AUSTIN (KXAN) — Education savings accounts, bail reform and water infrastructure investments are among Gov. Greg Abbott’s top legislative priorities, as outlined in his State of the State address Sunday evening.
His 30-minute address solidified emergency items poised to be tackled by the Texas Legislature during the 89th legislative session. Included in his remarks were seven emergency items to be addressed:
- Property tax relief
- Water investments
- Teacher pay
- Expanded career training opportunities
- Education savings accounts
- Bail reform
- Texas cyber security protections
Texas Democrats also provided a 10-minute response after Abbott’s remarks, sharing concerns that everyday Texans are struggling while the state is prioritizing corporate interests.
Property tax relief
Abbott referenced the legislature’s 2023 property tax relief cuts in his speech, while outlining plans for $10 billion in new relief this session. However, the governor added stipulations must be made to prevent municipalities from “loopholes” to raise taxes.
“No taxing entity should be able to raise your property taxes without two-thirds approval by voters,” he said. “No approval, no new taxes.”
Water investments
As the state continues to grow, Abbott acknowledged some water supplies are drying up, impacting local communities, agriculture producers and other industries. During the 2023 session, lawmakers approved a $1 billion investment in water projects and infrastructure; this time, Abbott said state leaders will “Texas-size that investment” and home in on new water supplies and infrastructure repairs to save billions of gallons annually.
Teacher pay
The governor declared his goal to make Texas the leading state in education, outlining three pillars to reach that initiative:
- Empowering parents: Schools should be designed to respond to parental concerns and select schools that best fit their child’s needs
- Exemplary teachers: The state needs to invest funding and training into teachers, and give the workforce a pay raise to bring the average teacher salary to an all-time high
- Strong academics: Prioritizations must be made on “high level instruction” and a “better curriculum” that doesn’t enforce “woke agendas” on Texas kids. The governor called for a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in grades kindergarten through 12th grade
Expanded career training opportunities
Some of the most prosperous and in-demand career opportunities are technical jobs, like welders, plumbers and electricians, Abbott said. He said high schools need to offer more career training programs to help students graduating high school enter higher-paying fields at a younger age.
“Careers like this are part of the better job and bigger paycheck opportunities that we provide in Texas,” Abbott said.
Education savings accounts
After launching an education savings accounts pilot program in 2020 for special education students, Abbott said he is now declaring the program’s expansion to all Texas families an emergency item priority.
“Every child deserves the education that’s best for them,” he said. “It’s time to expand that same opportunity to every Texas family.”
Bail reform
Public safety was one of Abbott’s central tenets in his address, saying no residents can benefit from a strong education or economy if they aren’t safe. Public safety initiatives outlined included eliminating parole for those convicted of child trafficking, denying bail for anyone charged with capital murder or “other heinous violent crimes” and turning any undocumented immigrants considered a flight risk over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement without the possibility of bail.
Beyond those, Abbott criticized some Texas judges who have “too much discretion” related to repeat offenders’ release on bail, leading to him declaring bail reform an emergency item.
“Lawmakers must choose: support the safety of the citizens they represent, or the criminals who kill them,” Abbott said.
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Gov. Greg Abbott delivers his State of the State address on Feb. 2, 2025. (Texas Governor’s Office Photo) -
Gov. Greg Abbott delivers his State of the State address on Feb. 2, 2025. (Texas Governor’s Office Photo) -
Gov. Greg Abbott delivers his State of the State address on Feb. 2, 2025. (Texas Governor’s Office Photo) -
Gov. Greg Abbott delivers his State of the State address on Feb. 2, 2025. (Texas Governor’s Office Photo) -
Gov. Greg Abbott delivers his State of the State address on Feb. 2, 2025. (Texas Governor’s Office Photo) -
Gov. Greg Abbott delivers his State of the State address on Feb. 2, 2025. (Texas Governor’s Office Photo)
Texas cybersecurity protections
Texas’ security from hackers and cyber risks is of utmost importance, the governor said, citing recent incidents of attacks on cities, hospital systems and major businesses.
Among outlined emergency priorities, Abbott is calling on the legislature to establish the Texas Cyber Command, an initiative in tandem with the University of Texas at San Antonio to utilize the university’s cybersecurity experts and protect state resources against threats.
“China, Iran, Russia and other foreign enemies could cripple our power, water and communications with cyberattacks,” he said. “We must use cutting-edge capabilities to secure our state.”
State of the State transcript
Abbott’s entire State of the State address can be viewed in the video at the top of this page. The complete transcript of Abbott’s address is also available below.
