Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued this statement today upon announcing the first round of his top 40 priority bills for the 89th regular legislative session:
“Thousands of bills are filed by Texas senators each session. Traditionally, bill numbers 1 through 20 have indicated the Lt. Governor’s priorities for the Senate. In 2017, I increased the number of priority bills to 30. This year, I am increasing the number of priority bills to 40.
“Senators like having a low bill number since it shows their bill is a priority of the Lt. Governor and has a high probability of passage. These bills represent the will of the conservative majority of Texans, and many will pass with bipartisan support. Just because a bill is not included in the top 40 does not mean it is not a priority for me or the Senate. There will be hundreds of bills that pass the Senate, all of which are important to Texas.
“Many other priorities are included in our state budget, such as border security funding, hiring more state troopers for the Department of Public Safety, and enhancing statewide disaster response with new equipment and more personnel.
“Over the last four years, the Texas Senate held the line, fighting back against President Biden’s disastrous agenda. Now, with President Trump back in office, Texas has a friend in the White House. The Texas Senate will continue to lead as the preeminent legislative body in America by passing our bold, conservative agenda, helping President Trump deliver on his promise of making America great again.”
Lt. Gov. Patrick’s Priority Bills:
Senate Bill 1 – Senate’s Budget for Texas
Senate Bill 2 – Providing School Choice
Senate Bill 3 – Banning THC in Texas the compound in cannabis that gets you high
Senate Bill 4 – Increasing the Homestead Exemption to $140,000 ($150,000 for seniors)
Senate Bill 5 – Combatting Alzheimer’s – Establishing DPRIT (Dementia Prevention & Research Institute of Texas)
Senate Bill 6 – Increasing Texas’ Electric Grid Reliability
Senate Bill 7 – Increasing Investments in Texas’ Water Supply
Senate Bill 8 – Requiring Local Law Enforcement to Assist the Federal Government’s Deportation Efforts
Senate Bill 9 – Reforming Bail – Keeping Violent Criminals Off Our Streets
Senate Bill 10 – Placing the Ten Commandments in School
Senate Bill 11 – Protecting the Freedom to Pray in School
Senate Bill 12 – Establishing a Parental Bill of Rights in Public Education
Senate Bill 13 – Guarding Against Inappropriate Books in Public Schools
Senate Bill 14 – Texas DOGE – Improving Government Efficiency
Senate Bill 15 – Removing Barriers to Affordable Housing
Senate Bill 16 – Stopping Non-Citizens from Voting
Senate Bill 17 – Stopping Foreign Adversaries’ Land Grabs
Senate Bill 18 – Stopping Drag Time Story Hour
Senate Bill 19 – Stopping Taxpayer Dollars for Lobbyists
Senate Bill 20 – Stopping AI Child Pornography
Senate Bill 21 – Establishing the Texas Bitcoin Reserve
Senate Bill 22 – Establishing Texas as America’s Film Capital
Senate Bill 23 – Removing the Cap on the Rainy Day Fund to Secure Texas’ Long-term Financial Future
Senate Bill 24 – Educating Texas Students on the Horrors of Communism
Senate Bill 25 – Making Texas Healthy Again
Senate Priority Bills 26 through 40 … coming soon.
SMU Political Scientist Cal Jillson calls the top 6 or 7 on the list as very important. “It’s the budget, it’s school choice, it’s Homestead exemptions, but then very quickly it becomes a list of conservative messaging bills.” Jillson classifies the bills designed to stop drag time story hours, put the 10 commandments in public schools, and protect the freedom to pray in school as conservative messaging bills.
University of Houston Political Scientist Brandon Rottinghaus says some of the state’s biggest necessities made Patrick’s the top ten. “The biggest issues that the state faces include infrastructure problems, water supply problems, the problem with the energy grid. These are all reoccurring issues that are very expensive.”
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