AUSTIN, Texas — Texas lawmakers are back in Austin for the 88th legislative session where they will decide how to spend a record $33 billion budget surplus of tax dollars.
Members of the House and Senate were sworn in just after noon on Tuesday and over the next 140 days, it’s up to them to find solutions to pressing problems in Texas.
“I am proud to represent all of you as speaker of the 88th Legislature,” House Speaker Dade Phelan said as he addressed the chamber.
The legislative body is back at work at the Texas capitol for their biennial session led by Republicans Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Phelan.
“194,000 strong in each district and while our districts are certainly, unique they have one thing in common: They have trusted us to be their voice,” Phelan said.
Between the swearing-in and celebration, Republican leadership signaled their priorities.
“I believe tax relief should be a priority,” Phelan said.
From property taxes to healthcare to crime, GOP leaders say there is work to be done.
“If rouge district attorneys will not uphold the law, what progress are we really making? It is time to rein them in,” Phelan said.
Democrats say there’s room to work with Republicans.
“It is now that we invest in the court system, we need more courts, we need more judges, we need more prosecutors, we need more court staff. And when we do that, I think we’ll see a real commitment to addressing public safety,” Rep. Ann Johnson, a Democrat, said.
And they want to tackle more than just crime.
“We have a responsibility to invest in the infrastructure for our state. And so that means ensuring that we’re doing what we can with regard to flooding, with regard to education and one of the biggest comments today on a bipartisan basis on the house was healthcare for women and children,” Johnson said.
Lawmakers will have a historic $33 billion to make it happen, something the governor celebrated.
“That budget surplus is because of taxpayers in the state of Texas,” Gov. Greg Abbott said.
Some conservative members of the Republican caucus who were upset with the speaker over appointing Democrats as committee chairs nominated Tony Tinderholt as house speaker, but he lost in a landslide 145-3 vote.