Question

List the items that Governor Abbott identified as emergency items in his 2019 State of the State Address and explain why they were thus identified.

Answer 1

By constitutional mandate, governors are allowed to "recommend to the Legislature such measures he may deem expedient." The constitution allows the governor to declare an "emergency" item & have it be prioritized in the first sixty days.

Five Emergency Items are:

School Finance Reforms

This include providing more safety to students, protecting them from shootings etc. Ths was done in response to  gun massacre at Santa Fe High. Abbott promised the state would provide additional state money for public schools.

Increasing teachers pay

He said that teachers play an important role in educating children. So it is of immense importance that they should be paid adequately. He highlighted the use of merit based pay system for teachers.

Bill to collaborate on statewide mental health needs

There should be a broad-based plan, a plan that creates a mental health care consortium to collaborate on statewide mental health needs.He urged lawmakers to improve funding of mental-health treatments for military veterans.

Property Tax Reform

He considered property tax reform as an emergency item. He said that property tax reform bills would help lift the burden of skyrocketing property taxes.He also promised to reduce the increases in "Robin Hood" transfers of property tax revenue from property-wealthy school districts to property-poor ones. He supported House Bill 2 and Senate Bill 2. The matching bills would decrease the rate cities, counties and schools can increase property taxes for homeowners and businesses without the option for an election from eight percent to two-and-a-half percent.

Strengthen State Response to Disasters.

He advocated replishment of disaster fund which was depleted after Hurricane Harvey. He said it is very important to prevent and correct the affects of natural disasters.

Abbott’s designation of those priorities allows lawmakers to take up such measures sooner, lifting the usual constitutional limitation that prevents the Legislature from passing bills within the first 60 days of the session.