Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has announced 30 priorities that will be taken up by the Senate this session, touching on a wide range of issues that include not only issues specific to his campaign but many priorities for the state GOP as well.
The Republican Party of Texas presently has eight legislative priorities, several of which overlap with Patrick’s priorities. Those include increasing the offense of illegal voting to a felony, banning child gender modification, banning obscene books in school libraries, and parental rights and school choice in education.
In revealing the list, Patrick elaborated on how senators like to get one of the earlier bill numbers because it signifies their bill is a shared priority of his office and has a greater chance of being passed.
He also explained that during his tenure as lieutenant governor, he has increased the number of priorities from 20 to 30, adding that there are many more issues needing to be addressed.
“I believe Texans support our priorities because they largely reflect the policies supported by the conservative majority of Texans,” Patrick stated in a press release. “Most will pass with bipartisan support.
“This session I could have used 50 low bill numbers because there are so many issues that need to be addressed,” Patrick said, explaining further, “Just because a bill does not make the priority list does not mean it is not a priority for me or the Senate. We will pass over 600 bills this session. As I like to say, every bill is a priority to someone, otherwise we would not pass it.”
The list of priority legislation includes:
Senate Bill 1 – State Budget
Senate Bill 2 – Restoring Voter Fraud to a Felony
Senate Bill 3 – Increasing the Homestead Exemption to $70,000
Senate Bill 4 – Adding Additional Property Tax Relief
Senate Bill 5 – Increasing the Business Personal Property Tax Exemption
Senate Bill 6 – Adding New Natural Gas Plants
Senate Bill 7 – Continuing to Improve the Texas Grid
Senate Bill 8 – Empowering Parental Rights – Including School Choice
Senate Bill 9 – Empowering Teacher Rights – Teacher Pay Raise
Senate Bill 10 – Adding 13th Checks for Retired Teachers
Senate Bill 11 – Keeping Our Schools Safe and Secure
Senate Bill 12 – Banning Children’s Exposure to Drag Shows
Senate Bill 13 – Protecting Children from Obscene Books in Libraries
Senate Bill 14 – Ending Child Gender Modification
Senate Bill 15 – Protecting Women’s College Sports
Senate Bill 16 – Banning Critical Race Theory (CRT) in Higher Education
Senate Bill 17 – Banning Discriminatory “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” (DEI) Policies in Higher Education
Senate Bill 18 – Eliminating Tenure at General Academic Institutions
Senate Bill 19 – Creating A New Higher Education Endowment Fund
Senate Bill 20 – Removing District Attorneys Who Refuse to Follow Texas Law
Senate Bill 21 – Removing Judges Who Refuse to Follow Texas Law
Senate Bill 22 – Assisting Rural Law Enforcement Funding – Increasing Pay and Needed Equipment
Senate Bill 23 – Creating A Mandatory 10-Year Prison Sentence for Criminals Committing Gun Crime
Senate Bill 24 – Expanding Alternatives to Abortion
Senate Bill 25 – Creating New Scholarships for Registered Nurses
Senate Bill 26 – Expanding Mental Health Care Beds Across Texas – Focus on Rural Counties
Senate Bill 27 – Creating A New Business Specialty Court
Senate Bill 28 – Addressing Texas’ Future Water Needs
Senate Bill 29 – Banning Local COVID-19 Mandates
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