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Second Special Session Continues
Last week, House Bill 2 and House Bill 3, relating to school finance and tax reform, were debated in the Texas House for the first time during the second special session. The first special session, which was also called to address school finance and tax reform, ended July 20 without passage of bills related to either issue. During the first special session, a final version of HB 2, the school finance bill, was not passed because of a filibuster in the Senate. HB 3, the property tax reform bill, did not get out of conference committee, so neither the House nor the Senate had the opportunity to vote on the final bill.
This week the House continued to work on school finance by debating a version of HB 2. This version of HB 2 was brought forth by the conference committee during the first special session. A conference committee is a committee comprised of House and Senate members assigned to work out the differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill after different versions are passed out of the two chambers. Once a conference committee agrees to final language on a bill, the bill is sent back to both chambers for final approval. Although the House did not pass this version of school finance reform, it is anticipated that the Senate's version of HB 2 will be sent to the House this week for consideration.
As in the last special session, there are other topics that the legislature is able to consider. However, school finance and property tax reform remain the top priorities, and the leadership has stated that no other bills can be moved to final passage until these issues are resolved. One other topic the legislature is considering is the restructuring of the telecommunications and cable industries. HB 13 seeks to address this important issue. Supporters of the bill say that Texas' regulation of the telecommunications and cable industries is outdated given the new technology that is available. By opening the market to greater competition, proponents say, more Texans could have access to technologies such as digital phone and cable service, high-speed internet, and Voice Over Internet Protocol, and other emerging technologies.
Opponents of House Bill 13 say that the reduced regulation of these industries might allow the major providers to raise some basic service rates, thereby making it harder for lower-income Texans to afford necessities such as phone service. HB 13 is expected to be debated by the House this coming week.
I encourage you to contact me during the special session with your comments and suggestions or if I may be of assistance with any issues dealing with state agencies. You can reach me by writing to P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768-2910 or by e-mailing me at larry.phillips@house.state.tx.us.
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