Governor Greg Abbott named two of the Greater Houston Partnership’s Executive Priorities as emergency items for the Texas Legislature during his State of the State address Sunday. The governor said he wants lawmakers to immediately begin working on solutions to strengthen the workforce, improve the resilience of vital infrastructure, and make a Texas-sized investment in water security. The Partnership supports significant state investments in water infrastructure to ensure reliable supply, upgrade aging systems, and sustain economic growth amid rising demand. Workforce development is another key priority, advocating for stronger collaboration between education institutions and industry to create clear pathways to high-quality jobs. In a sweeping speech covering everything from the border to breaking ground on a Texas stock market, Gov. Abbott said lawmakers should deliver policy solutions that expand the "Texas Miracle." Education, water, and resiliency are key components of that vision. After the speech, Gov. Abbott released more details about the emergency items. To reach the goal of a "Texas-sized investment" for water, lawmakers must develop a solution to invest $1 billion every year for 10 years to address water supplies and repairs to existing infrastructure. By naming these issues as emergency items, lawmakers in the Texas House can debate legislation on the House Floor before the 60-day bill-filing rule. However, policy issues not designated as emergencies cannot be considered by members of the Texas House until after March 14. Last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick outlined the first batch of priority bills expected to be filed in the coming days. Highlights from that list coincide with Abbott’s emergency items, including: $2.5 billion for water investment Improving the resiliency of vital infrastructure, specifically water and power Strengthening accountability measures in public education The Texas Senate is already reviewing at least one of the governor’s emergency items. Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee is making steady progress in hearing testimony from various state agencies about funding requests for the 2026-27 biennium.  Later this month, the Texas Education Agency is scheduled to testify in the Senate Finance Committee. That hearing will likely reveal more about funding for the governor’s emergency item related to “life-changing career training” in public schools. Sen. Charles Schwertner and Rep. Gary Gates, both representing districts within the Partnership’s footprint, are set to introduce legislation authorizing funding for programs related to welding, health care, and other industries where high school graduates can directly enter the workforce.  One final highlight from the State of the State address is the governor’s declaration to create a Texas Cyber Command. The governor stated this new agency will strengthen the state’s resilience against cyberattacks. This command will train and recruit to protect infrastructure from digital warfare and criminal actors.   Click here to read the governor’s complete State of the State address.

One of the key components of the "Texas Miracle" has always been a robust public education system. That’s why continuing to improve funding for education and strengthening the accountability system are top priorities for the Greater Houston Partnership. Whether you are a veteran in education policy or looking for a refresher ahead of the 89th Texas Legislature, here are five questions to get you thinking about how we approach education in Texas.  How is public education funded in Texas? Public Education in Texas is funded from three sources:   Local property taxes  Determined by the value of properties in each district and the tax rate set by each school board. State appropriations Funded through numerous state taxes, including Texas’ sales tax. Federal appropriations It broadly covers the costs of providing meals and supporting disabled and low-income students. What happened with education funding in the 2023 Texas Legislative Session? Legislators made several attempts to increase public school funding in 2023 via numerous bills. For example, HB100 would have raised the basic allotment (baseline per-pupil funding) for the first time since 2019. HB4586 would have mandated annual increases to the basic allotment. SB9 would have raised teacher salaries and expanded funding for early childhood education. These bills eventually failed due to political differences and the legislative session’s very short 140-day timeline. Additional education funding was provided in other ways, however:  HB1605 provided additional funding to schools that adopt high-quality instructional materials, and HB3 provided additional funds for school safety.  How do we maintain or strengthen accountability for education across Texas? School accountability is about more than just a grade – school accountability happens when families and stakeholders are provided clear and accurate data on schools, schools receive ratings based on students’ academic proficiency, and there are consequences – high-performing schools are rewarded and recognized. In contrast, low-performing schools are required to implement intervention plans. How do we measure success in Public Education, and what policies can improve outcomes?  Public Education is successful when it prepares students to succeed upon graduation, whether through college, a career, or the military. Student outcomes can be improved through policies prioritizing high academic proficiency, school safety, and teacher recruitment and retention. What other education policy discussions will be popular in Austin this session? AI’s integration into education will be an essential issue to watch. AI has many applications to assist teachers and students, and schools are eager to embrace the new technology.  Teacher workforce issues will also be a central topic. Texas has been working to improve teacher recruitment and retention for several years, and those conversations are expected to continue in 2025. Learn more about the Partnership's Legislative Priorities, click here. For more updates and alerts on the Texas Legislature, click here to sign up for our weekly newsletter.