Legislative Services

House Lags Senate, Gap Narrows — Slightly

In the two preceding issues of County Issues, we noted the disparity in bill passage rates between the House and Senate. The see-saw remains unlevel. Notable? Yes. Surprising? Not really. Under Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s leadership over the past decade, the Senate has established a tradition of getting to work early — bills fly off the green-carpeted Senate floor.

On the red carpets of the House floor, things slow. Some say the Senate’s pace is more a symbolic than actual measure of productivity, that plenty of time remains in the session, that Speaker Dustin Burrows, while a first-term speaker, knows his way around the statehouse and how to pass bills, and that a familiar pattern will emerge: The logjam will break and a surge of bills will barrel across the rotunda, restoring hope that June 2 marks a true end to the 89th Legislature.

Others look to the public education voucher legislation, House Bill 3 by Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Salado), stalled since March 12 in the House Public Education Committee, or the removal of beverages from Senate Bill 3’s proposed ban on THC products by House State Affairs. HB 3 is a priority of Gov. Greg Abbott’s. Its failure last session led him to call four special sessions and spend millions to unseat representatives who opposed it. While Patrick hasn’t commented on the House’s beverage exception in SB 3, he previously vowed to do all in his power to force a special session if a THC ban fails to pass.

So, while the current scoreboard reads about 250 Senate bills passed versus just seven in the House, the Capitol stands are packed with scorekeepers, pencils in hand, recording every pitch, swing, catch and pop up, straining to see the game within the game. We’re about at the seventh-inning stretch with 51 days to go. Take me out the ball game, take me out to the crowd … just don’t take away hope that June 2 will be a true sine die, Latin for “last day.” And please don’t remind us that seven of the last 10 sessions have been followed by at least one special session.

Need a shot of optimism? The one thing lawmakers must absolutely do before packing up and heading home is write a state budget for the next two years. They took a giant step this week when the House passed SB 1 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston). It’s now clear of both chambers. Differences will be hammered out by a conference committee before heading to the governor’s desk for final approval.

Oh, one other House tidbit: This week, Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) picked up where he left off last week, filing a motion to vacate the chair. It failed.

News from the Texas Geographic Information Office (TxGIO)

TxGIO has published updates to its County Map Series — individual downloadable maps for all 254 counties. The maps display county and city boundaries, as well as maps of reservoirs, lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, and railroads and roads. They have been updated to include the latest data on flood planning, groundwater districts and more.

Additionally, TxGIO’s DataHub has been updated to reflect the latest information on Texas rivers, streams and waterbodies. It features an interactive hydrographic map.

County Treasurers’ Day at the Capitol

The County Treasurers’ Association came to Austin for its first-ever County Treasurers’ Day at the Capitol on Tuesday, April 8. Treasurers from all corners of the state gathered in Austin to take part in the festivities.

Attendees started their day at TAC’s Tuesday Morning Breakfast before heading to the Capitol to connect with their representatives, senators and staff. The assembled county treasurers were recognized in the Senate by Senate Resolution 373.

Constables, JPs Weigh In on Bills

On Tuesday, Constables and Justices of the Peace were at the Capitol to testify on two bills in the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.HB 2282 by Rep. Janie Lopez (R-San Benito) proposes raising the warrant recovery fee from $50 to $75, an amount that hasn’t increased in 30 years. Watch the testimony here, starting at the 5:24 mark.

HB 2492 by Rep. Rhetta Andrews Bowers (D-Rowlett) would give magistrates discretion to require authorities to hold someone arrested for family violence for a “cooling off” period. Watch here, starting at the 7:12 mark.

Legislative Directory Available

TAC’s Legislative Directory for the 89th Legislature is now available. The directory includes contact information for legislative leaders, committees, county official associations and TAC’s Legislative Services team.

Order free your copies here.

Grant Opportunities

This newsletter will highlight new grant opportunities on the last Friday of each month. Look for updates in the April 25 edition of County Issues, or visit TAC’s continuously updated Grant Opportunities webpage.

TAC also maintains a listserv community to foster discussion between county officials on available grants. To join the listserv or share a grant success story, please contact Zelma Smith.

Week in Review is a collaborative column from TAC Legislative Services.