By: Rita Cook
AUSTIN – Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick who is also the President of the Senate in Texas released his first round of interim charges to the Texas Senate last week.
These interim charges require the Texas Senate committees to study each one in preparation for the 90th Legislature beginning in January 2027.
Patrick explained “These first five interim charges, released today, reflect issues that I am particularly focused on, and Texans have asked the Texas Senate to study.”
Patrick has requested the Texas senators weigh in on the recommendations by February 20.
Texas Senator Royce West explained the importance of these interim charges in a recent newsletter “Throughout this period committees hold public hearings to gather information from stakeholders, experts and the public, which helps form the legislative agenda for the next session.”
These charges include:
State Affairs Committee: Preventing Sharia Law in Texas:
“Only state and federal laws apply in Texas and “Sharia law” or other secondary judicial systems have no place in Texas.
Patrick is asking for recommendations to ensure all Texans benefit from Texas laws and the protections of the state and federal constitutions. Entities are to be examined such as the proposed East Plano Islamic Center (“EPIC City”) development in Hunt and Collin counties to determine whether EPIC City, its directors, or any associated entities are violating state or federal law.
Legislative recommendations are requested that will protect Texans from housing discrimination and unscrupulous developers.
Finance Committee: Further Property Tax Cuts:
The Homestead Exemption is popular with voters. It has eliminated school property taxes for the average senior and reduced school taxes in half for those under 65. The task is to study and report on the effect of the continued increase of the Homestead Exemption while assessing the impact of reducing the senior homestead exemption from 65 to 55 years of age. This change would freeze home
values 10 years sooner for over 3 million homeowners, saving 55 plus homeowners thousands of additional dollars.
Business and Commerce Committee: Securing Critical Infrastructure and Supply Chain Integrity:
Patrick would like an evaluation of the integrity of the supply chain for the Texas electric grid and other critical infrastructure. Important is to identify vulnerabilities or potential risks posed by hostile foreign entities of concern including, but not limited to, China, Russia, and Iran with recommendations for improvements and an ongoing evaluation for vigilance.
Health and Human Services Committee: Protecting Taxpayer Funds – Preventing Fraud and Abuse:
This is a call to eliminate fraud, explore and recommend ways to prevent fraud and abuse in Texas human service programs including, but not limited to, Medicaid and Child Care Services programs.
Education Committee: Promoting America & Texas First in Our Schools:
The ask here is to examine current practices of some public schools promoting events, partnerships, or associations with federal or state-designated hostile agents or their surrogates. Also, to provide recommendations to strengthen laws stopping hostile countries or related entities from infiltrating classrooms. Recommendations to ensure public schools promote students’ learning about American and Texas exceptionalism are being requested.
“My staff and I will diligently review those hundreds of interim charge ideas,” Patrick promised.
A full list of interim charges will be released later in March with Patrick adding “As always, Texans can rest assured the Senate will hit the ground running on day one of the 90th Texas Legislature to ensure the priorities of the conservative majority of Texans are accomplished including, but not limited to, continued property tax relief via ‘Operation Double Nickel,’ eliminating fraud and abuse in state government, strengthening the power grid, and promoting a Texas-first agenda across the board.” West added “Approximately 80% of major legislation stems from work done during these committee hearings.”
