Abbott Has Until June 22 to Sign or Veto Bills

Texas legislators wrapped up the 89th session last week, passing more than 1,200 bills — 800 of which were sent to Gov. Greg Abbott in the last 10 days of the session, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Abbott has until June 22 to approve those that have not been signed, including the next two-year state budget. While the governor does not have the power to veto the entire $338-billion budget, he does have line-item veto power over individual portions of it.

The Texas Constitution allows the governor to veto legislation, sign it, or allow it to go into law without his signature. All bills that passed with at least two-thirds of both chambers’ approval cannot be vetoed.That means that all proposed constitutional amendments, which lawmakers passed by at least that margin, will go before voters in November. That includes proposed property tax relief for homeowners by raising the homestead exemption.

Abbott has not indicated which, if any, bills he will veto. He is facing considerable pressure from several groups, including veterans’ organizations, to veto Senate Bill 3, which would ban all consumable hemp products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Abbott also faces pressure from Republican state leaders, especially Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who led the charge to ban THC products, and law enforcement to sign it.

Rural Texans Scored Big Wins in Session More than 3 million Texans live in rural areas across the state, The Texas Tribune reported, and the last session increased funding for them in several areas, including health care, agriculture, education, and emergency management.

Texas schools will receive $8.5 billion in additional public education funding, with teachers in smaller districts receiving an $8,000 raise if they have five or more years of teaching experience. Those with less than five years in the profession will get a $4,000 raise.

A sweeping water bill will provide more money for rural Texas to address water and wastewater projects. In addition, several bills address health care issues, including more money for rural hospitals. One measure creates a way to evaluate the financial health of rural hospitals and allows for updating reimbursement rates every two years. “Because these things are now in statute, rural hospitals can count on it,” John Henderson, CEO of the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals, said, “rather than worry about uncertainty related to renewals or budget cycles.”

A grant program for rural counties to purchase ambulances was also passed.

Another measure expands a grant program that previously was limited to young farmers. The age restrictions have been lifted, and the amount available has increased from $20,000 to $500,000 with farmers paying a 10% match.

Finally, lawmakers passed a bill to establish a disaster recovery program for counties with fewer than 100,000 residents who have not received reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.