Governor Greg Abbott outlined his priorities for the current session of the Texas Legislature during his State of the State address Thursday night from San Marcos. He emphasized the state's economic success and declared several emergency items for lawmakers.
"As I travel across our great state, one thing I hear loud and clear - property taxes are suffocating Texans," he said. "We must fix that this session."
He noted that the state currently has the largest budget surplus in history.
"We should return it to you with the largest property tax cut in the history of the State of Texas," he said. "Working with Sen. Huffman and Rep. Bonnen, we have all proposed using $15 billion to cut property taxes. Now, we must ensure that it provides lasting property tax relief. To get that done, cutting property taxes is an emergency item this legislative session."
Other emergency items include school safety, securing the border and ending COVID restrictions.
"We must prohibit any government from imposing COVID mask mandates, COVID vaccine mandates...and from closing any business or school because of COVID," he said, "These actions will help Texas close the door on COVID restrictions. Also we must change how government responds to future pandemics - including requiring the legislature to convene if another pandemic is ever declared."
Texas Democrats were critical of many of the Governor's priorities.
"While there is some common ground, most of the items the Governor noted are nothing new. But more importantly, not a word from the Governor on Uvalde. Not a word on healthcare. And not a word on inflation," said State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, a Democrat from San Antonio. "After 30 years of total Republican control of Texas, our property taxes, our college tuition, our insurance and energy bills are all higher than ever before."
During a panel discussion carried on TV stations owned by the Nexstar Media Group in Texas, State Senator Royce West, D-Dallas, said he hoped the two sides could find some common priorities.
"We have more in common than separates us. Making certain that Democrats have input into the decision-making process will make Texas a greater state," he said.
West also acknowledged that for some issues, Republicans would likely push their preferred bills even without input from Democrats.
"As a result of Republicans winning the elections, they have a right to do that. If we want to have issues that are important to us addressed, we then have to start winning state-wide elections," he said.
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