Dade Phelan
New Staff, New Goals, New Candidates
The shakeup in the world of the Texas House has continued over the last few weeks, as Speaker Phelan hires a new Chief of Staff, the Speaker’s race has now expanded to three challengers, and more. New Staff With Dade…
Fourth Special Session Concludes With an Unresolved School Choice Saga
The Texas Legislature wrapped up the fourth special legislative session on Tuesday and one of the most contentious issues remained unresolved: school choice. Despite Governor Greg Abbott’s push, the proposal to allow for Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) ultimately failed to…
House Takes Up Vaccine and Border Bills, But School Choice Still in Limbo
With more than half of the special session already over, on Wednesday, the Texas House finally took up and considered four bills on the Floor for debate. Two House bills and two Senate bills considered included: SB 7 by Senator…
ROUND 3: The Third Special Session Has Begun
The third special session of the year has officially started, with the Texas House and Texas Senate both convening this afternoon. Tensions between the two chambers and members of leadership are high after a strained regular session, two special sessions,…
Texas House Lawmakers Join the Call for Audit of Impeachment Investigation
Friday, three Texas House lawmakers called on both the Texas House Speaker, Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) and State Rep. Andrew Murr (R-Junction) to conduct a “complete audit and providing an itemized account of taxpayer funds spent on the impeachment investigation and…
Pushing Back Against Compromise School Choice Efforts
The Texas Legislature is widely expected to convene in yet another special legislative session in the coming weeks. This time they will reportedly focus on education freedom and parental choice or school choice and salary increases for government school teachers….
Legislators Celebrate Second-Largest Property Tax Relief Package in Texas History
In an official commemoration surrounded by Texas legislators, Governor Abbott ceremoniously signed and celebrated the second-largest property tax relief package in Texas history. Taking place in New Caney, Texas, and livestreamed online, Governor Abbott on Wednesday ceremoniously signed the new…
Political Calculus Changing Around Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Ban?
Will Texas ban the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying in the next legislative session? Taxpayer-funded lobbying, simply put, is the practice of local political subdivisions (school districts, cities, counties, etc.) hiring lobbyists in Austin to lobby lawmakers to increase the local…
Chairman Bonnen Kills Path to Property Tax Elimination
On Thursday, after months of stalemate, the Texas House finally took up for consideration a property tax plan intended to provide real relief to Texas taxpayers. The House convened in the early afternoon to consider the proposed plan. Senate Bill…
Legislature Reaches Property Tax Deal
The House and Senate finally reached a property tax relief deal, but is it everything that they claim it to be? On Monday, leadership in the Texas Legislature finally reached a deal ending the months-long property tax relief stalemate that…
Round 2: Abbott Calls Second Special Session
In the third attempt this legislative cycle, Phelan and Patrick continue the battle over property tax relief and Abbott introduces a new(ish) topic to the debate. The clash between the east and west chambers of the Texas Capitol has officially…
A Cap on Property Tax Bill Increases?
Just three days after House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) formed a new Select Study Committee on Sustainable Property Tax Relief in the Texas House, Chairman Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) sent a letter to the committee’s chairman, Morgan Meyer (R-Dallas), proposing a…
Texas Senate Doubles Down, House Forms New Study Committee
After Governor Abbott used the threat of his veto power to try and force the House and Senate to come to an agreement on property tax relief over the weekend (to no avail, despite having vetoed 76 bills), the battle…
Texas House Gives Initial Approval to Corporate Welfare Revival Priority
On Thursday, the Texas House of Representatives considered House Bill 5 (HB 5), or what was dubbed the “Texas Jobs and Security Act” by both the legislation’s author, Republican State Rep. Todd Hunter (Corpus Christi), and Texas House Speaker Dade…
Texas Expanding Medicaid Coverage With Help From Republican Lawmakers
The state of Texas is one of only 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid after the passage of Obamacare. That is a good thing. Medicaid expansion is costly and does not provide timely access to quality care. If you…