Friday, May 16 was the first of many deadlines the legislature reached. It was the last day for the House to pass House Bills on second reading. After Friday, the House will only pass Senate Bills until the Legislature adjourns Sine Die on June 2. Historically, only about one in five bills filed actually become law.

Here are five things happening around your state:

1. Bill creating Dementia Prevention and Research Institute Goes to the Governor
In the first weeks of this legislative session, I voted for Senate Bill 5 by Senator Huffman, which establishes the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT). DPRIT will bring together researchers to create and expedite innovation in dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s treatment and invest $3 billion over the next ten years. The money will be used to award grants for research in these areas. The Institute will work collaboratively with institutions of higher education in this state to further it’s goals. The House has also passed SB 5 and now the bill will go to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. I am grateful that our state has made such a significant investment in this program. DPRIT will bring together researchers to develop critical resources for enhanced dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s care.

2. State Prohibition on Foreign Land Ownership Bill Passes Both Chambers
Many Texans have expressed concerns regarding the purchase of Texas land and natural resources by entities from foreign nations, many of which have been designated as a threat to the country or state. Senate Bill 17 by Senator Kolkhorst, which passed the House last week, aims to end ownership of Texas land by hostile foreign actors. The U.S. Director of National Intelligence maintains an updated list of nations who qualify as a threat to the U.S. That list currently includes China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. Senate Bill 17 would prohibit governmental entities, corporations, and individuals from countries on that list from purchasing property in Texas. In June, the New York Times reported that the federal government was taking similar steps as foreign actors have increasingly bought land in close proximity to military bases or other locations important to national security. The House and Senate passed slightly different version of SB 17, so those differences will have to be reconciled before the bill goes to the Governor to become law.

3. Port Neches-Groves High School’s Unified Track Team Wins State
Port Neches-Groves High School is leading the way in inclusion with their Unified Sports Program. The program is a joint venture between University Interscholastic league (UIL) and Special Olympics Texas. The program brings together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to train and compete together. On April 25, the Port Neches-Groves Unified Track and Field Team won their first-ever state title. So far, Port Neches-Groves is the only team in the area with a unified team. Students testified to their growth both athletically and personally. I would like to commend Port Neches-Groves on the success of their program!

4. Senate Considers Bill to Relocate the “Travis Letter” to the Alamo
Representative Cody Harris, from Palestine, filed HB 1397 which establishes custody and display for several of Texas’ foundational documents. This includes the Texas Declaration of Independence, the Texas Constitution, and the “Victory or Death” letter by William B. Travis. Under current law, the custody and care of these documents are not expressly granted to one entity. This bill designates “care, custody, and secure display” of these artifacts to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC). The bill also directs TSLAC to work with the Texas Historical Commission and State Preservation Board to coordinate an appropriate location for display at the Capitol Complex and when feasible, the Alamo complex. The bill has passed the House, and last week passed committee in the Senate.

5. Financial Crimes Bill signed by the Governor
This session I have authored a package of bills related to the Financial Crimes Intelligence Center or FCIC. The FCIC is a statewide task force based out of Smith County. The FCIC combats growing issues including card skimming, fuel theft, check fraud and other organized financial crimes. One of the bills I authored expands the statutory scope of the agency to include all forms of payment fraud. Last week the Governor signed SB 1499 into law after successful passage in both chambers. The FCIC has investigated and brought to justice criminals who have defrauded Texans from across the state. I was honored to work with this agency and appreciate their commitment to prevention, investigation, and deterrence of organized financial crimes.

On May 8, 1945 the Allied forces celebrated Victory in Europe Day after the defeat of Nazi Germany. During the war, more than 1,500,000 military personnel came to Texas for training. There were 142 major military installations across the state, and more than 750,000 Texans served in uniform during the war.

Here are five things happening around your state:

1. Stephen F. Austin State University enters compact with area community colleges

Stephen F. Austin (SFA) has created expansive partnerships with surrounding institutions for an expedited transfer process. Students are guaranteed admission to SFA when transferring from institutions within the Lumberjack Transfer Alliance. SFA has partnered with 17 universities from the region, and three (soon to be four) of the universities are part of the Lumberjack Transfer Alliance. East Texas schools who have entered the partnership include: Angelina College, Panola College, Tyler Junior College, and soon Kilgore College. We are fortunate to have so many quality institutions of higher education in East Texas. The collaboration of these schools will undoubtedly benefit our communities and workforce.

2. Bill to allow hunting of invasive sheep from a helicopter passes

Senate Bill 1245 by Senator César Blanco, which has passed both chambers, would allow hunters to use helicopters to hunt aoudad sheep west of the Pecos River. Aoudad sheep, also known as Barbary sheep, were imported to Texas in the 1950s from Northern Africa to provide additional hunting game. Since their arrival, aoudad have proven to be difficult to keep fenced and in recent years, researchers have learned aoudad can carry mycoplasma ovipneumonia (MOV). MOV is a pneumonia-causing bacteria that can be transmitted between animals through shared water sources. As aoudad populations have surged, native species have suffered. By adding aoudad to the list of animals that can be hunted from a helicopter, we can better protect the posterity of native species.

