SEN. KOLKHORST RECAPS REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION, LOOKS AHEAD TO SPECIAL SESSION

  

State Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) says she is proud of the work accomplished during the 89^th Legislature, but there is still more to tackle in the coming weeks.

Recapping the past session during an interview with KWHI last month, Kolkhorst says billions of dollars in new school funding, legislation for land protection, food industry reform, and securing financial support for several Senate District 18 projects are among her high points of the past session.

Kolkhorst says much of the session was focused on providing a boost for public education, resulting in an increase of $8.5 billion to go toward improving teacher and staff salaries, addressing inflated operational expenses, and upgrading Career and Technical Education program offerings.  She says she is excited about the difference this funding will make for local school districts.

Click here to view Kolkhorst’s newsletter with additional information on public education legislation passed during the 89^th Legislature.

Property tax relief was another emphasis for lawmakers.  Constitutional amendment propositions are set to appear on the ballot in November to increase homestead property tax exemptions from $100,000 to $140,000 and bring up the homestead exemption for seniors and disabled Texans from $10,000 to $60,000, which would combine for a $200,000 exemption for those groups if passed.  Kolkhorst was disappointed that legislation did not pass to get property appraisals down and said she will be “relentless” in her efforts to accomplish that. 

One bill that Kolkhorst initiated during the 2023 legislative session and passed during this session is what she calls “the strongest land protection bill in the nation.”  Senate Bill 17 prohibits the countries or agents of the countries of China, North Korea, Russia and Iran from purchasing Texas land, commercial buildings or natural resources.  Kolkhorst believes it is “landmark legislation” and calls it “a hard stop” on foreign adversaries.

Another bill authored by Kolkhorst, SB 25, creates stricter requirements for food labeling, increases physical and nutrition education, and establishes a research committee to study connections between ultra-processed foods, artificial additives and dyes, and chronic diseases.

Kolkhorst also pointed to new funding for projects of local interest, including $8.75 million to build a new DPS driver’s license office in Brenham and $3 million to go toward Blinn College’s workforce development initiatives in Waller.  In addition, she says the state has increased its investment into the operation of rural hospitals from $50 million to $150 million and passed legislation to more directly outline how that funding is to be spent. 

Approved legislation that carries regional impact includes Kolkhorst’s SB 2078, which restricts where cities with mandatory composting ordinances can send their waste, unless the receiving county authorizes it.  It comes in response to an application filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality by an Austin-based company looking to operate a compost facility on land in Lee County.  SB 2361 transfers the University of Houston-Victoria to the Texas A&M University System.  The legislature also passed several bills to improve water infrastructure and protect local water supplies. 

Overall, Kolkhorst feels this session was productive both for Senate District 18 and the state as a whole.   

In less than two weeks, Kolkhorst will head back to Austin for a special session that begins July 21^st.  Governor Greg Abbott released the agenda today (Wednesday) for the session, which is set to address 18 items.  Among those will be flood warning systems and emergency communications following the deadly Hill Country floods, the regulation of hemp-derived products, taxpayer-funded lobbying and a revised congressional redistricting plan.

Click below to listen to Kolkhorst’s full recap of the 89^th legislative session.