What did and didn't pass in the Texas Legislature
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State lawmakers wrapped up their business in Austin on Monday, leaving behind a trail of legislative accomplishments and failures.
Why it matters: The decisions at the Capitol affect the lives of everyone from pregnant Texans to hemp farmers.
Driving the news: Texas once again tilted farther to the right during this year's 140-day legislative session with the passage of bills creating a massive private school voucher program and requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
Yes, but: Republicans didn't pass legislation limiting abortion pills, penalizing the use of bathrooms by transgender people in public spaces or banning the use of social media accounts by minors.
- A measure that would have barred cities from creating their own rules around things like elections and criminal justice — with a threat to freeze their sales tax revenue — also failed.
The intrigue: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — now a decade in power presiding over the Senate — dictated the legislative agenda, flexing his muscle over new House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock).
Here's a breakdown of the major issues we've been tracking.
School finance
House and Senate lawmakers finally agreed on House Bill 2, which authorizes $8.5 billion in funding for public school teacher salaries, special education, school safety and full-day pre-K.
- Public school advocates say the funding isn't enough to keep pace with inflation.
What's next: Abbott has said he intends to sign the bill.
Vouchers
Abbott signed Senate Bill 2 into law last month, which gives participating families roughly $10,000 per child in state money for private school tuition.
Between the lines: It's a long-fought win for Abbott, who spent millions of dollars reshaping the Legislature to gain the votes he needed for its passage.
Abortion
A measure that would further limit abortion medications fell short after it missed a key legislative deadline.
Yes, but: Lawmakers passed other abortion laws — one aimed at clarifying an exception that allows doctors to terminate a pregnancy to save the pregnant person's life, and another that bans cities from using taxpayer money for abortion-related travel expenses.
- Both bills await a signature by the governor.
Anti-transgender measures
Lawmakers approved a bill defining "man" and "woman" based only on reproductive anatomy and requiring all state records to reflect sex assigned at birth.
- The law does not recognize a third sex for intersex people, in line with Abbott's January order recognizing only two sexes.
Another measure signed by the governor requires insurance plans to cover treatment for complications or reversals related to gender transitions.
THC
Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 3, which bans THC in Texas.
The measure, which reverses a 2019 law that legalized THC, would drastically impact Texas' multibillion-dollar hemp industry and now awaits the governor's approval.
The border
Despite the Trump administration's focus on deportations and increased border enforcement, lawmakers approved spending $3.35 billion over the next two years on border security.
- They also approved a measure requiring sheriffs to collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Library book selection
Lawmakers approved a measure giving parents the option to see what their children are checking out of their school library.
- The bill would also require school boards to create library advisory councils to recommend which books should be added or removed from libraries.
Ten Commandments and prayer
Lawmakers approved a proposal that requires the Ten Commandments to be posted in public school classrooms, and another that would allow school boards to require periods for prayer and reading "the Bible or other religious text."
Make Texas Healthy Again
Inspired by the Trump administration's "Make America Healthy Again" agenda, lawmakers approved a measure that requires a half-hour of physical activity through eighth grade in public schools, and creates a nutrition advisory committee that will examine the effects of ultra-processed food and food additives on human health.
- Also approved and signed by Abbott: a ban on 17 food additives from reduced-price or free lunch programs at public schools.
Property taxes
Lawmakers approved sending a package of property tax reforms to voters this November that would increase the homestead exemption to $200,000 for seniors and $140,000 for everyone else.
State budget
To pay for property tax relief, lawmakers are dipping into billions they had earmarked for border security. (State officials are hoping Congress reimburses Texas for billions of dollars it has spent on border security.)
- The $338 billion two-year budget also increases spending for water and energy infrastructure and hiring hundreds of state troopers.
What they're saying: "I remain committed to returning even more money to taxpayers to fight back against local government property taxes, while maintaining our steadfast commitment to public education, which accounts for almost half of Texas' budget," Patrick said in a statement.
What's next: Abbott can sign bills into law, veto them or allow them to become law without a signature.
- Most of the bills take effect in early September, three months after the adjournment of the legislative session.