AUSTIN, Texas — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has announced his top 30 priorities for the 2023 Legislative Session.
In a released statement, Patrick said he ultimately plans to pass "over 600 bills."
Among his priorities, the GOP leader noted that several have already been included in the state budget, such as Operation Lone Star.
During the 2022 session, the state legislature allocated a record $3 billion toward border security, including funding for Abbott’s new border mission.
Consequently, state lawmakers would later have to transfer an additional $1 billion to keep the border mission in operation.
In the fall of 2021, about 10,000 service members were deployed in an effort to slow the crossing of migrants.
Shortly after, troops began complaining about poor living conditions, a lack of pay and no sense of mission.
Five suspected suicides have since been reported.
It's also reported this budget was often taken from underfunded state agencies like the Texas Juvenile Justice Department - which is currently facing a staffing crisis.
"Texas should not have to use our tax dollars to do the Federal Government’s job," Patrick said.
"But it is vitally important that we maintain our law enforcement and National Guard presence. If we do not, the border crisis will get much worse.”
Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is set to pay $3.3 million using taxpayer money to settle with former aides who reported him to the FBI for corruption.
As Texas faces a record $22.7 billion non-reserved budget surplus, many top legislative leaders are still fighting to have their priorities fit the bill.
Below are Patrick's top 30 priority bills:
- Senate Bill 1 – State Budget
- Senate Bill 2 – Restoring Voter Fraud to a Felony
- Senate Bill 3 – Increasing the Homestead Exemption to $70,000
- Senate Bill 4 – Adding Additional Property Tax Relief
- Senate Bill 5 – Increasing the Business Personal Property Tax Exemption
- Senate Bill 6 – Adding New Natural Gas Plants
- Senate Bill 7 – Continuing to Improve the Texas Grid
- Senate Bill 8 – Empowering Parental Rights – Including School Choice
- Senate Bill 9 – Empowering Teacher Rights – Teacher Pay Raise
- Senate Bill 10 – Adding 13th Checks for Retired Teachers
- Senate Bill 11 – Keeping Our Schools Safe and Secure
- Senate Bill 12 – Banning Children’s Exposure to Drag Shows
- Senate Bill 13 – Protecting Children from Obscene Books in Libraries
- Senate Bill 14 – Ending Child Gender Modification
- Senate Bill 15 – Protecting Women’s College Sports
- Senate Bill 16 – Banning Critical Race Theory (CRT) in Higher Education
- Senate Bill 17 – Banning Discriminatory “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” (DEI) Policies in Higher Education
- Senate Bill 18 – Eliminating Tenure at General Academic Institutions
- Senate Bill 19 – Creating A New Higher Education Endowment Fund
- Senate Bill 20 – Removing District Attorneys Who Refuse to Follow Texas Law
- Senate Bill 21 – Removing Judges Who Refuse to Follow Texas Law
- Senate Bill 22 – Assisting Rural Law Enforcement Funding – Increasing Pay and Needed Equipment
- Senate Bill 23 – Creating A Mandatory 10-Year Prison Sentence for Criminals Committing Gun Crime
- Senate Bill 24 – Expanding Alternatives to Abortion
- Senate Bill 25 – Creating New Scholarships for Registered Nurses
- Senate Bill 26 – Expanding Mental Health Care Beds Across Texas – Focus on Rural Counties
- Senate Bill 27 – Creating A New Business Specialty Court
- Senate Bill 28 – Addressing Texas’ Future Water Needs
- Senate Bill 29 – Banning Local COVID-19 Mandates
- Senate Bill 30 – Supplemental Budget
Patrick also clarified in his statement that, "just because a bill does not make the priority list does not mean it is not a priority for me or the Senate."
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