Conservatives have most successful legislative session in my tenure
By State. Rep. Phil King
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas The
Texas House delivered one conservative victory after another in the 84th Legislature by cutting taxes making the
border region safer improving education
funding transportation protecting life and defending your
2nd Amendment rights. Here are
some reflections and highlights.
TEXAS STATE BUDGET
We continued to keep Texas on strong fiscal ground by passing a state budget that keeps growth beneath 2 per year.
The budget House Bill 1 grows less than population and inflation it stays well beneath the constitutional spending cap and it leaves more than $11 billion in the states Rainy Day Fund. Even as it limits spending however the budget provides additional funding for education border security transportation and child protection.
TAX RELIEF
With a budget surplus provided by the success of the private sector we worked throughout the session to deliver tax relief.
Those efforts paid off as the Legislature approved nearly $4 billion in tax relief: a 25 percent reduction in the business margins tax as well as a $10000 increase in the homestead exemption which will provide relief for homeowners.
BORDER SECURITY
The House demonstrated its commitment to border security early in the session by passing House Bills 10 and 11.
In addition the budget provides a historic amount of funding more than $800 million for border security.
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
The Texas population and economy are growing rapidly straining roads and highways. The Legislature addressed transportation this session without raising taxes fees or tolls.
The budget ends diversions of the State Highway Fund meaning all of the money in that fund will pay for transportation instead of other programs. That change increased transportation funding by $1.3 billion over two years.
We also supported
Senate Joint Resolution 5 a proposed constitutional amendment that would dedicate at least $2.5 billion of state sales tax revenue to transportation every two years.
PRO-LIFE
The Legislature has repeatedly defended the rights of the unborn in recent years and continued to do so in this years session. The Legislature passed critical pro-life bills further defunded Planned Parenthood and expanded funding for alternatives to abortion.
- House Bill 3994 reforms the judicial bypass process for minors seeking abortions. These reforms will protect and strengthen parents rights while also increasing oversight of the bypass process.
House Bill 3074 another crucial bill passed by the Legislature addresses end of life issues and requires artificial hydration and nutrition to be provided to patients in the natural process of death.
2nd AMENDMENT
We also achieved two long-sought Second Amendment priorities this session with the passage of
House Bill 910 which allows for the licensed open carry of handguns and
Senate Bill 11 which will expand the rights of Concealed Handgun License holders to possess their guns on college campuses.
PASTOR PROTECTION
In addition we passed
Senate Bill 2065 which protects pastors from lawsuits or criminal prosecution if they refuse to perform marriages that violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.
This has been THE most successful legislative session in my tenure. I look forward to visiting with you in the district and discussing these victories in further detail.
Thank you for all of your kind words and support.
State Representative Phil King
represents the people of Parker and Wise Counties and the 61st District in the Texas Legislature. King serves on the Energy Resources and the Pensions Committees and is also a member of the Joint Interim Committee to Study Water Desalination and the Energy Resources Subcommittee on Seismic Activity.
