The Texas House will be ready to get to work when we convene Tuesday for a 30-day special session.
Governor Abbott has announced that he wants the Legislature to consider about 20 proposals during the special session. As we go about our work, the House will take a rather simple approach to each issue: We will try to act in the best interest of the state of Texas and the communities we represent.
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus stressed the importance of great public schools during a recent speech to the Texas Association of School Boards in San Antonio. He also encouraged supporters of public education to continue pushing for school finance reforms that would improve public education and reduce the state's reliance on local property taxes. Please see highlights below.
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio applauded Wednesday the signing of bills that aim to improve Child Protective Services and the state’s foster care system.
Leading up to this year’s legislative session, high-profile and tragic incidents put a spotlight on problems at CPS. Much of the focus was on high turnover among caseworkers tasked with protecting children from abuse. As a result, legislators approved the hiring of more than 1,400 additional caseworkers and authorized higher salaries in order to reduce turnover and bring stability to the workforce.
The 2017 legislative session ended Monday, and I'm proud of what we accomplished in the Texas House. We delivered results on a number of issues that are important to our community in Bexar County and the future of our entire state.
The Texas House adjourned sine die on Monday, wrapping up a 140-day legislative session in which the body took significant action on a number of challenges facing the state.
“The results of this session are going to make a real difference in Texans’ lives,” said House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio. “The House prioritized issues such as protecting children from abuse and improving mental health care, and we accomplished what we set out to accomplish.”