John Bogna
Late Tuesday, the 30-day special session of the Texas legislature ended on day 29.
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Lawmakers reached a stalemate over property tax reform, something Governor Greg Abbott identified as a top goal to be passed during the session. After a compromised version of the school finance bill he put up for consideration was passed to his desk, the House adjourned “sine die” — the formal term for the end of a session.
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When the Senate came back later that night, it didn’t advance Abbott’s property tax bill, choosing to reject the House’s version. “We are not going to accept the take-it-or-leave it proposal from the House, and we are going to fight another day,” state Sen. Paul Bettencourt said of the legislation.
A spokesman from Abbott’s office said his staff believed the session had “produced a far better Texas than before,” according to the Texas Tribune.
The final tally on the original 20 items Governor Abbott wanted to get passed: about half of them made it to his desk in some form, including “sunset” laws that keep state agencies open and new restrictions on abortion.
Lt. Gov Dan Patrick also said he was pleased with the session’s results, but still blamed House Speaker Joe Strauss for pretty much everything that didn’t get passed.
