The Texas legislature meets Tuesday in Austin for its 89th session. State lawmakers meet every two years.
The only bill lawmakers are required to pass is a two-year budget. State Comptroller Glenn Hegar will release his final revenue estimate on Monday afternoon. He has previously said the state will likely enter the session with a $20 billion surplus.
Governor Greg Abbott says lawmakers should prioritize property tax cuts. Two years ago, the state used part of its surplus to buy down school property taxes, but he says the state should close "loopholes."
"Even though we've cut property taxes a lot and even though some of us have heard accolades, 'Thank you for cutting my property taxes,' I've heard just as many people complain about skyrocketing property taxes," he said during an event in Dallas in November. Abbott says some counties, such as Harris and Travis, have increased taxes.
In 2023, Abbott supported a plan for school choice. The plan would have created "education savings accounts" to allow funding to follow students to the school of the family's choice regardless of whether it is public or private.
Superintendents opposed the measure, and the bill did not gain enough support to pass. In last year's election, Abbott supported candidates challenging Republicans who opposed the bill, and lawmakers could again attempt to pass a measure.
Supporters say a voucher system would give parents the ability to choose the school that best fits their child's needs. Opponents say vouchers would divert money from public schools and benefit wealthy families because they would not cover the entire cost of private school tuition.
Lawmakers may also consider bills to ensure an adequate water supply. By 2050, the Texas Water Development Board says the state could have a shortfall of 5.74 acre feet of water.
"What people have not yet come to grapple with is how close that existential threat is to us right now," Abbott says.
Abbott says the state's population growth, oil and gas production and more semiconductor plants will continue adding to demand.
The Texas legislature meets every two years for 140 days. In 2023, Abbott called four special sessions. The last session ended when the Texas House of Representatives adjourned without passing several bills approved in the Senate, including a measure for school vouchers.
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan was reelected to a sixth term as a representative in November, but he dropped his bid for Speaker in December. Republicans will choose between Lubbock Representative Dustin Burrows, an ally of Phelan, and Mansfield's David Cook, who has drawn support from other party leadership including Texas GOP Chair Abraham George and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The Texas House will vote for its Speaker Tuesday.