AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Legislature was sworn in on Tuesday and the roll was called for 26 new members of the Texas House and five new members of the Texas Senate. In a ceremonious first day, the legislature struck down a pandemic rule from the prior session.
In an overwhelming nod, House Speaker Dade Phelan was sworn in for another term as House speaker. Of the 140-plus representatives in attendance, only three did not vote for Phelan.
The Beaumont-area Republican will lead a majority in the House and laid out his priorities for the upcoming session.
“If we are going to be a family-focused house, and I do hope we will be, we must take a long look at what matters to Texas families,” Phelan said during his opening speech, discussing the impacts of the economy, inflation and property taxes. He highlights tax relief as a priority in this legislature, saying the legislatures must fix “runaway appraisals.”
Phelan also wants to tackle healthcare issues impacting rural counties, and also wants to improve the infrastructure throughout Texas including roads, water supplies, and dependable energy to improve these basic services, Phelan suggested the $32.7 billion surplus could help address those needs.
“With a once in a lifetime budget surplus, now is the time to put a down payment on the future of Texas,” Phelan said.
Governor Greg Abbott provided his own thoughts on the matter, suggesting the money should in one way or another go back to the Texans who paved the way for it.
"They are the hard-working men and women of this state who sweat and toil to ensure they’re earning a good living, and contributing back to the state through their taxes," Abbott said. "They are the reasons we have that budget surplus."
Phelan also discussed creating change following the Robb Elementary School shooting. Phelan and Rep. Tracy King from Uvalde County say they met with the victims' families last week.
Phelan says after the findings from the investigative committee, they have insights to inform their decisions, but didn’t touch on any specific policy change related to firearms.
“This is going to be an especially tough conversation, but this body has proven capable of handling tough conversations in the past,” Phelan said.
Phelan also discussed immigration policy and its impact on the border counties. Phelan says the communities “have been bearing the brunt of Washington’s failed immigration policies.”
“It is a legal and humanitarian crisis,” Phelan said, echoing sentiments from Abbott, who earlier said Congress should reimburse Texas for the money it's spent to curtail illegal immigration.
Phelan doubled down by saying the Lone Star State consistently puts "hundreds of millions, now billions of dollars" into fortifying the border.
"As stewards of every budget dollar, we must ensure our strategy not only fits the realities on the ground but is truly, measurably effective," he added.
A Senate notification committee announced around 2:09 p.m. that its body convened and is ready to do business. At 2:11 p.m. the notification committee announced they told Abbott they were ready to transact business, jumpstarting two months of discussions.