The Texas Legislature has had six weeks to catch its breath after the Regular Session ended June 2nd. Now it is getting ready for action on July 21st in Special Session.
Your Abilene Chamber of Commerce advocacy team is proud of many important bills to which we lent our support at different levels and received the Governor’s signature. Here are four of the top ones on our list:
Property Tax Relief totaling $10 billion for households and an increase in the business personal property tax exemption to $125,000. Voter approval is needed in November. This is on the back of significant property tax relief legislation passed in the previous Regular Session.
Led to a large extent by efforts of State Sen. Charles Perry, more than $2.5 billion allocated for funding water projects and at least $20 billion over the next two decades. Much of which is awaiting voter approval in November.
The Legislature appropriated $120 million to support advanced nuclear research and water desalination technologies through a partnership among Texas Tech University, Abilene Christian University, and Natura Resources. The funding will help complete the molten salt research reactor being constructed on ACU’s campus as part of the NEXT Lab initiative, advancing clean energy, medical isotope production, and water innovation. This project, through Natura Resources, also lays the groundwork for the future commercialization of next-generation nuclear technology, positioning Texas as a national leader in the field.
An additional $100 million for scholarships for childcare services, directly benefiting both families and the workforce. Today, there are about 95,000 children on the waiting list statewide.
In the special session, only items designated by the Governor can be considered. During the session (which can last up to 30 days), he may add to the list. On Wednesday, he announced 18 issues for the Legislature to address.
The headline issues dealt with natural disasters, warning the public of impending disasters, disaster recovery, etc.
Among the other items, the Governor placed items on the agenda are:
Eliminating the STAAR test and replacing it with effective tools to assess student progress and ensure school district accountability.
Reducing the property tax burden on Texans and imposing spending limits on entities that impose property taxes.
Regulating help-derived products but not banning them.
Protecting unborn children and their mothers from the harm of abortion.
Prohibiting taxpayer-funded lobbying, including the use of tax dollars to hire lobbyists and payment of tax dollars to associations that lobby the Legislature.
Protecting women’s privacy in sex-segregated spaces.
Providing a revised congressional redistricting plan in light of constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Your Chamber Business Advocacy Council and staff will stay on top of these issues to represent your business concerns.
- Doug Williamson, Government Affairs Director for the Abilene Chamber of Commerce