Sen. Drew Springer: Legislative Update
On Monday the 88th Legislative Session came to a close. Those 140 days flew by fast, but I am proud of what my fellow Legislators and I were able to accomplish for Texas. I wanted to highlight a couple of the policies I’m excited about which passed both chambers and are now on Gov. Abbott’s desk.
A Conservative Budget Plan that does not exceed population growth times inflation, and addresses key priorities for our rapidly expanding state.
Ending COVID Mandates Forever SB 29 bans the state and local government from issuing mask, vaccine, and business closure mandates.
Securing elections
HB 1243 returns the penalty for voting illegally to a second-degree felony.
SB 1933 gives power to the Secretary of State’s office to step in, investigate, and manage elections when there are integrity concerns. The Secretary of State will also have the power to remove ineffective county election officials.
Protecting Children From Sexually Explicit Material & Gender Modification SB 12 bans drag shows from being performed in front of children.
HB 900 keeps sexually explicit books out of school libraries and holds vendors liable for rating the books based on their content.
SB 14 prohibits hormone therapies, puberty blockers, and transition- related surgeries for minors. The Governor signed this into law on Friday.
Keeping Schools Safe HB 3 increases each school’s safety allotment funding and requires schools to have an armed security guard on campus.
Strengthening The Electric Grid SB 2627 will help spur the construction of new power plants to add to the state’s electricity supply so that Texas is prepared for the next winter storm.
Special Session
While we passed very important pieces of legislation this session, there were some priorities that we were not able to pass in time. This is why Governor Abbott immediately called a special session to address property tax relief and border security, specifically human smuggling.
The Legislature put aside $17.6 billion in the budget for property tax relief, but both the House and the Senate have different plans on how to provide property tax relief. The House’s plan focuses on buying down property taxes by using School Maintenance and Operating tax compression, while the Senate’s plan compresses School Maintenance and Operating tax by 21.8 per- cent and provides for a $100,000 homestead exemption. This would save each homeowner $1250 to $1450 per year!
The Senate will be back in session on Tuesday to continue the discussion on property taxes and to hear border security bills. I will continue to keep you all updated as the special session progresses.
My Legislative Highlights
My goal for this session was to pass strong, conservative legislation that ensures that the Texas Miracle lives on. Below are a couple of bills that I either authored or sponsored that are now on Gov. Abbott’s desk waiting to be signed into law.
HB 3162 restores life-affirming values in healthcare by amending the Texas Advance Directives Act to revise provisions related to life-sustaining treatment and DNR orders for patients who are incompetent or mentally/physically incapable of communication. Current law allows a Hospital committee to withdraw a patient’s basic life-sustaining treatment with a 10-day notice. This bill will extend the period to twenty-five days and provides for a seven-day notice, giving patients and their families time to transfer to a different physician or facility that will respect their decision. It was an honor to work on this legislation with Representative Klick, Texas Right to Life, Texas Alliance for Life, and Texans for Life Coalition.
SB 129, Caleb’s Law, upgrades the State’s outdated child pornography laws to reflect current technologies and criminal trends so that law enforcement and prosecutors can efficiently protect the most vulnerable in our society - our children. I filed this bill in honor of Caleb Diehl from Nocona, who was reported missing on April 1, 2015. After his disappearance, an investigation uncovered that Caleb was abused by his part-time employer who had prior allegations of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
SB 22 establishes a grant program to provide financial assistance to qualified sheriff ’s departments and prosecutor’s offices in counties with a population of 300,000 or less. The grants can be used to increase salaries, hire additional staff, and to purchase equipment. The need for consistent quality law enforcement across the state is needed now more than ever due to President Biden’s refusal to secure the southern border. This has resulted in every county sheriff and prosecutor in Texas becoming a border sheriff or border prosecutor in addition to their normal duties. I’m proud that we could give these sheriffs and prosecutors the support and funding they deserve.
HB 33 prevents overreaching federal regulations on oil and gas production in Texas by ensuring state agencies can not contract with or assist federal agencies in enforcing regulations that do not exist under state law. Oil and gas play a massive role in the Texas economy and power our state as a reliable energy source. It’s important that we protect our industry from liberal Green New Deal policies.
HB 3137 prohibits local entities from requiring gun owners to carry liability insurance coverage for damages resulting from the use of a firearm. I believe these types of ordinances violate the 2nd amendment and infringe on a protected right under the U.S. Constitution by requiring a person to pay what is essentially a tax to exercise their rights.
HB 4758 criminally charges manufacturers who intentionally target minors with their marketing, advertising, and selling of e-cigarettes. These companies are preying on youth with packaging that looks identical to popular candy, flavored juice boxes, and other edible treats, which entices youth to consume these dangerous nicotine products.
I also wanted to take a moment to thank you all for trusting me to serve as your State Senator for another session, it truly is an honor to represent y’all. During the session I appreciated all of the calls, emails, and letters andnow I am looking forward to seeing everyone back in the district!
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me and my office if there is ever anything that I can help you with.
God Bless, Senator Drew Springer