates in the nation. This is because the state does not charge an income tax. Additionally, local property taxes are used to fund schools, city infrastructure, emer- gency services and more. Gov. Greg Abbott has indicated that lowering property taxes is a top priority this session. Multiple bills have been led to eliminate or reduce schools’
maintenance and operations taxes, which fund day-to-day operations and employee salaries. Rep. Andrew Murr, R Junction, led two bills to eliminate the tax. HB 29 would create a joint commit- tee that would deal with the details of eliminating the tax, while HB 38 would increase certain state taxes in place of the local property taxes. Dick Lavine, the senior scal analyst for policy nonpro t Every Texan, said eliminating maintenance and operations taxes is “completely unrealistic” for Texas. “If we want to keep having schools, you need another source of revenue,” Lavine said. “And the state does not have much in alternative sources.” Homeowners can also receive homestead exemptions, or a reduc- tion in a portion of the home’s value for tax purposes. According to the comptroller’s o ce, a $40,000 reduction is available for each homeowner’s primary residence. Additional exemptions are available for Texans who have a disability or are over age 65. HB 40, led by Rep. Erin Zwiener, D Driftwood, would create a home- stead exemption for property that is used to harvest rainwater or gray water. HB 144, led by Rep. Diego Bernal, D San Antonio, would create an exemption for the parent or legal guardian of someone who receives care in their home while waiting on state support.
A month before the Jan. 10 start of the 2023-24 legislative session, Texas lawmakers had led over 1,100 bills. Thousands more are expected to be led, but only some will become laws. Lawmakers have until the 60th day of the session—March 10—to le prospective pieces of legislation, but bills led before the session often highlight priorities for the biennium. Budgeting for the coming years At a Nov. 30 meeting, the Legisla- tive Budget Board voted unanimously to increase the Legislature’s spending ability by 12.33% for the 2024-25 budget. This means lawmakers will have access to up to $131 billion for the biennium. The state also has a $27 billion surplus, which puts the Legislature above its constitutional spending limits. Lawmakers must vote or pass a bill to exceed the spending cap. Lawmakers began ling bills Nov. 14. Below is some of the legisla- tion that lawmakers are expected to debate when they return to Austin. This article is not comprehensive. Education and public schools Changing the way Texas funds public schools is top of mind for many educators, administrators and parents. Schools receive per-student funding from the state under the basic allotment. This is based on average daily attendance, or the number of
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LEWISVILLE COPPELL EDITION • JANUARY 2023
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