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October 15, 2023
NEWS DIGEST
by Brandon Waltens
Good morning,
The third special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott started less than a week ago and already the Senate has made quick work of the agenda, racing to pass measures relating to school choice, border security, and ending COVID-19 employer vaccine mandates.
The Senate did all of this during a 15-hour marathon session that ended late Thursday night, all while the House has remained stagnant.
Senate Bill 1—school choice—passed by a vote of 18-13, with State Sen. Robert Nichols as the lone Republican to vote against it.
Senate Bill 4, which increases the penalties for human smuggling and operating a stash house, passed in a 29-2 vote.
Senate Bill 11 creates a criminal penalty for improper entry from a foreign nation and passed in a vote of 19-12, with all Democrats voting against the measure.
Senate Bill 7 bans employer vaccine mandates and passed in another party-line vote of 19-12.
The Senate also passed Senate Bill 2, which would provide a $10,000 raise for rural teachers and a $3,000 raise for urban teachers. SB 2 will also double both the per-student and per-campus school safety allotments.
Meanwhile, the border security bills and COVID vaccine mandate legislation has been scheduled for a hearing in the House State Affairs Committee on Monday. School choice, however, has not been scheduled for a hearing yet.
Featured
In an escalation of his war with conservative lawmakers, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan announced Thursday that Republican State Rep. Tony Tinderholt has been banned from making parliamentary inquiries without prior approval.
A parliamentary inquiry is a question asked by a House member to the speaker to clarify rules or procedures.
Phelan (R-Beaumont) accused Tinderholt of being “dilatory” or wasting time with his parliamentary inquiries.
State
Chairman Sponsors Resolution Apologizing for Ken Paxton Impeachment
J.M Lozano was among the 60 Republican members that voted to impeach Paxton in May.
Abbott Calls on Texas Lawmakers to Expand Education Freedom
Abbott said Thursday night that the legislature needs to get school choice across the finish line.
Speaker Dade Phelan Defends Democrat Chairs
Phelan claims there hasn’t been a single conservative priority that has not passed because of the Democrat chairs.
Local
Local Governments Load Billions in Bond Debt onto November Ballot
Texas has the third-highest local debt per capita among the nation’s 10 most populous states.
Texas Teacher Sentenced to 20 Years for Sexually Grooming 14-year-old Student
O’Donnell ISD teacher Nicholas Bueno sent his female victim obscene messages that authorities say were “controlling, grooming, sexual and enticing in nature.”
Abbott Appoints ‘Hard Democrat’ as Nueces County DA
Republican voters call the governor’s appointment of James Granberry “a slap in the face.”
Federal
Lawsuit Claiming Biden Knew Taxpayer Dollars Were Funding Palestinian Terrorists Moves Forward
The lawsuit asserts the Biden administration sent nearly half a billion in taxpayer dollars to the Palestinian Authority.
Will Hurd Drops Presidential Bid, Endorses Nikki Haley
Donald Trump blasted Hurd as “a nasty and jealous guy, who truly doesn’t have what it takes.”
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Quoting...
"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom."
- Thomas Jefferson
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