The top two elected leaders in Texas agreed on only a few priorities — school choice, bail reform, investments in water, and property tax relief.

In a rather unusually timed Sunday evening televised speech, Gov. Greg Abbott delivered the biennial State of the State address, in which he laid out his emergency items.

The Texas Constitution prohibits the House and Senate from passing legislation during the first 60 days of a regular legislative session — that is, unless either chamber suspends the rule by a vote of 4/5 of its membership, or if the legislation is an appropriation or other matter declared by the Governor to be an emergency. Therefore an emergency item has less interference than do bills of other subjects and more time to either simmer under the state capitol dome or achieve passage.

This came on the heels of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick listing his top priorities, which will determine the direction the upper chamber will take this session, which is expected to end in late May.

But what could change a lot of things is the lower chamber: The Texas House of Representatives. Lately the more moderate of the chambers, it has proven itself undaunted by pressure, going as far as to set its own list of Speaker-led legislative priorities in years past. But here’s the catch: We have a new Speaker, Rep. Dustin Burrows, after Rep. Dade Phelan declined to run for another term. Burrows is a close colleague of Phelan and not much is expected to change in terms of tone or strategy.

One of the agreed-upon emergency items, school choice, is already making its way to the House. The Senate passed SB 2 this week, which would pave the way for voucher-like grants for parents to spend on private education for their children.

Meanwhile, the House has yet not yet listed its committee assignments — although this is right on schedule when comparing to recent history.

Below are the priorities we have so far, including the Texas GOP’s. Find the common ground and those items are almost certain to pass in some form.

Gov. Greg Abbott emergency items:

Cutting property taxes
Investment in the state’s water infrastructure
Increase teacher pay
Strengthening career training programs for students post-high school
Using public dollars for private education purposes (School choice, education savings accounts)
Stiffen state’s bail laws
Creating a cybersecurity hub

NOTE: Property “squatting” was also mentioned in the address as a priority but was not mentioned as an emergency item in any communication so far.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (more coming soon):

Senate Bill 1 – Senate’s Budget for Texas
Senate Bill 2 – Providing School Choice
Senate Bill 3 – Banning THC in Texas
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

Republican Party of Texas (approved by convention delegates in May 2024):

1. Border Enforcement
2. Secure Texas Elections
3. Stop Sexualizing Texas’ Kids
4. No Democrat Chairs
5. Ban Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
6. Secure the Electric Grid
7. Texas Is Not for Sale
8. End Federal Overreach

Bills related to each priority may be found here: https://texasgop.org/88lp-bill-list