Texas legislators wrapped up the 89th session last week, passing more than 1,200 bills — 800 of which were sent to Gov. Greg Abbott in the last 10 days of the session, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Abbott has until June 22 to approve those that have not been signed, including the next two-year state budget. While the governor does not have the power to veto the entire $338-billion budget, he does have line-item veto power over individual portions of it.
The Texas Constitution allows the governor to veto legislation, sign it, or allow it to go into law without his signature. All bills that passed with at least two-thirds of both chambers’ approval cannot be vetoed. That means that all proposed constitutional amendments, which lawmakers passed by at least that margin, will go before voters in November. That includes proposed property tax relief for homeowners by raising the homestead exemption.
Abbott has not indicated which, if any, bills he will veto. He is facing considerable pressure from several groups, including veterans’ organizations, to veto Senate Bill 3, which would ban all consumable hemp products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Abbott also faces pressure from Republican state leaders, especially Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who led the charge to ban THC products, and law enforcement to sign it.
Rural Texans scored big wins in session
More than 3 million Texans live in rural areas across the state, The Texas Tribune reported, and the last session increased funding for them in several areas, including health care, agriculture, education, and emergency management.
Texas schools will receive $8.5 billion in additional public education funding, with teachers in smaller districts receiving an $8,000 raise if they have five or more years of teaching experience. Those with less than five years in the profession will get a $4,000 raise.
A sweeping water bill will provide more money for rural Texas to address water and wastewater projects. In addition, several bills address health care issues, including more money for rural hospitals. One measure creates a way to evaluate the financial health of rural hospitals and allows for updating reimbursement rates every two years.
“Because these things are now in statute, rural hospitals can count on it,” John Henderson, CEO of the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals, said, “rather than worry about uncertainty related to renewals or budget cycles.”
A grant program for rural counties to purchase ambulances was also passed.
Another measure expands a grant program that previously was limited to young farmers. The age restrictions have been lifted, and the amount available has increased from $20,000 to $500,000 with farmers paying a 10% match.
Finally, lawmakers passed a bill to establish a disaster recovery program for counties with fewer than 100,000 residents who have not received reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
In-state tuition for students without legal status ends
Texas has ended its policy of giving in-state tuition to college students who do not have legal status, the Texas Standard reported. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced last week that the state had filed a joint motion with the federal Department of Justice to end the practice. The judge granted the motion.
“Ending this discriminatory and un-American provision is a major victory for Texas,” Paxton said in a statement.
The Justice Department had filed a complaint to stop the practice, which began in 2001 with the support of then-Gov. Rick Perry, claiming it discriminated against U.S. citizens not afforded the same privileges. At the time it beganTexas was the first state to do so, with 24 states now having similar policies.
A report from the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration concluded there were about 57,000 students without legal status enrolled in Texas colleges and universities in 2022. The Austin American-Statesman reported that tuition costs would quadruple for students having to pay international student prices, citing tuition costs at the University of Texas and Austin Community College as examples.
Judges’ pay, lawmaker pensions get boost
One of the final bills passed in the recently concluded session would give a 25% raise to Texas judges, with base pay rising to $175,000, The Tribune reported. If signed by Abbott, that also means legislative pensions, which are tied to judges’ pay, would also rise.
A last-minute disagreement resulted in this being the final time the pensions are coupled with judicial pay. After that, the Texas Ethics Commission would take over assessing lawmaker pensions, as it does for per diem pay and other lawmaker benefits.
Texas judges’ pay has been among the lowest in the nation. In the past, lawmakers have been reluctant to give a raise to judges since it was tied to their own pension, fearing voter blowback.
“Let’s break this stalemate, support our judiciary and face the consequences together,” state Rep. Brent Money, R-Greenville, said.
Saharan dust returns to Texas
Saharan dust made its way into Texas late last week, bringing hazy skies to the eastern half of the state, the Statesman reported. The annual event likely won’t be as intense as previous summers, but it can still affect people who have respiratory issues.
The dust is carried by winds across the Atlantic from the Saharan Desert. Besides sparking allergy symptoms, it provides colorful sunrises and sunsets, and poor air quality. It can also keep temperatures higher and the skies drier by trapping heat closer to the ground.
Texans urged to prepare for 2025 hurricane season Texans are being urged to be prepared and stay informed during the current hurricane season by the Public Utility Commission.
“Every Texan should take time to create or review their severe weather plans and prepare their families and property for a potential storm,” PUC Chairman Thomas Gleeson said.
Potential power outages and restoration times can be tracked through the PUC’s storm resources webpage: puc.texas.gov/ storm.
Hurricane season began June 1 and ends on Nov. 30.
Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@ texaspress.com.