Good evening to members of the Texas Senate & House…
…State Officials…
…members of the Judiciary…
…FL Cecilia Abbott…
…and to MY FELLOW Texans.
We LOVE our state.
It MEANS something…to BE a Texan.
NO state…offers the OPPORTUNITY…
…that TX provides.
—————-
Businesses LIKE Arnold Oil. …
…have SEIZED that opportunity.
Tonight… I’m at their HQs in Austin.
It’s an 85-year-old family business.
They supply… auto products…
…lubricants… power equipment… & more.
Jim Arnold says they supply ANYONE…
…with a WRENCH in their hand.
The Texas economy is thriving… BECAUSE…
…of Arnold Oil…
…& THOUSANDS of businesses like it.
Economy
Texas… is the most POWERFUL economy in America.
Ranked the BSFDB… for 20 years –
- Texas is #1… for the MOST new jobs
- # 1 for eco devo…
- #1 Best State… to START a business.
Texas is the BLUEPRINT… for America’s FUTURE.
We rank # 1… for Technology & Innovation…
#1 for SEMICONDUCTORS…
…that POWER things… that you use everyday.
We created a Space Commission…
…to BOOST… Space Exploration in TX…
… from NASA… to SpaceX… to Blue Origin… & BEYOND.
And we added… new Business Courts…
…that SWIFTLY deal with…
…complex business litigation.
Business is booming SO MUCH…
…we now have our OWN… Stock Exchange.
The TEXAS Stock Exchange.
It will MAKE Texas…
…the FINANCIAL capital of America.
CLEARLY… God has BLESSED Texas…
…& the STATE of our state…
…has NEVER been better.
——————-
but WE know… that MORE has to be done…
…to ensure THAT prosperity…
…reaches EVERY Texas family…
…& EVERY Texas business.
THAT’s why I created…
…the Small Biz FREEDOM Council…
…to require… all state agencies…
…to SLASH… Rules… Fees… & Regulations.
It’s why we will work to keep STATE spending
…BELOW Constitutional limits.
And… we MUST… CUT YOUR taxes.
Property Tax
MANY Texans… face an AFFORDABILITY crisis.
Last session… we SLASHED your P-Ts.
BUT for MANY Texans… those cuts were WIPED OUT …
…by LOCAL taxing authorities…
…that HIKED your P-Ts… EVEN MORE.
That MUST END.
THIS SESSION.
I want at least… $10 BILLION… in P-T relief.
BUT that will ONLY work…
…if local authorities… canNOT use LOOPHOLES…
…to JACK UP your Property Taxes…
…like Harris Co did.
They INCREASED P-Ts…
…more than 10% last year.
LOOPHOLES… that INCREASE your P-Ts…
…must be CLOSED.
NO taxing entity…
…should be able to RAISE your P-Ts…
…WITHOUT… a 2/3rds approval of voters.
No approval… NO NEW TAXES.
I am making PROPERTY TAX RELIEF…
…an EMERGENCY item…
…that MUST be passed this session.
———————
We also need to make HOUSING… more AFFORDABLE.
We need to make it EASIER to build…
…SLASH regulations…
…& SPEED up permitting.
To make it more AFFORDABLE…
…to live in your CURRENT home…
…we should offer a 1–year tax EXEMPTION…
…on home improvements… like Heating & Air Conditioning.
—————————-
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Helping families ALSO means… improving healthcare…
…for our fellow Texans.
That INCLUDES…
…EXPANDING access & funding for Mental Health….
…ESPECIALLY in rural TX.
It means helping our SENIORS…
…& helping Texans with Disabilities…
…by providing… PAY increases… for their care-givers.
It means increasing MATERNAL care…
…in EVERY corner of our state.
—————————-
WATER
An issue… that effects EVERY family… & EVERY biz…
…is water.
Some of our water supplies… are drying up.
Many communities… have broken… & leaking water pipes.
Agriculture producers… in the RGV & WTX…
…don’t have water… to grow their crops.
Last session… we invested… a BILLION dollars…
…in water projects & infrastructure.
THIS session… we will TEXAS – SIZE that investment.
Working with Sen. Perry & Rep. Cody Harris…
…we will PUT Texas on a path…
…to have PLENTY of water… for the next FIVE DECADES.
We will make the LARGEST… investment in water…
…in the HX of our state.
We will TAP into NEW water supplies…
…& REPAIR pipes… to save BILLIONS of gallons…
…of water every year.
This GENERATIONAL INVESTMENT in water…
…is SO important…
…I am Declaring it… an EMERGENCY ITEM this Session.
