Friends,
Happy July! Last Tuesday, Governor Abbott reconvened the Legislature for the 2nd Called Special of the 88th Legislative Session to focus on bringing long lasting property tax relief.
I am excited to share some of what our office has been up to the last few weeks with you. In this edition of the Capitol Update, you can read about:
- Senate Bill 14 Signing
- Special Sessions
- House Bill 19 (of the 88th 2nd Called Special)
- Events in the District
Senate Bill 14 Signing
On June 15th, Senator Donna Campbell and I joined Governor Abbott for the signing of Senate Bill 14 into law. This protects kids from experimental, irreversible gender modification surgeries and puberty blockers. This law will take effect September 1, 2023. It was an honor to stand alongside so many of the individuals who made this possible and I want to thank those pictured and not pictured for their hard work.
Special Sessions
We accomplished a great deal during the 88th Session, but as you may know, Governor Abbott called us back immediately for a Special Session focusing on long-lasting property tax cuts and border security. During the first called Special Session, the House and Senate were unable to come to an agreement on the best path forward on these issues, so we have been called back to pass a meaningful property tax relief bill.
This past week the House gaveled in for the 2nd Special of the 88th Legislative to work on bringing long-lasting property tax relief to Texas taxpayers.
House Bill 19
In response to Governor Abbott’s call for meaningful property tax relief, I refiled HB 19 (previously HB 174 (88R)), which is a solution to fix high property taxes by buying down maintenance and operations (M&O) property taxes using surplus state funds.
One of the largest property taxes imposed by the state is maintenance and operations (M&O) property taxes from school districts. These taxes make up a large portion of the property taxes imposed in Texas. This places a heavy tax burden on many individuals, and can even have the effect of pushing people out of their homes. House Bill 19 would require that the state limit the increase of general revenue-related funds per biennium and use 90% of the resulting surplus to buy down school districts M&O property taxes. The money from the general revenue fund may only be used by the Texas Education Agency solely for providing property tax relief.
Events in the District
At the beginning of this month I had the privilege of attending the Greater Tomball Area Pachyderm Club meeting on June 1st. The mission of the club is to promote active citizen involvement in government and politics.
President Ronald Reagan said it best, “Our freedoms are not safe unless we as citizens interest ourselves in government, inform ourselves about it, and involve ourselves in it.” This is what organizations such as the Greater Tomball Area Pachyderm Club are doing.
On June 27th, I was the guest speaker at the Yellow Rose of Texas Republican Women’s Club meeting where I spoke about legislative accomplishments of this Legislative session.
The Yellow Rose of Texas Republican Women’s club is a passionate group of women who come together with the common interest of politics in order to create a united effort—to rise up as one voice for a democracy creating a better future for our children and grandchildren.
Above is a photo from the run event called the Final Leg hosted by the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg for Special Olympics that occurred in Tomball this month.
Since 1987, law enforcement personnel from various nations have taken part in the concluding phase of the Law Enforcement Torch Run leading up to the Special Olympics World Summer and Winter Games. This long-standing organization involves law enforcement officers serving as “Guardians of the Flame,” representing their respective countries, states, and Torch Run Programs, as they carry the Special Olympics Torch and “Flame of Hope” to the grand inauguration of the Special Olympics World Games.
For more information on this event I recommend checking out: https://www.letr.org/Final_Leg/
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me or my staff if you have any questions or concerns. Feel free to call my office by phone at (512) 463-0661 or email District130.Oliverson@House.Texas.Gov to share any comments or concerns you may have. Thank you for giving me the chance to serve as your State Representative and for placing your trust in me to continue doing so in the future.
God Bless,
Tom Oliverson, M.D.
Republican State Representative
House District 130
