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Articles by Richard Lee
Senate proceeds with session agenda, despite House quorum break
Body The Senate on Wednesday moved forward on the governor's special session agenda, though bills passed by the body can't become law if the House members who broke quorum over the weekend don't return in time. SB 9 by Houston Senator Paul Bettencourt, is intended to slow property tax growth by lowering the "voter approved rate" threshold.
Special session stalls as house dems leave state
Body The Texas House cannot conduct business as more than 50 Democratic representatives headed out-of-state in order to stop consideration on a controversial mid-decade redistricting map that looks to add five more Republican seats to the congressional delegation. House Democratic leaders announced the quorum break on Sunday from Illinois. At 3 p.m. on Monday, the House failed to make quorum. Following roll call, House Speaker Dustin Burrows said that the tactic would prove fruitless.
Texas Senate News Weekly Review for 7/28-8/1/25
Body SENATE PASSES THC BAN The Senate passed three bills this week relating to the governor’s special session call, including the issue that brought them back to Austin in the first place: THC in hemp-derived consumables.Both chambers approved a full ban of the presence of the intoxicant in any hemp products, but Governor Greg Abbott vetoed the bill amid concerns about legal challenges.Following the veto, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick vowed that the Senate would again pass a full ban and on Friday...
Texas Senate News: Senate wraps 140-day regular session
The Senate adjourned sine die last week, closing out a 140-day regular session that saw, for the first time, passage of legislation that would allow the use of state revenue for private school tuition. While school choice was the marquee issue heading into the session, lawmakers tackled other key issues including the future of water in Texas, THC consumables, bail reform, and historic new funding into public education. “This is the finest session any Texas Senate has ever had,” Lt. Gov.
Texas State News: Cannabis policy changes highlighted
With just a few days left in session, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and a number of senators held a press conference Wednesday to tout the Senate’s work on banning intoxicating hemp consumables while expanding the state’s medical marijuana program.
Legislature Wraps 89th Session
The Senate adjourned sine die on Monday, closing out a 140-day regular session that saw, for the first time, passage of legislation that would allow the use of state revenue for private school tuition...
Texas Senate News: Senate approves school funding bill
The Senate gave final approval last week to an agreement negotiated between both chambers on how to deliver $8.5 billion in new school funding. “Our two chambers, the House and the Senate, can come together and work together in an efficient manner to do what’s right for Texas students,” said bill sponsor and Conroe Senator Brandon Creighton.
Texas Senate News: Senate rolls out public school finance bill
The Senate Committee on Education K-16 considered the session’s premiere education funding bill as lawmakers look to deliver on a promise to put more money into public education this session than ever before. The version of HB 2 presented to the committee would quadruple the average amount of new public education funding appropriated in a given session, allocating $8 billion in new funds, most of which will go towards teacher pay.
Texas Senate News: House, senate reach deal on tax cuts
Chairmen of key committees in the House and Senate announced that the two chambers have come to consensus on how to deliver billions in property and business tax relief over the next two years.
Texas Senate News: Senate strengthens school discipline rules
The Senate last week gave unanimous approval to a bill that is intended to clarify when doctors can perform medically necessary abortions under the state’s near universal ban. The health of the mother has always been protected by the state’s pro-life laws going back to 1880, said Mineola Senator and bill author Bryan Hughes. Despite that, he says, there have been a number of cases since the state’s abortion ban was reinstated following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v.
Texas Senate News: Governor to sign school choice into law
Texas’ first universal school choice legislation is just a signature away from becoming law after the Senate concurred in House amendments to SB 2 last week. Abbott said last week he will sign the bill, creating a system that would use a billion dollars in state dollars to fund about 100,000 education savings accounts that parents can use to pay for private school expenses.
Texas Senate News: Senate passes 'no cell phones in school' bill
Outside of a few exceptions, public school students would no longer be permitted to use their personal cell phones during classroom instruction under a bill passed by the Senate last week. National teacher surveys show that cell phones top the list of classroom disruptions, said bill author and Education K-16 Committee chair Senator Brandon Creighton of Conroe. “Texas educators have increasingly voiced concerns about cell phones disrupting the classroom, and the data backs them up,” he said.
Texas Senate News
Body Most homeowners with disabilities or aged 65 years or older would pay no school property taxes under a bill advanced by the Senate Local Government Committee Tuesday.Combined with previous property tax cut bills passed by the Senate, bill author and Houston Senator Paul Bettencourt says the average senior or disabled homeowner will save nearly a thousand dollars on their annual tax bill.
