SD 11 SREC: District 129 Newsletter

The end of the Second Special Session of the 87th Legislature is approaching. Since my colleagues returned several weeks ago, we have been busy working on the important legislation that Governor Abbott put on the special session agenda. These items include bills to protect election integrity, secure our southern border, and fight big tech's social media censorship.

Though I look forward to returning home to visit with all of you in the district, the Legislature needs to return one more time this fall to do our decennial duty of drawing legislative and congressional districts. The Governor has not said when that session will occur, but most feel that it will begin during the end of September or early October.

Below, you will find more information on the bills that have passed during the special session. As always, if you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office.

God Bless,

Dennis Paul

State Updates

Securing our Border

As we all know, there has been a massive influx of migrants crossing our border from Mexico. Earlier this week, the House passed HB 9, providing $1.8 billion to secure our southern border. This money will fund our Texas DPS, Texas Military Department, and allow the Governor's office to make grants to build a state-funded wall along portions of our border.

Election Integrity

There has been a lot of confusion and misinformation in the media about Senate Bill 1. Below you will find a graphic describing the bill. My intention is that voting should be free, fair, and accessible to all who are eligible.

13th Check for Retired Teachers

Late last Friday night the House passed SB 7 which provided a 13th check to our Texas Retired Teachers. I was proud to co-author this legislation and thank all of our retired teachers for their contributions to our children.

Virtual School Funding

Since the start of the pandemic, virtual schooling has become much more important. The House passed SB 15 to allow school districts to be reimbursed for this vital service that they are providing to our students.

Social Media Censorship

Your freedom of expression should be protected no matter what platform you use. I was proud to vote for and coauthor HB 20 to protect your digital expression on social media.

Property Tax Relief

Everyone agrees that our property taxes are too high. In this special session, the legislature built upon the success of SB 2 in 2019 and passed SB 8 and SB 12 to help provide further relief to homeowners.