🧵We are at the Texas Tribune 2023 Legislative Preview Session.we will post thoughts here. #ttevents
Is Dan Patrick’s last term? What will he push? What does he want his legacy to be? The best comment “Don’t over think Dan Patrick, he’s usually very clear on what he wants.”
The broad general public supports Operation Lone Star. We have seen 2 million crosses. We don’t even know how much as been spent. More on this later.
We need to keep an eye on appropriations for mental health care.
There maybe legs on turning Austin into a district after GOP came to Austin and saw homeless camps.
Will they tackle lack of teachers in schools and recapture? Yes to increase teacher pay. Don’t know about energy around this and if we will see results.
We are so excited with this panel with @BhojaniForTexas, Morgan LaMantia and Charles Cunningham 
Morgan
Charles
If the State of Texas wants to spend millions of dollars in my backyard and it benefits our towns then I’m all for it ~ Rep Longoria.
Is Operation Lonestar more about turning border communities Red? 🧐 we have elected elated about the restaurants and hotels being full and a huge stimulus of Texas Tax dollars in their cities.
Uvalde now needs to Bullet resistance Buildings! 🤦🏻♀️
? Directly at @EddieMoralesJr are you implying we should charge $2000 fee to those coming over the border? Rep Moralas believes that since they have the money they would happily pay $2k to and is recommending an annual fee there needs to be a buy in!
This idea is FUCKED UP @EddieMoralesJr ! You said some decent solutions too but this piece is fucked up!
Education panel: we have to improve the pay and that will increase access of teaching on the part of males ~Harold Dutton (because the lower pay scale is because it’s considered women’s work and we have inequality in women’s pay)
I was looking forward to the education panel the most and it’s TERRIBLE! So incredibly painful, out of touch, and slllllllllooooooowwwww! So much to say. But hot damn awful!
“Where there is smoke, there’s a smoke machine” Rep @GaryVanDeaver
They are going to improve HB 4545. People are lined up with questions! There is a lot on the line this session for education. This panel could have been better. All admit teachers don’t get paid enough.
The Health Panel is very interesting. Anyone who was on Pregnancy “Medicaid program in March 2020 are still on. Did this program make a difference in women’s health, we can now measure if it did” ~ Donna Howard
Tx is above avg maternal mortality numbers: Friday morning the review committee is meeting and may have maternal mortality report update but there is still no report.
With More women giving birth due to anti abortion laws, we need to pass more support for Moms and Babies this means a variety of care from mobile clinics to telehealth.
When talking about anti abortion counseling programs. There is evidence of miss use of funds and there are already social programs that have been proven to work. We should fund those programs instead.
Do you have to be assaulted to seek an abortion? How can we make the new law less bad? @DonnaHowardTX
Clearly we need more psychiatric beds. We need more providers. School funding is going to be big and improving counselors in schools. We have a surplus and it’s an opportunity and I hope take advantage of it ~ Rep Howard.
Property Taxes panel - The avg homestead tax billion Travis county property taxes are lower. HB3 all that rolled in for first time and bills are slightly down.
If we want to lower property taxes then we need a sustainable source for funding.
Tarrant county has the highest rate of increase on homesteads.
Predicted to fall to the 10th highest property tax rate in the country this year. But state pays for less and less every year all around and this explains why we rank so low in healthcare etc.
The biggest tax relief would be if the state would actually fund statewide needs ~ Sarah Eckhardt
And we have to leave! Thanks y’all
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