Abbott lays out top priorities for 89th legislative session

Texas Governor Greg Abbott outlined his top priorities for this 89th legislative session on Sunday night during his State of the State address, while praising Texas’ economy calling it the “number one best state to start a business.”

The governor expressed desire for $10 billion more in property tax cuts for Texans, saying that no taxing entity should be able to raise property taxes without the approval of two-thirds of voters. Abbott said that property tax relief would be an emergency item that must be passed this session.

The governor also addressed concerns over the future of water in Texas, mentioning that some of the state’s water supplies are drying up. Abbott said that investing in water infrastructure will also be an emergency item this legislative session, promising to work with the Texas Legislature on dedicating $1 billion each year for 10 years to tap into new water supplies and existing pipes to save billions of gallons of water each year.

The governor announced on Sunday that school choice would be an emergency item this legislative session and said he wants to establish an education savings account (ESA) program with universal eligibility for all Texas schoolchildren, and appropriate $1 billion for the program to parents. “Schools must respond to parents’ concerns and parents should be empowered to choose the school that’s best for their child.”

Other emergency items Abbott announced were related to bail reform and creating the Texas Cyber Command, which would be headquartered in San Antonio to fight off potential cyber threats.