Texas lawmakers adjourned on Tuesday, ending the state鈥檚 fourth special session of the year without passing most of the items on Gov. Greg Abbott鈥檚 despite spending a month debating the measures.
Among the dead proposals is one that would have created education savings accounts in the state. The school voucher-like program 鈥� one of Abbott鈥檚 top priorities this year 鈥� would have given taxpayer dollars to parents to pay for private and parochial school tuition for their children.
Despite Abbott鈥檚 on lawmakers to pass such a measure, a coalition of Democratic and rural Republican members in the Texas House successfully that would have created ESAs from an education omnibus bill.
Their actions ended up killing the entire proposal, which also included funds to increase . The Texas Senate advanced a stand-alone voucher bill of its own last month, but the Texas House chose not to take it up.
What passed
While Abbott鈥檚 sought-after education proposal didn鈥檛 make it over the finish line, the Texas Legislature did pass a controversial anti-immigration bill that is almost guaranteed to be challenged in court.
would make it a state crime to enter into Texas illegally from a foreign country. Under the legislation, which is awaiting the governor鈥檚 signature, crossing illegally would be considered a Class B misdemeanor.
The measure also empowers local and state law enforcement to arrest unauthorized migrants and take them before a judge or county magistrate. Law enforcement would also be allowed to order migrants to return to a port of entry into Mexico, regardless of their country of origin.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called SB 4 鈥渢he strongest border security bill Texas has ever passed鈥� earlier this month.
The passage of SB 4 is a win for Republicans in the Legislature after they failed to pass similar legislation in previous sessions.
But TRUST, a coalition of advocacy, religious, and business organizations, said the measure would 鈥渦surp federal authority and spend billions of our tax dollars to target our families, friends, and neighbors.鈥�
鈥淭his legislation doubles down on Governor Greg Abbott鈥檚 abuse of state authority to implement failed deterrence initiatives that discriminate against immigrants and communities of color,鈥� the group said in a statement last month. 鈥淓xperience shows that these kinds of policies have widespread and devastating impacts, encourage racial profiling, and violate migrants' fundamental human rights.鈥�
Another immigration-related bill 鈥� a proposal allocating more than $1.5 billion for border security measures 鈥� was also passed by lawmakers. Most of that money will go toward the placement of buoys, concertina wire and other barriers on the Southern border. The legislation also allocates $40 million for officers in the Department of Public Safety participating in Operation Lone Star, Abbott鈥檚 border security initiative.
Property tax cuts in limbo
During the last few days of the fourth special session, Texas senators rushed to pass a measure that would shorten the time frame to challenge a constitutional amendment election.
Senate Bill 6, filed by Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, was filed Friday filed by far-right activists challenging Texas鈥� November constitutional amendments election.
鈥淚f this bill is not passed, and if this case is slow in the courts 鈥� that means the property tax cuts that Texans are expecting are in jeopardy,鈥� Hughes told senators last week.
The lawsuits also put cost-of-living adjustments for retired teachers in limbo.
SB 6 would expedite a trial challenging a constitutional amendment election, and it would apply retroactively to elections that happened on or after Nov. 1, 2023.
But the House chose not to take up the measure. House Speaker Dade Phelan said his chamber ran out of time.
鈥淭he Senate has proposed an entirely new bill with only five days of session 鈥� knowing full well there is not enough time to get it passed and sent to the Governor鈥檚 desk,鈥� Phelan tweeted on X, formerly Twitter, Friday.
But Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on Friday Phelan had five days 鈥渂ut falsely says he doesn't have time to pass these bills. All he has to do is call the House back at any moment or, if needed, suspend House rules to pass these bills on Tuesday.鈥�
This is the latest fight between Patrick and Phelan 鈥� both leaders have sparred on social media all year long over school vouchers and property tax cuts.
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