Texas Senate News: Senate passes special education bill
Businesses that pay the franchise tax in Texas would get a significant break in their annual bill under a measure approved unanimously by the Senate last Wednesday. Part of a package of bills passed by the Senate that includes billions in cuts for residential and business property tax rates, SB 32, by Houston Senator Paul Bettencourt, would allow businesses to write off up to 20 percent of inventory.
Texas Senate News: Senate passes major water bill
The Senate is close to passing all of its priority bills and should have them sent to the House by mid-month, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick told reporters at a Thursday press confer- ence. Twenty-nine of the 40 bills given priority status by Patrick have cleared the Senate and he expects the rest to be out the door by April 15. Then, it’s up to the House, he said. “I have confidence in Speaker Burrows, everything he has said, I would say we’re singing from the same songbook,” said Patrick.
Texas Senate News: Panel approves major water bill
Water projects in Texas will have the backing of $1 billion in dedicated funds each year under a bill approved unanimously by the Senate Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs Committee last Monday. Within 50 years, state demand for water will double, said committee chair and Lubbock Senator Charles Perry, and the state’s current water supply and infrastructure will not meet those needs. He said that the state’s aquifers are depleting and almost all the surface water supply is spoken for.
Texas Senate News: Senate approves total ban on THC
No product containing any amount of any form of THC, the psychoactive chemical present in cannabis, could be legally sold in Texas under a bill passed by the Senate last week. The bill comes in response to the explosion of consumable hemp products containing the drug, exploiting a loophole in a 2019 law intended to create an industrial hemp industry in Texas.
Texas Senate News: Panel considers sweeping changes to special ed funding
The state’s school finance system would base additional funding for special education students on the type and intensity of services provided, rather than where they receive those services, under a bill considered by the Senate Education Committee last week. Bill author and Houston Senator Paul Bettencourt says that the bill represents a sea change in the way the state educates the nearly 800,000 students that qualify for some form of special education accommodation.
Senate panel approves bills combatting cost of housing
Several bills were approved by the Senate Local Government Committee that would make it easier to build new housing and are an effort to lower the cost of housing by increasing the supply. While Texas enjoys a relatively lower cost of living relative to other states, the price of housing continues to increase.
Texas Senate News: Senate considers bill to rein in THC abuses
It would be illegal for hemp consumable products to contain any form of THC under a bill considered by the Senate State Affairs Committee Monday. This includes delta-8 THC, a somewhat less potent form of the main psychoactive chemical present in marijuana, but one that can still induce the effects of cannabis intoxication at high enough concentrations.
Texas Senate News: Senate approves bill to rein in lottery abuses
The Senate last week gave unanimous approval to a bill that its author said is intended to send a clear message to the state lottery commission and any other state agencies who think they can defy the will of the legislature. SB 28, by Edgewood Senator Bob Hall, would outlaw the use of third-party couriers who buy lotto tickets on behalf of customers, which he said is a clear violation of the legislature’s intent when it created the state lottery in 1992.
Texas Senate News: Senate sends bail reform package to House
The Senate passed a number of bills last week intended to keep dangerous criminals behind bars instead of free on bail. Since 2021, 162 new homicide cases have been filed in Harris County alone where the defendant is alleged to have committed the crime while out on bond, said Houston Senator Joan Huffman. Her bill, SJR 5, would ask Texas voters to amend the state constitution to permit judges to deny bail to those accused of the most violent offenses.
Bail reform package heads to senate floor
by Richard Lee The Senate Criminal Justice Committee last week unanimously passed a package of bills aimed at reforming the state’s bail bond system, specifically giving judges more latitude to deny bail to offenders they think pose a threat to the public. Legislation author and Houston Senator Joan Huffman says that judges too often grant bond to offenders who threaten public safety, putting lives at risk.
Senate advances property tax cuts
The Senate Committee on Local Government on Tuesday unanimously approved measures that would further increase the homestead exemption, the amount of property value a homeowner can write off before assessment. Houston senator and committee chair Paul Bettencourt, who authored SJR 2, and its enabling legislation SB 4, told members the measures will offer real savings to Texas homeowners at a time when everything seems to be more expensive.
Texas Senate News: Senate approves school choice plan
Parents across the state could apply for access to state funds to pay for private education services under a bill approved by the Senate last Wednesday evening. School choice legislation is a top priority of state leadership, including Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, who named it the top issue for the session. The Senate passed similar legislation multiple times across five sessions in 2023.