POWER
Our State is growing SO FAST…
…we need an INCREASING supply of ELECTRIC power.
We now provide MORE power… than EVER BEFORE.
In the last 4 years… we INCREASED power by more than 35%.
As a result…Texas ranks #1… for electric power generation.
More… than CA & NY… COMBINED.
And we’re NOT done yet.
Last session… I signed a law…
…to add 10K NEW Megawatts of power to our grid.
That’s ENOUGH… to power > 2,000,000 homes.
We must add MORE power this session… to fortify our grid.
AND…it’s time for TX to LEAD…
…a Nuclear Power Renaissance in the U.S.
EDUCATION
Texas is #1 in SO MANY ways…
…jobs… Tier 1 Research Universities…
…Cattle & Cotton… Oil &Gas…
…the LARGEST Medical Center… in the WORLD…
…the list goes on.
It is NOW time…
…we set our sights on ANOTHER #1.
Texas… must be #1…
…in EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN.
There are 3 Pillars… to reach that goal.
ALL of which… must be achieved.
The FIRST Pillar… is EMPOWERED PARENTS.
Parents are a child’s FIRST teacher.
Schools must work FOR parents…
…NOT the other way around.
Schools must RESPOND… to parent’s concerns.
And parents should be EMPOWERED…
…to choose the school…
…that’s BEST for their child.
—————————-
The SECOND Pillar… is EXEMPLARY TEACHERS.
We must fund & train…
…the BEST teachers.
That STARTS…
…with giving our teachers…
…a pay raise this Session.
To increase… teachers’ average salary…
…to an all–time high…
…I am declaring teacher pay… an EMERGENCY ITEM.
Additionally… we must REWARD the BEST teachers…
…by putting them on a path…
…to earn… a six–FIGURE salary.
More than 25,000 teachers…
…are ALREADY on that path.
We must EXPAND that merit program…
…to EVERY School District.
And… to KEEP great teachers…
…we need to Restore Discipline in our schools.
It’s COMMON SENSE to give teachers the AUTHORITY…
…to remove disruptive students from classrooms.
———————-
———————-
Very SIMPLY… our schools MUST be safe.
Safe for Students… Teachers… Staff… & Parents.
We must invest… $500 Million DOLLARS more…
…to BETTER secure our schools.
———————-
———————-
The THIRD Pillar… is ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.
Public Education FUNDING…
…is at an all-time high.
Funding PER STUDENT…
…is at an all-time high.
BUT…improving education…
…requires MORE THAN just spending money.
It requires… HIGH level instruction…
…& BETTER curriculum.
Schools must FOCUS… on fundamentals.
Reading, writing… math & science…
…& of COURSE… our country’s Founding Documents.
We want to ensure that EVERY child…
…is PREPARED for college… or a good paying career.
—————-
BUT… Schools… MUST NOT PUSH woke agendas…
…on our kids.
Schools… are for Education… NOT… Indoctrination.
We must BAN… DEI… in grades K–12.
NO Boys in girls’ sports.
The state of Texas… recognizes ONLY two genders…
…Male & Female.
ANY educator…
…who tells students… that boys can be girls…
…should be FIRED on the spot.
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——————————————–
VITAL to education… is EXPANDING CAREER TRAINING.
Many of the most… IN–DEMAND jobs…
…are CAREERS like… welders… plumbers… & electricians.
To prepare students for those careers…
…High Schools MUST provide…
…MORE career training programs…
…so that students can go DIRECTLY from graduation…
…into a GOOD paying job.
————————
————————
Raya Raybold…. who is here tonight…
…is a GREAT example of this.
She took welding… at Jarrell High School.
After MORE training… at Texas State Technical College…
…her welding work was FEATURED…
… in the Yellowstone TV show.
She’s now working to become a welding inspector…
…that earns as much as $85,000 a year.
And she’s ONLY… 18 years old.
Careers like this… are PART of…
…the BETTER job & BIGGER paycheck opportunities…
…that we provide in Texas.
That’s why I am making…
…life-changing career training…
…an EMERGENCY ITEM.
I will work with Sen. Schwertner & Reps. Keith Bell
…& Gary Gates…
…on this much needed legislation.
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Raya chose the PATH…
…that was BEST for her.
We want EVERY student…
…at EVERY LEVEL…
…to have that SAME opportunity.
That’s why we MUST PASS…
…School Choice this session.
Government mandated schools…
…CANNOT meet the UNIQUE needs of every student.
BUT… Texas CAN provide families with CHOICES…
…to MEET those needs.
