Texas Senate

Subject: Eliminating the Position of Galveston County Treasurer, Senate Joint Resolution 28 (SJR 28)

• Author: State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston)
• TFR Position: Support
• Background: SJR 28 seeks to abolish the office of the County Treasurer in Galveston County. The currently elected County Treasurer ran on the platform of abolishing the office and the duties of the office can be absorbed by other offices that already exist within county government. SJR 28 would shrink the size of the government by eliminating a superfluous office. For all of these reasons, TFR supports SJR 28.

Subject: Banning Children’s Exposure to Drag Shows, Senate Bill 12 (SB 12)

• Author: State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola)
• TFR Position: Support
• Background: SB 12 seeks to protect children from being exposed to sexually-oriented performances on public property to promote the health, public safety, and well-being of our youngest Texans. For these reasons, TFR supports SB 12.

Subject: Removing District Attorneys Who Refuse to Follow Texas Law, Senate Bill 20 (SB 20)

• Author: State Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston)
• TFR Position: Support
• Background: SB 20 simply forces District Attorneys (DAs) to do their job by prosecuting crimes under the law. The weaponization of the judicial system is a direct threat to a constitutional republic form of government. For these reasons, TFR supports SB 20.

Subject: Allowing Parents to Pre-Register for College Courses, Senate Bill 459 (SB 459)

• Author: State Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney)
• TFR Position: Support
• Background: SB 459 would allow parents to be included in the pool of existing classes of individuals who can pre-register for college-level coursework. SB 459 would give families more options and make education more equitable. For these reasons, TFR supports SB 459.

Subject: Anti-Taxpayer, Senate Bill 612 (SB 612)

• Author: State Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas)
• TFR Position: Oppose
• Background: SB 612 would allow municipalities that impose a local sales and use tax that is used for road and sidewalk maintenance to do so for longer periods without having to go back to the voters, assuming that voters have approved of such a thing in the last two elections. SB 612 is the opposite of the best interest of taxpayers as it seeks to take them out of the equation even if public sentiment changes within that period. If the tax is necessary, taxpayers will approve of it. For these reasons, TFR opposes SB 612.

Subject: Removes Barriers to Entry for School Counselors, Senate Bill 798 (SB 798)

• Author: State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston)
• TFR Position: Support
• Background: SB 798 seeks to eliminate the requirement that school counselors have classroom teaching experience. SB 798 removes barriers for qualified school counselors. For these reasons, TFR supports SB 798.

Subject: Prohibit Taxpayer Money for Drag Queen Story Hours, Senate Bill 1601 (SB 1601)

• Author: State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola)
• TFR Position: Support
• Background: SB 1601 seeks to deny state funding (i.e. taxpayer money) from being given to municipal libraries that host events like “Drag Queen Story Hour”. We should seek to promote the health, public safety, and well-being of our youngest Texans. For these reasons, TFR supports SB 1601.

Texas House of Representatives

Subject: Tax Credits & Corporate Welfare, House Bill 1058 (HB 1058)

• Author: State Rep. Craig Goldman (R-Ft. Worth)
• TFR Position: Oppose
• Background: HB 1058 seeks to provide for franchise and insurance premium tax credits to certain low-income housing developments approved by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs as incentives to encourage investment by private investors in developments they would not normally invest in due to the same housing developments often not generating sufficient profit to warrant such investment. These incentives are antithetical to free enterprise and encourage the government to pick winners over losers. For these reasons, TFR opposes HB 1058.

Subject: House Bill 1599 (HB 1599)

• Author: State Rep. John Bucy III (D-Austin)
• TFR Position: Oppose
• Background: HB 1599 directs the Texas Health & Human Services Commission to implement an “express lane” option for determining the eligibility for CHIP or Medicaid of a child who is enrolled in another state public assistance program. HB 1599 has a fiscal note that includes a negative impact of an estimated $75,877,276 through the biennium. Instead of providing faster ways for Texans to get on welfare programs across the state (funded by taxpayer dollars), they should instead focus on providing an economic environment that provides a way off of such programs. For these reasons, TFR opposes HB 1599.

Reminder: Vote Notices are provided to both Texas state lawmakers and the general public in advance of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility’s position on issues to be rated as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Index prior to votes being taken in each legislative chamber.

Disclaimer: We reserve the right to consider amendments to legislation that may be introduced without notice as a part of issues to be rated as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Index. We will make every effort to provide notice on amendments that are pre-filed.