Senate Committee Advances School Choice
The Senate Committee on Education K-16 approved a plan to create education savings accounts to pay for non-public education services with state revenue, moving forward on Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s to...
Senate committe advances school choice
by Richard Lee The Senate Committee on Education K-16 approved a plan to create education savings accounts to pay for non-public education services with state revenue, moving forward on Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s top priority for the 89th session. Money from these accounts could be used for a variety of education services, from private school tuition, books and other instructional materials, tutoring, and educational therapies.
Senate files budget set to lower property taxes
by Richard Lee The Senate version of the state budget for the upcoming biennium includes $32 billion for property tax cuts. The bill, filed last week by Houston Senator and Finance Committee Chair Joan Huffman, would spend $151.6 billion in non-dedicated general revenue, significantly less than the $194 billion in estimated revenue for the 2026-2027 biennium.
Session ends without school choice legislation
by Richard Lee The fourth special session of the 88th Legislature ended Tuesday with no bill on school choice, Governor Greg Abbott’s top legislative priority for the year. There was no progress towards a deal after the House stripped education savings accounts from a major school finance bill in mid-November. This was the third time that the House has declined to advance school choice legislation this year, with members voting 84-63 to remove such provisions from a major school finance bill.
Senate completes third called special agenda
by Richard Lee The Senate passed four bills on Thursday that answered the call for legislation set out by Governor Greg Abbott this week. When the third special session ended without passage of a bill on school choice Tuesday, Abbott immediately called a fourth, once again putting education savings accounts on the agenda.
Holiday parties
by Richard Lee After approving more than $5 billion for state border security efforts in the regular session, the Senate added another $1.5 billion in last Tuesday’s session, almost all of which is earmarked for building more miles of the permanent wall between Texas and Mexico. SB 6 author and Houston Senator Joan Huffman said that the state must continue to fill the gap left by the federal government’s inaction on the border.
Texas Senate News
By Richard Lee, Richard.Lee@senate.texas.gov The House’s case, presented by attorneys Rusty Hardin and Dick DeGuerin, centered on the testimony of several former top deputies at the Office of Attorney General, some of whom resigned in protest in October of 2020 after reporting allegations of bribery, abuse of office, and other offenses on the part of the attorney general to the FBI. They testified they had seen or otherwise had knowledge of the offenses alleged in the articles of impeachment.
Texas Senate News for September 16, 2023
Paxton Acquitted Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted Saturday of all sixteen articles of impeachment preferred to the Senate by the House on the last weekend of the regular session in May and dismissed a further four articles held in abeyance until the end of the trial. After two weeks of testimony and deliberation, not a single article received the support of even a simple majority in the Senate, much less the 21 votes needed to remove Paxton from office.
Paxton pleads not guilty as impeachment trial kicks off
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday pled not guilty as each of the 16 articles of impeachment were read, accusing him of disregard of public duty, misapplication of public resources, and abuse of the public trust, among other charges. The House overwhelmingly approved the impeachment of Paxton in May during the last weekend of the regular session with 121 of the 150 members voting to proffer the charges to the Senate for consideration.
Legislature approves largest tax cut in state history
by Richard Lee The average Texas homeowner could see annual property tax savings close to $1,300 if voters approve an increase in the homestead exemption in the upcoming November election. That’s part of the sweeping tax cut package passed by both houses of the Legislature on Thursday, ending a months-long impasse on how to distribute $18 billion in state revenue surplus set aside in this session’s budget.
Legislature approves largest property tax cut in state history
Time to read 2 minutes Published 17 min ago Last updated 1 min ago The average Texas homeowner could see annual property tax savings close to $1,300 if voters approve an increase in the homestead exemption in the upcoming November election. That’s part of the sweeping tax cut package passed by both houses of the Legislature Aug. 10, ending a months-long impasse… Premium Content is available to subscribers only. Please login here to access content or go here to purchase a subscription.
Legislature Approves Largest Property Tax Cut in State History
By ops@our-hometown.com | on July 19, 2023 by Richard Lee The average Texas homeowner could see annual property tax savings close to $1,300 if voters approve an increase in the homestead exemption in the upcoming November election. That’s part of the sweepin... You are unauthorized to view this page.
Legislature reaches deal on sweeping tax cut package
Subhead TEXAS SENATE NEWS The Senate gave unanimous approval to two measures Wednesday as part of a deal between the House and Senate on how to deliver billions in property tax relief to Texas citizens. As in previous proposals, SB 2 by Houston Senator Paul Bettencourt would raise the homestead exemption, more than doubling the amount homeowners can write off before assessment. This was a firm sticking point for theā¦ To access content, please login or purchase a subscription.