The MAJORITY of Texans… SUPPORT school choice.
More than 30 states…
…ALREADY have a form of SC.
We will continue to…
…FULLY FUND public schools… & RAISE teacher pay.
We can DO THAT… while ALSO giving Parents…
…the choice THEY deserve.
—————————————
The fact is…
…Education Savings Accounts…
…have ALREADY succeeded in Texas.
In 2020… I created a pilot program…
…for special education students.
In 2021… a bi-partisan… SUPER-majority… of the Legislature…
…EXPANDED that program.
It provides $1500 grants…
…for tutors & OTHER support services…
…that help students THRIVE.
———————————————
One SUCCESS of that program…
…is with us tonight.
Jeremiah Kimmell…
…is a student w/ Autism…
…from Bell Co.
That program helped Jeremiah…
…IMPROVE at school…
…& in his daily life.
His grandmother said it’s HUGE…
…that she could have a say in the education…
…that was RIGHT for Jeremiah.
Like Raya & Jeremiah…
…EVERY child… deserves the education…
…that’s BEST for them.
It’s time to EXPAND that SAME opportunity…
…to EVERY Texas family.
Thanks to Sen. Creighton & Rep. Buckley…
…for their LEADERSHIP.
Tonight… I am declaring school choice…
…an EMERGENCY ITEM… that MUST pass this session.
———————————
HIGHER ED
For Texans who want to go to College…
…we must ensure that it’s more affordable…
…& more accessible.
———————-
Our Public Universities must ALSO be…
…more ACCOUNTABLE.
College Professors…
…have INCREASINGLY pushed… woke agendas.
They have too much influence…
…over WHO is hired… to educate our kids.
We need legislation…
…that prohibits professors…
…from having ANY SAY… over employment decisions.
———————-
We must ALSO… EXPAND the ban on DEI…
…in our Public Universities.
We must PURGE it…
…from EVERY corner of our schools…
…& return the focus… to MERIT.
———————
——————–
I have ordered… ALL state agencies…
…to eliminate… DEI.
NOW… we need a LAW…
…that BANS… DEI…
…from ANY entity… that receives taxpayer dollars.
——————————–
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PUBLIC SAFETY
NO ONE can benefit… from a better education…
…or a BOOMING economy…
…if they are not SAFE.
To make our communities SAFER…
…we must ELIMINATE parole…
…for CRIMINALS convicted of child trafficking.
We must DENY BAIL…
…to criminals charged with capital murder…
…& other heinous violent crimes.
Illegal immigrants who are ARRESTED…
…should be considered a flight risk…
…denied bail…
…& turned over to ICE.
——————-
——————–
Activist Judges have TOO MUCH DISCRETION…
…to let REPEAT OFFENDERS out on bail…
…ONLY to see them harm more Texans.
Many Innocent Texans…
…including… Harris Co. Deputy Constable Omar Ursin…
…have been MURDERED…
…by criminals let out on bail…
…from a prior MURDER charge.
Deputy Ursin’s widow…
…WHITNEY…
…is with us tonight.
All of Texas… grieves with you.
We honor your husband for his service and sacrifice.
Thank you, Whitney.
Lawmakers must CHOOSE –
…support the SAFETY… of the citizens they represent…
…OR… the CRIMINALS… who kill them.
THX to Sen. Huffman & Rep. Spiller…
…this legislation… WILL SAVE LIVES.
I am making bail reform…
…an EMERGENCY ITEM this session.
———————-
———————–
ANOTHER safety issue… that MUST be addressed…
…is SQUATTERS.
Private property rights… are a CORNERSTONE…
…of our values & legal system.
It is AGAINST THE LAW… to live or stay…
…on somebody’s property…
…W/O their permission.
We need stronger laws…
…to IMMEDIATELY remove Squatters.
———————-
———————-
Another ESSENTIAL part of public safety…
…is fighting fire.
This session… we must ensure that our firefighters have…
…the TOOLS they need…
…like Air-Tanker planes…
…& more funding…. for LOCAL firefighters… across OUR state.
Joining us tonight… are Texas firefighters…
…who battled the PANHANDLE blazes.
The LARGEST fire in TX HX.
We also have TEXAS firefighters…
…who fought the catastrophic CA fires.
We THANK THEM…
…for their service & bravery.
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——————————–
TEXAS SECURITY
As the world becomes more complicated & dangerous…
…we must PROTECT our state…
…from HACKERS… & HOSTILE Foreign Actors.
