Property tax relief, school choice, student safety & fentanyl crisis among Abbott's emergency items
SAN MARCOS, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – From a business in San Marcos, Texas, Governor Greg Abbott delivered his State of the State address. "The state of our state has never been more exceptional."
He announced seven emergency items that Texas lawmakers can start work on right away and approve before other legislation.
The Texas Constitution doesn't allow legislators to pass other bills before the 60th day of their regular session.
During the Governor's address, which was televised throughout most of the state, he said he wants to use half of the budget surplus of nearly $33 billion to reduce Texans' rising property tax bills. "We have all proposed using $15 billion to cut property taxes. Now, we must ensure that it provides lasting property tax relief."
Another emergency item, what he called education freedom.
It includes school choice and developing Education Savings Accounts, funded by taxpayers, which he says the state already does for special needs students.
That money could be used for private schools. "We want to expand that program to provide every parent with the ability to choose the best education option for their child. Under this school choice program, all public schools will be fully funded for every student."
But education groups, Democrats, and rural Republican lawmakers criticize the idea and still worry it will hurt school districts.
Without mentioning the Uvalde tragedy last May, the Governor also declared school safety as a top priority and said new laws will have teeth. "We must establish the safest standards, and then use the newly created Chief of School Safety to mandate compliance with those standards."
The Governor choked up when discussing another crisis. "I've met Texans whose families were ripped apart by fentanyl."
He said he wants to prosecute poisonings as murders. "We must also increase the supply of lifesaving NARCAN so we can save more Texans who are ambushed by fentanyl."
In a video, the Texas Democratic Party provided a response to the Governor, criticizing him for not proposing raising the age of buying an AR style firearm from 18 to 21, and for banning most abortions.
The Chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, Trey Martinez Fischer said, "There are challenges ahead of us this legislative session, we're not going to lie to you and say the fight will be easy."
State Representative Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth said, "But we can promise you Democrats are going to fight."
It will be an uphill climb for Democrats at the Capitol because the Republicans hold majorities in both the Texas House and Senate.
The Governor's other emergency items include border security, keeping judges from releasing dangerous criminals back onto the streets, and ending all COVID restrictions forever, including vaccine and mask mandates, and shutting down schools and businesses because of COVID.