Texas Senate News for July 14, 2023
Legislature approves largest property tax cut in state history The average Texas homeowner could see annual property tax savings close to $1,300 if voters approve an increase in the homestead exemption in the upcoming November election. That’s part of the sweeping tax cut package passed by both houses of the Legislature on Thursday, ending a months-long impasse on how to distribute $18 billion in state revenue surplus set aside in this session’s budget.
Texas Senate News for July 12, 2023
Legislature reaches deal on sweeping tax cut package The Senate gave unanimous approval to two measures Wednesday as part of a deal between the House and Senate on how to deliver billions in property tax relief to Texas citizens. As in previous proposals, SB 2 by Houston Senator Paul Bettencourt would raise the homestead exemption, more than doubling the amount homeowners can write off before assessment.
Senate adds teacher pay increase to property tax plan for second special session
by Richard Lee Abbott called lawmakers back for an immediate session last week to find a way to deliver billions in property tax cuts to Texans. Again, Abbott limited the agenda to bills that only use tax compression, where state revenue is used to buy down local school property tax rates, but added a second issue: legislation to put Texas on a pathway to eliminating school district maintenance and operations property taxes.
Senate adds teacher pay increase to property tax plan for second special session
After the House and Senate failed to come to an agreement in the first called special session,… PLEASE LOG IN FOR PREMIUM CONTENT. Our website requires visitors to log in to view the best local news. Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe today!
Texas Senate News for June 28, 2023
Senate adds teacher pay increase to property tax plan for second special session After the House and Senate failed to come to an agreement in the first called special session, Governor Greg Abbott called lawmakers back for an immediate session Wednesday to find a way to deliver billions in property tax cuts to Texans.
Paxton impeachment trial set for Sept. 5
by Richard Lee The Senate last Wednesday gave unanimous approval to a resolution requiring impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton to appear in person before the body on Sept. 5 to answer charges laid out by the House. The Senate also adopted rules and procedures for the trial, setting forth protocols for witnesses, subpoenas, evidence, and other critical matters.
Paxton Impeachment Trial Set for September 5th
By ops@our-hometown.com | on June 28, 2023 by Richard Lee The Senate on Wednesday, June 21st, gave unanimous approval to a resolution requiring impeached Attorney General Ken Paxon to appear in person before the body on September 5th to answer charges laid o... You are unauthorized to view this page.
Texas Senate News Week in Review for June 19-23, 2023
Paxton impeachment trial set for September 5th The Senate on Wednesday gave unanimous approval to a resolution requiring impeached Attorney General Ken Paxon to appear in person before the body on September 5th to answer charges laid out by the House. The Senate also adopted rules and procedures for the trial, setting forth protocols for witnesses, subpoenas, evidence, and other critical matters.
Texas Senate News for June 22, 2023
Senate sets date, rules for paxton impeachment trial The Senate gave unanimous support Wednesday to a resolution ordering the attorney general to appear before the body at 9 a.m. on September 5th to answer charges of impeachment. Attorney General Ken Paxton was impeached by the House in the waning days of the regular session for disregard of official duty, bribery, and obstruction of justice stemming from his relationship with an Austin real estate developer.
Texas Senate News for June 20, 2023
Senate sweetens property tax proposal More than 60,000 small businesses would come off the franchise tax rolls under the Senate’s latest property tax proposal. Tuesday, the Senate gave unanimous support to a measure that would still increase in the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $100,000 but includes a number of changes to the state’s business tax and raises the total amount of tax relief under the Senate’s plan to $18 billion – a world record tax cut according to Lt. Governor Dan Patrick.
Senate sets date, rules for Paxton impeachment trial
The Senate gave unanimous support Wednesday to a resolution ordering the attorney general to appear before the body at 9 a.m. on September 5 th to answer charges of impeachment. Attorney General Ken Paxton was impeached by the House in the waning days of the regular session for disregard of official duty, bribery, and obstruction of justice stemming from his relationship with an Austin real estate developer.
Senatate News: Patrick says house needs to return to Austin
by Richard Lee Lt. Governor Dan Patrick told reporters at a press conference last Tuesday that, absent permission from the Senate, the House cannot adjourn itself permanently for the current special session and called on representatives to return to Austin to continue work on priority bills.
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