AUSTIN – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued this statement today:
“Last week, the Texas Senate did not take its foot off the gas pedal, passing 186 bills over to the Texas House, including 3 of our top 40 priority bills. We passed a giant business tax cut, established a homeland security division within the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), passed legislation stopping squatters from taking advantage of Texas property owners, and other major legislation. The Senate is firing on all cylinders, and we will not be stopping any time soon.
“As of the end of last week, the Senate had passed 392 bills over to the House, including 32 of our top 40 priority bills. My goal is to have almost all the top 40 priority bills passed over to the House in the next week. In my 10 years as Lt. Governor, I have positioned the Senate so the clock is not our enemy, which is why we get our work done passing Senate priority bills by mid-April. If the clock kills important legislation, it is on the House, not the Senate.
“Meanwhile, at the end of last week, the Texas House had only passed 23 bills over to the Senate. The 392 bills passed by the Senate is more than 17 times the work the House has done so far.
“The clock is rapidly ticking toward June 2 Sine Die (end of session) for the Texas House, only weeks away. The Texas Senate has been working nonstop on the people’s business. The speaker is still saying the right things publicly and privately, but as every day goes by, great conservative Senate legislation is at risk of being killed by the clock.
“I eagerly await the Texas House’s action on the bills we have passed over to them already, including all 32 of our top 40 priority bills, some of which still sit idle, not even referred to a House committee at this time.
“Results matter. The conservative majority of Texans expect the legislature to address their concerns. The Texas Senate has been doing that for the last three months.
“Let me be very clear: I want Speaker Burrows and the Texas House to be as successful as possible, because that means this legislative session will be the most productive and conservative session in history. The next 7 weeks will tell the story. The Senate will continue doing everything we can to deliver for Texas voters.”
The 32 priority bills passed so far:
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 Dementia and Alzheimer’s – Establishing DPRIT (Dementia Prevention and 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 Housing Affordability
Senate Bill 16 – Stopping Non-Citizens from Voting
Senate Bill 17 – Stopping Foreign Adversary Land Grabs
Senate Bill 18 – Stopping Drag Time Story Hour
Senate Bill 19 – Stopping Taxpayer Dollars for Lobbyists
Senate Bill 20 – Stopping AI-Generated Child Pornography
Senate Bill 21 – Establishing the Texas Bitcoin Reserve
Senate Bill 24 – Educating Texas Students on the Horrors of Communism
Senate Bill 25 – Making Texas Healthy Again
Senate Bill 26 – Increasing Teacher Pay
Senate Bill 27 – Establishing a Teacher Bill of Rights
Senate Bill 28 – Banning Lottery Couriers
Senate Bill 29 – Texas: Open for Business
Senate Bill 32 – Business Tax Relief *
Senate Bill 35 – Competing for Quality Roads
Senate Bill 36 – Establishing a Homeland Security Division within Texas DPS *
Senate Bill 38 – Stopping Squatters *
Senate Bill 40 – Stopping Taxpayer-Funded Bail
Bills marked with an * were passed this past week.
