Dan Patrick

Tension is growing in Austin between the big three: The Dallas Morning News Austin Bureau Chief Bob Garrett on what’s causing growing tension between the Texas governor, lieutenant governor and speaker. Also, Garrett weighs in on what lawmakers are likely to do about appraisals and will Gov. Abbott’s push for school choice happen?

In Austin, lawmakers made lowering property taxes a top priority this legislative session, but the House and Senate don’t agree on the best way to do it. NBC 5 political reporter Julie Fine spoke to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick about that and other issues on the table during the legislature’s final weeks.

Texas House lawmakers must make decisions about their more than $300 billion bi-annual budget plan. There have already been more than 300 amendments filed and one could give a tell tale sign of where lawmakers stand on school choice.

Texas House Represenatives have filed a bill that would prohibit funding for school vouchers and education saving accounts.

The Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 2 Monday, which would make illegal voting in Texas a second-degree felony.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said that strengthening the power grid is a major priority this legislative session.

The Texas House will pass a sweeping property-tax relief package this session that includes tighter appraisal caps that apply to all kinds of property, not just homes, Speaker Dade Phelan said Thursday.

State Republican leaders have been promising to use an unprecedented budget surplus to lower local property taxes, but the details of the relief package are not yet ironed out.

Some Texas lawmakers are looking to increase the penalty for illegal voting, and a bill to do that is one step further in the Texas Senate. But critics say, this is going too far when there could be innocent mistakes.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released Monday afternoon the Top 30 bills to be tackled by the Texas Senate, a list that targets property tax reform, higher education and children’s safety, among other priorities.

Texas lawmakers have consistently talked about lowering your taxes, now there are some hard numbers to share. In both the House and Senate budget–there is $15 billion for property tax relief.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) were both sworn in for their third terms Tuesday morning.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) delivers his third inaugural address, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) were both sworn in for their third terms Tuesday morning.

The Texas House and Senate convene, with news that the state has a more than 32 Billion Dollar surplus. Lawmakers now have to decide how to use that money, and many have already suggested property tax relief should be a top priority.

Texas lawmakers are expected to have more than $188 billion in general revenue to help fund the state’s operations in 2024-25, Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced Monday.

In eight years as arguably the most conservative “Big Two” in Texas history, Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have achieved an uneasy peace.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has prioritized property taxes for the upcoming legislative sessions. Political reporter Julie Fine talked to lawmakers about what they would like to see done.

The 88th Texas Legislative session convenes on Jan. 10. 

Voters approved third terms for the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. While Democrats did better than expected nationally– they still have not won a statewide race in Texas for decades. Political reporter Julie Fine looks at what is next.