Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Friday instructed state senators to review a broad vary of coverage points forward of subsequent yr’s legislative session, together with prediction markets, knowledge facilities, THC and extra, increasing on an preliminary record of priorities that included “stopping Sharia regulation” and investigating Medicaid fraud.
Patrick’s newest record of interim fees corresponded with lots of the priorities Home Speaker Dustin Burrows laid out Thursday.
Knowledge facilities appeared thrice on Patrick’s priorities, with the lieutenant governor — who leads the state Senate — instructing varied committees to evaluate the water calls for of “energy-intensive applied sciences,” together with knowledge facilities; to contemplate the right way to meet electrical energy calls for of knowledge facilities but in addition “stability financial growth advantages of this development in opposition to the impacts on landowners, personal property rights, water infrastructure, and group integrity;” and consider the prices of the gross sales tax exemption granted to knowledge facilities.
Patrick additionally indicated a continued give attention to banning hemp-based THC merchandise, charging the Well being and Human Companies Committee with learning “the influence of THC on elevated well being care prices, psychological well being emergency detentions, and the danger of being recognized with a THC-induced psychotic dysfunction.” Patrick made a ban on the merchandise one in every of his high priorities final legislative session, however the invoice that handed the Legislature was in the end vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Prediction market playing additionally landed in Patrick’s sights, as markets like Kalshi and Polymarket have expanded within the state by a federal loophole even whereas sports activities betting and casinos are in any other case outlawed in Texas. Patrick instructed the state affairs committee to “examine the sudden inundation of prediction market playing” and “make suggestions to make sure the integrity of Texas elections and Texas sports activities.”
On property taxes, Patrick reemphasized “Operation Double Nickel,” his proposal to scale back property taxes by additional rising the quantity of a house’s worth that may’t be taxed to pay for public faculties, generally known as the homestead exemption. The plan additionally includes decreasing the age at which Texans qualify for added reduction on their college tax payments.
Patrick’s proposal contrasts with the method Home management has typically favored to scale back property taxes, by way of compressing college district tax charges and decreasing appraisal caps. Gov. Greg Abbott has laid out a separate property tax minimize plan, the centerpiece of which is abolishing house owner college property taxes, establishing a possible legislative struggle over the problem subsequent yr.
Patrick additionally listed election safety and effectivity on his record of priorities, directing the State Affairs Committee to “assure ballot watcher entry,” examine “totally different strategies counties make use of concerning the marking and counting of ballots” and consider countywide polling websites throughout main elections. 1000’s of Dallas County voters confirmed up on the incorrect polling location this month after the Dallas County GOP eradicated countywide polling websites, resulting in election day chaos.
Like Burrows’ record, Patrick’s priorities embody cracking down on immigrant truck drivers, with the Transportation committee charged with guaranteeing English-proficiency of drivers and bolstering security requirements of driving faculties by “unannounced or undercover audits.”
Patrick additionally included reproductive points on his record, instructing senators to “study the unethical and overseas pursuits exploiting the surrogacy and fertility industries in Texas” and to review the “continued menace posed by abortion drugs unlawfully shipped to Texas.” The Legislature final yr restricted the manufacturing and distribution of abortion drugs within the state.
In one other alignment with the Home, Patrick directed the Heath and Human Companies committee to review “the drivers of rising well being care prices.” 1000’s of Texans are seeing greater premiums this yr after the Republican-controlled Congress declined to increase enhanced Inexpensive Care Act subsidies final yr.
The Committee on Spiritual Liberty, fashioned this month by Patrick, was charged with recommending “any laws wanted to enhance, improve, or full implementation” of measures the Legislature handed final session requiring the general public college lecture rooms to show the Ten Commandments and enabling faculties to commit time throughout the day to prayer.
This text first appeared on The Texas Tribune.
