- The Texas Senate has passed all 40 of its priority bills
- The Texas House has acted on several Senate priority bills, including DOGE and school choice
- Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dustin Burrows have publicly said they are working well together and hope to achieve a successful conservative session
In a statement released yesterday, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick praised the work of the Texas Senate in passing all 40 bills that Patrick had designated as priority legislation.
“With the Texas Senate’s unanimous passage of Senate Bill 31 today, the Life of the Mother Act, the Texas Senate has passed ALL its top 40 priority bills over to the Texas House. Some highlights of the Senate’s top 40 priorities include:
- Eliminating school property taxes for the average Texas senior homeowner with the $200,000 homestead exemption ($140,000 homestead exemption for non-senior homeowners)
- Requiring local law enforcement to assist the federal government’s deportation efforts
- Providing school choice
- Placing the 10 Commandments back in schools
“The Senate has done its work. As of Friday, the Senate had passed 631 bills. The House was only at 182.
“With the clock ticking, the House must prioritize and deliver conservative priorities to the governor’s desk. The Senate has passed them already. It is time to begin moving Senate bills in the House. Democrats must not be allowed to obstruct the passage of key bills and joint resolutions. The House should start with property tax relief as the next bill they pass.
“June 2 Sine Die (end of session) is only a few short weeks away. Texans are watching the House with great interest.”
Earlier in the session, Patrick released a list of 40 priority bills on various issues, including the state budget, school choice, banning THC products, curbing “nuclear” verdicts in civil lawsuits, bail reform, and other issues.
The House has already acted on some of the Senate’s priority bills. Senate Bill 14, the Texas DOGE bill, was signed into law by Governor Abbott last week. Senate Bill 2, establishing a school choice program, is scheduled to be signed by Abbott on Saturday. Senate Bill 5, establishing the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, was passed in the House last week.
While Patrick’s statement encourages the House to act quickly on the Senate’s priorities, Patrick and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows made public comments on social media last week indicating that they were working together to ensure the passage of conservative legislation.
“I had a great dinner with the Speaker last night. Our relationship is light-years beyond any other speaker I’ve worked with over the last decade. It was just the two of us and our 2 chiefs of staff. We still have a lot of work to do and the clock is ticking, but we are on a positive path. We went through both chambers’ priority bills and have set forth a plan.
Message to House & Senate members: Speaker @Burrows4TX and I are working well together. With your hard work in both chambers and teamwork, this can be the most successful and conservative session ever. Let’s all work together and get our work done on time,” wrote Patrick in an April 24 tweet.
In response to Patrick’s comments, Burrows tweeted, “Couldn’t agree more. We had a very productive evening, and I appreciate @LtGovTX Patrick taking the time. We discussed the state of play in both chambers, the progress of our respective legislative priorities, and what lies ahead in the final weeks of session. I appreciate the Lt. Gov’s collaboration and steady communication thus far—the House and Senate are working well together, and we both believe there will be much to show for it come Sine Die.”
The last day for the House to consider House bills on second reading is May 15. The House has until May 27 to consider Senate bills on second reading.
