With less than five weeks remaining in Texas’ current legislative session, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is turning up the heat on the state’s House committee after announcing that the Senate has passed all 40 of its top priority bills.
In a statement issued on April 29, Patrick said the upper chamber has “done its work.” He further spoke on the passage of SB 31 the “Life of the Mother Act” – as one of the final milestones in the Senate’s priority package of new bills.
Patrick called the Texas House out, specifically saying, “It is time for the House to begin moving property tax relief legislation. ” He also mentioned the other conservative bills he has promoted that have already cleared the Senate.
“With the clock ticking, the House must prioritize and deliver conservative priorities to the governor’s desk. The Senate has passed them already. It is time to begin moving Senate bills in the House. Democrats must not be allowed to obstruct the passage of key bills and joint resolutions. The House should start with property tax relief as the next bill they pass,” Patrick added.
Among the Senate’s headline priorities is a $200,000 homestead exemption that would eliminate school property taxes for the average senior homeowner – as previously covered by The Dallas Express.
The recent push follows a set of other bills from conservative leaders mandating that local law enforcement agencies assist federal immigration authorities with deportations, new legislation to set up school choice options, and an adjacent bill to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms.
As of last Friday, Patrick noted that the Senate had passed 631 bills, compared to just 182 by the House. With the legislative session set to end on June 2, the Lieutenant Governor warned that time is running out to deliver on the GOP’s agenda.
“June 2 Sine Die (end of session) is only a few short weeks away. Texans are watching the House with great interest,” Patrick declared.