Less than 24 hours after the 88th Legislative Session ended, Texas House Republicans were called back to complete a couple critical issues left on the table after the regular session. Governor Abbott put two items on the special session agenda, property tax relief and border security legislation, and the Governor was very specific in what that legislation was to say. Within hours, the Texas House, led by Speaker Dade Phelan and the Texas House Republican Caucus delivered.
You had our members' word that they wouldn't leave their post at the Texas Capitol until meaningful property tax relief was passed to put money back in your pockets. The House kicked off the First Special Session (not 24 hours after gaveling out sine die for the regular session) and adjourned within 6.5 hours – House Bills 1 and 2 and House Joint Resolution 1, property tax relief and border security legislation respectively, were filed, voted out of their respective committees, and passed by the Texas House.
House Bill 1 and House Joint Resolution 2 by Rep. Morgan Meyer passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. The bill delivers $17.6 billion in property tax relief and buys down the school district tax rate by an additional 16.2 cents. Its accompanying House Joint Resolution 1 would place the constitutional amendment for this relief on the November 2023 ballot. The Texas House is the only chamber that has passed property tax relief legislation in a way that is germane to Governor Abbott’s special session call.
Our communities have seen the negative impacts of drug and human smuggling for too long and House Republicans stepped up during the first Special Session. House Bill 2 by Rep. Ryan Guillen cracks down on human smuggling and stash house operators by increasing criminal penalties and establishing 10-year mandatory minimums for certain criminal conduct involving the smuggling of persons, the operation of a stash house, or evading an arrest or detention.
Read the official statement on the First Special Session from the Texas House Republican Caucus here.