KOLKHORST TOUTS SENATE RESULTS DURING SPECIAL SESSION
State Senator Lois Kolkhorst says she is proud of the work being done in the Texas Senate this week to craft policy solutions requested by Governor Greg Abbott during the ongoing special session.
(courtesy Office of Lois Kolkhorst)
While their House counterparts have been unable to meet due to a lack of quorum, Senate lawmakers have convened daily this week to take action on most of the items listed on the governor’s call for the special session, which ends August 6th.
Kolkhorst said she knows some House members are “very frustrated” after over 50 House Democrats left the state for Washington, D.C. She said, “All of this legislation being passed in the Texas Senate this week is important to every Texan and deserves to be debated in both chambers.”
Legislation passed this week by the Senate and referred to the House includes:
- Senate Bill 1, the much-debated elections bill. Supporters of the bill say it will ensure the integrity of elections, while opponents say it could make it more difficult for people to vote.
- Senate Bill 2, which prohibits students from competing in University Interscholastic League (UIL) athletic competitions designated for the sex opposite of the student’s sex at birth.
- Senate Bill 5, which prohibits social media platforms from censoring a person or banning the content that person posts based on the person's viewpoint or on the political viewpoint expressed in the post.
- Senate Bill 6, which reforms the current release bail bond practices for habitual, violent, and felony offenders.
- Senate Bill 7, which provides a “13th check” of up to $2,400 to all retired teachers and education employees in Texas.
- Senate Bill 8, which grants a faster homeowner benefit of the resident homestead exemption the first year of acquiring property, instead of having to wait until January 1st of the following year for the exemption to take effect.
- Senate Bill 12 and Senate Joint Resolution 4, which provide school Maintenance and Operation tax rate reduction for homeowners over 65 and disabled homeowners that are currently capped due to their tax ceiling adjustment.
- Senate Bill 72, which establishes family violence prevention programs for students in public schools.
Kolkhorst said that final passage of the Senate bills into law will require absent House Democrats to return to the House of Representatives for a quorum.