Just in the LAST 2 WEEKS…we have seen…
…one of our cities…
…a hospital…
…& a major business…
…ALL hit… by SERIOUS cyber-attacks.
That’s why I’m announcing an EMERGENCY ITEM…
…to create… the Texas Cyber Command.
We will partner with… the Univ. of Texas at San Antonio.
San Antonio is home…
…to one of the world’s LARGEST concentrations…
…of cybersecurity experts.
We must HARNESS those assets…
…to protect against threats…
…from China… Iran… Russia… & OTHER foreign enemies.
They …could CRIPPLE… our power… water…
…& communications…
…with CYBER attacks.
We must use Cutting–Edge Capabilities…
…to better SECURE our state.
I thank Sen. Parker & Rep. Capric-liown…
…for their leadership on this issue.
——————-
——————–
And we HAVE to protect Texas… from INFILTRATION…
…by foreign adversaries.
That INCLUDES… prohibiting NON-citizens…
…from SERVING… in state & local government.
And prohibiting…
…hostile foreign nations… & their agents…
…from BUYING land in Texas
ELECTIONS
We must SAFEGUARD our elections…
…so that ONLY United States citizens…
…are able to register & cast a vote in TX.
I support Sen. Hughes’ election integrity bill…
…to restore power to our A.G…
…to PROSECUTE… election violations.
BORDER
Safer communities… REQUIRE secure borders.
I launched OLS w/ the Legislature…
…to COMBAT Pres. Biden’s OBPs.
We built a B/W…
…Installed buoys in the Rio Grande…
…Deployed the NG & DPS…
… on the GROUND… in the WATER… & in the AIR.
These BRAVE soldiers & troopers have…
…BUILT border barriers…
… arrested & jailed… illegal crossers…
…& seized enough fentanyl to kill every M/W/C…
…in the US… Canada… & Mexico… COMBINED.
We are joined tonight…
…by members of our NG & DPS…
…who SERVED on the border.
We thank them for their service.
ALSO…I declared an INVASION… at the border.
I DESIGNATED MX drug cartels…
…foreign terrorist organizations.
And… took the border to Biden…
…by busing more than 100K migrants…
…to Sanctuary Cities… like D.C. …& NYC.
NONE of these tactics… would have been possible…
…WITHOUT funding by the Legislature.
Our efforts…
…reduced illegal crossings into TX…
…by more than 85%.
Operation Lone Star has been SO successful…
…the Trump Admin…
…is using it as a MODEL… to secure the border.
—————————–
Finally… we have a President…
…who will PARTNER with Texas…
…to deny illegal entry.
To SUPPORT that mission…
…I have ordered TX state agencies…
…to assist the T.A…
…with Arresting… Jailing… & Deporting… Illegal immigrants
NOW… we must ALSO require…
…cities & counties across the state…
…to FULLY COOPERATE with these efforts.
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TREN DE ARAGUA
One of the most DANGEROUS threats…
…is the violent VZ gang… TdA
They TAKE OVER empty apartments & hotels.
They TRAFFIC women… children… & drugs.
I DECLARED them… a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
I directed the Dept. of Public Safety…
…to DISPATCH Strike Teams…
…to root out… & destroy… TdA in Texas.
———————-
Their violence… has taken the lives of innocent TEXANS…
…like 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.
She was brutally raped & murdered…
…by two illegal immigrants with ties… to TdA.
Her mother – Alexis — is with us tonight.
Cecilia & I… are SO SORRY… for your loss.
Justice for Jocelyn DEMANDS… action.
I DEMAND legislation… imposing the DEATH PENALTY…
…on anyone convicted of murdering a child like Jocelyn.
CLOSE
ULTIMATELY… our task… this session…
…is to be GUARDIANS of freedom.
Freedom will PERSIST…
…for as long as we protect it.
Freedom stokes SELF–DETERMINATION…
…to achieve things ONCE thought impossible.
Freedom… is the POWER…
…that turned ashes at the Alamo…
…into VICTORY at San Jacinto.
Freedom is the FORCE…
…that has PROPELLED Texas…
…to global economic DOMINANCE.
Freedom is the SPIRIT…
…behind family businesses… like Arnold Oil…
…that endure for generations.
Freedom is the INSPIRATION…
…that DRIVES students like Raya & Jeremiah…
…to CHOOSE the path… that’s best for them.
MORE than anything …
…it is FREEDOM…
…that will make Texas…
…stronger…. safer… & more prosperous…
…than ever… in the HX… of OUR GREAT STATE.
May God BLESS you all.
And may God FOREVER BLESS…
…the great state of Texas.
