Border security, property taxes, school choice on tap for Senate's 2025 agenda

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has indicated the direction the Texas Senate will pursue, issuing a litany of interim charges for the chamber to consider ahead of the 2025 legislative session.

Broken down by the Senate committees that will focus on the areas of policy and make recommendations for the broader chamber to consider next year, Patrick's list ranges from exploring expanded access for health care and veteran housing to "overcoming Federal Incompetence" and improving reading and math scores.

"The Senate's work to study the list of charges will begin in the coming weeks and months," Patrick, who presides over the Senate, said in a statement announcing the interim charges. "Following completion of hearings, committees will submit reports with their specific findings and policy recommendations before December 1, 2024."

Patrick said his list of legislative considerations forwarded to 13 of the chamber's committees could include additional items in the lead up to the 89th Legislature beginning in January, although he emphasized that is not guaranteed.

"We may release a second shorter list of additional charges before next session," Patrick said.

Of the 57 items laid out, Patrick touted the conservative priorities of school vouchers, continued property tax relief and strengthening the power grid as items he expects to pass during the next legislative session.

Here's a look at a few key legislative issues Patrick released this week:

Border security

One of the major policy areas of the previous legislative session, Patrick wants his chamber to continue advancing and monitoring border policies.

The Senate Committee on Border Security will work to review state and local agencies' participation in border security and "examine the impact of transnational criminal activity on commerce," Patrick shared in Thursday's interim charges letter.

After being created at the outset of last year's marathon legislative session, the Border Security Committee is asked to also consider the effect on personnel who have actively served or participated in Operation Lone Star — Gov. Greg Abbott's $11 billion border initiative — and the impact of their service on their health and well-being.

Additionally, the committee will monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate last session, which includes Senate Bill 4 — a sweeping immigration law allowing state law enforcement to arrest, detain and deport those suspected of crossing into the United States through Texas other than at an international port of entry.

The law is currently on hold as it sits under the consideration of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Education and DEI

A continuing marquee issue on the education agenda for Republicans at the state Capitol, Patrick is asking the Education Committee to watch over the implementation of Senate Bill 17, which prohibited diversity, equity and inclusion practices on Texas' college campuses after its passage last year.

Patrick wants the committee to review and report on the progress of state's colleges in complying with SB 17 to ensure "Texas college campuses foster equal opportunity and reward individual merit and achievement."

In recent weeks, the University of Texas at Austin has fired dozens of employees associated with the Division of Campus and Community Engagement and shuttered the department entirely, which was known as the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement prior to SB 17.

Patrick is also asking the committee to review college campuses' policies on preventing and combating antisemitism.

Relating to grade schools, Patrick is asking lawmakers to study current local, state and national policies and programs to improve student achievement in reading and mathematics, with an emphasis on “early readiness” in pre-K through fifth grade.

Additionally, studying the progress of the redesign of the state's STAAR test and reporting on how schools spent COVID-19 funding since the beginning of the pandemic are also on the Senate Education Committee's agenda.

Property taxes

After the Legislature passed and voters approved a property tax package last year totaling more than $18 billion to increase the state's homestead property tax exemption to $100,000, Patrick is asking the Senate to again search for ways to lower taxes.

The chamber's Finance Committee is tasked with identifying "the best combination to further increase the amount of homestead exemption and compression to continue cutting Texans' property taxes."

Drafting a report on the costs of eliminating the state's school maintenance and operation property taxes, all school property taxes, and all property taxes is also on the committee's interim list.

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Similarly, the Local Government Committee is assigned with monitoring the implementation of the Legislature's recent property tax package and to continue seeking additional property tax relief and reform.

Electric grid and bitcoin

The Business and Commerce Committee during the interim will examine the design of the state's electricity market and delve into the issues "impacting the reliability and resiliency of the Texas electric grid."

Considerations pertaining to the state's electric supply include consumer costs; exploring new and emerging technologies; reviewing the effects of recent legislative changes to the industry market and electric grid; and providing further incentives for new thermal generation.

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Additionally, Patrick is asking the committee to look into the impact that energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining facilities have on Texas' electric grid and to make recommendations on regulating the potential development and utilization of artificial intelligence in the public and private sectors.

Criminal justice

With the departure of its longtime chairman, former Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, who is now the mayor of Houston, Patrick is asking the Criminal Justice Committee to look into “charitable bail organizations” as well as continue pursuing penalties for those who tamper with electronic monitoring devices after making it a felony to do so last year.

Patrick is taking issue with the organizations for paying bail for defendants and "thereby relieving them of any financial incentive to appear in court." He is asking the committee to study the operations and funding sources of those groups.

Patrick is also asking the committee to review current laws relating to "'squatters' or those claiming adverse possession of property" and to make recommendations to expedite the immediate removal process of “squatters” and strengthen the rights of property owners.

For the State Affairs Committee, banning cannabis-derived products Delta 8 and 9 and examining the sale of "intoxicating hemp products in Texas" is on the agenda. The committee is tasked with forwarding recommendations to further regulate the sale of these products and crack down on sales to children.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Senate: Border security, taxes, school choice top 2025 priorities