Texas 86th Legislative Session
Gov. and Lt. Gov. Inauguration. Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick were sworn in on January 15th, 2019 at the Capitol by Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht and 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Don Willett, respectively. In their speeches, the leaders emphasized the familiar themes of school finance reform, property tax reform, and teacher pay. “Today is the dawn of a transformative session that will usher in a new era for children, teachers, and taxpayers,” Abbott said. “Despite the exceptional heights to which Texas has climbed, I believe we have only risen to the foothills of what we can become, I know we can do even more for our fellow Texans.”
House and Senate Base Budgets. On Wednesday, Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) filed the Senate’s budget proposal, SB 1. On Tuesday night, the Legislative Budget Board released details about the House budget proposal, which will eventually be filed as HB 1. The Senate budget for 2020-2021 adds up to $243 billion, compared to the House’s base budget of $247 billion – a difference of about $4 billion. In 2017, the two chambers’ budgets were $8 billion apart.
As promised by Texas’s top elected leaders, both budgets focuses on the dual priorities of public school funding and property tax relief. The Senate proposal includes a $5,000 across-the-board raise for all full time teachers, which would cost approximately $3.7 billion, and $2.3 billion for property tax relief. The House budget contains $9 billion to be used between property tax relief and education issues, with the specifics not yet set, and proposes spending about $3 billion more than the Senate in total on public education.
The proposals also differ in their use of the Economic Stabilization Fund, more popularly known as the “rainy day fund.” The Senate does not include any rainy day funds in its 2020-2021 budget, but does propose using $2.5 billion to pay off leftover expenses from past sessions, including Medicaid shortfalls and Harvey recovery costs. The House includes $633 million in new appropriations from the rainy day fund in its proposal.
Senate Committee Assignments. On Friday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Senate Committee assignments for the 86th Session. “The appointments I am making today call on all senators, including freshmen in both political parties, to play a significant role in crafting the bold and visionary public policies that will help accomplish the goals I identified in my inaugural speech — and set the stage for an even greater Texas for future generations,” Patrick said. The assignment are listed below.
Senate Agriculture Committee
Kel Seliger, Chair
Jose Rodriguez, Vice Chair
Bob Hall
Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa
Charles Schwertner
Senate Administration Committee
Bryan Hughes, Chair
Pat Fallon, Vice Chair
Joan Huffman
Nathan Johnson
Jose Menendez
Robert Nichols
Judith Zaffirini
Senate Business & Commerce Committee
Kelly Hancock, Chair
Robert Nichols, Vice Chair
Donna Campbell
Brandon Creighton
Jose Menendez
Angela Paxton
Charles Schwertner
John Whitmire
Judith Zaffirini
Senate Criminal Justice Committee
John Whitmire, Chair
Joan Huffman, Vice Chair
Dawn Buckingham
Peter Flores
Bryan Hughes
Borris Miles
Charles Perry
Senate Education Committee
Larry Taylor, Chair
Eddie Lucio, Jr., Vice Chair
Paul Bettencourt
Donna Campbell
Pat Fallon
Bob Hall
Bryan Hughes
Angela Paxton
Beverly Powell
Kirk Watson
Royce West
Senate Finance Committee
Jane Nelson, Chair
Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, Vice Chair
Paul Bettencourt
Brian Birdwell
Donna Campbell
Peter Flores
Kelly Hancock
Joan Huffman
Lois Kolkhorst
Robert Nichols
Charles Perry
Larry Taylor
Kirk Watson
Royce West
John Whitmire
Senate Health & Human Services Committee
Lois Kolkhorst, Chair
Charles Perry, Vice Chair
Dawn Buckingham
Donna Campbell
Peter Flores
Nathan Johnson
Borris Miles
Beverly Powell
Kel Seliger
Senate Higher Education Committee
Brandon Creighton, Chair
Royce West, Vice Chair
Paul Bettencourt
Dawn Buckingham
Beverly Powell
Larry Taylor
Kirk Watson
Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee
Eddie Lucio, Jr., Chair
Charles Schwertner, Vice Chair
Carol Alvarado
Donna Campbell
Pat Fallon
Jose Menendez
Robert Nichols
Senate Natural Resources & Economic Development Committee
Brian Birdwell, Chair
Judith Zaffirini, Vice Chair
Pat Fallon
Peter Flores
Kelly Hancock
Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa
Borris Miles
Angela Paxton
Jose Rodriguez
Senate Nominations Committee
Dawn Buckingham, Chair
Kirk Watson, Vice Chair
Carol Alvarado
Bob Hall
Lois Kolkhorst
Borris Miles
Kel Seliger
Senate Property Tax Committee
Paul Bettencourt, Chair
Angela Paxton, Vice Chair
Brandon Creighton
Kelly Hancock
Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa
Senate State Affairs Committee
Joan Huffman, Chair
Bryan Hughes, Vice Chair Brian Birdwell
Brandon Creighton
Pat Fallon
Bob Hall
Eddie Lucio, Jr.
Jane Nelson
Judith Zaffirini
Senate Transportation Committee
Robert Nichols, Chair
Kelly Hancock, Vice Chair
Carol Alvarado
Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa
Lois Kolkhorst
Charles Perry
Jose Rodriguez
Charles Schwertner
Royce West
Senate Veterans Affairs & Border Security Committee
Donna Campbell, Chair
Bob Hall, Vice Chair
Nathan Johnson
Eddie Lucio, Jr.
Jose Menendez
Charles Schwertner
Kel Seliger
Senate Water & Rural Affairs Committee
Charles Perry, Chair
Brandon Creighton, Vice Chair
Carol Alvarado
Nathan Johnson
Lois Kolkhorst
Jose Rodriguez
Larry Taylor