3. Agreement reached between chambers on property tax relief

Legislation is moving forward to put $51 billion toward relieving property taxes in the next biennium. This week, the House Ways and Means Committee advanced proposals that have passed out of the Senate on significant tax breaks. The proposal will increase tax breaks for homeowners, cut taxes for older and disabled Texans, and increase the inventory tax exemption for businesses. Senate Bill 4 raises the homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000. Additionally, Senate Bill 23 raises the homestead exemption for 65+ and disabled Texans from $10,000 to $60,000. Collectively, these residents will be eligible for $200,000 in property tax relief. House Bill 9 passed out of the Senate Local Government Committee this week which would exempt up to $125,000 of businesses’ inventory from taxation by any taxing entity. I was proud to coauthor both SB 4 and SB 23.

4. Effort to end Texas Lottery Commission following scandal

As we reach the last few weeks of the legislative session, the Legislature contemplates the future of the Texas Lottery Commission. Lottery couriers, or services that facilitate online purchasing of lottery tickets, have exploited loopholes in the format of the lottery by printing physical lottery tickets at licensed retail stores and then sending digital scans of the tickets to customers. This has increased sales to out-of-state customers and minors via digital methods. This year the Lottery Commission is under review by the Sunset Advisory Commission. The Sunset Commission reviews the “nuts and bolts” of agencies every 12 years to determine if the agency is operating at peak efficiency. As allegations of fraud have surfaced, a critical review of the Lottery Commission is especially important. The Texas Lottery generates about $2 billion for schools annually. Ensuring the ethical operation of the lottery and addressing potential corruption will be essential if the Legislature continues the Texas Lottery.

5. Accepting scholarship applications for Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program

As a state senator I have the honor of appointing one student each year to receive the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program (TASSP) initial conditional scholarship award. The scholarship is available to eligible graduating high school seniors who will be working to complete a baccalaureate degree and become a member of the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, Texas State Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Merchant Marines or pursue a commission in any branch of the armed services of the United States. If you live in Senate District 3 and are interested in this scholarship, please send the required material to robert.nichols@senate.texas.gov. Applications must be received no later than July 15, 2025.  For questions please call my Jacksonville office at 903-589-3003. For more information and details on the application please visit www.hhloans.com.

On May 1^st, 1718, San Antonio de Valero Misson was founded by Franciscan Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares near present-day San Antonio. It was one of the early efforts by Spanish missionaries to convert American tribes to Christianity. This mission would later become the Alamo.

Here are five things happening around your state:

1. Texas Parks and Wildlife acquires Wildlife Management Area in East Texas

For the first time in nearly two decades Texas Parks and Wildlife acquired land in East Texas to establish the Trinity River Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The WMA is a 6,900 acre tract of land in Anderson County. This new addition is a part of the Middle Trinity River Ecosystem Project. The project protects more than 38,000 acres of land for conservation initiatives. The addition of 11.3 miles of the Trinity River gives TPWD 25 miles of riverbank to protect a significant migratory corridor for birds. Many species will benefit from the restoration projects including waterfowl, shorebirds, neotropical migratory birds, and butterflies.

2. Texas named best state for business

For the 21^st year in a row, Chief Executive Magazine has named Texas the best state for Business. This ranking is determined by an annual survey of CEOs across the nation. Texas has outpaced the nation in job growth over the past several months. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Texas Workforce Commission, in March, the state reached the largest workforce in state history at 15,778,500. The state’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew at a rate of 3.5 percent in the last quarter of 2024 while the U.S. average was only 2.4 percent growth. If Texas was a country, it would have the eighth-largest economy in the world.

3. HHSC says Texas hospitals spend $122 million per month on healthcare for illegal immigrants

On August 8^th, 2024 Governor Abbott issued Executive Order 46 which directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to collect reports from hospitals across the state for the cost of treating patients not lawfully present in the United States. Hospitals were directed to start collecting data on November 1, 2024 and were required to submit the first month of data on March 1, 2025. This week, HHSC released a letter to the Governor containing the results of the first month of data. In November 2024, individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States visited Texas hospitals more than 31,000 times with health care costs exceeding $121 million. A break down of these costs is available on the HHSC website. The next submission of data to HHSC will contain data from December 2024 through February 2025 and will be submitted on June 1^st, 2025.

4. Jacksonville’s Tomato Bowl voted #1 Texas High School Stadium

The 2025 winner of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football (DCTF) stadium bracket is the Jacksonville Tomato Bowl. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football is a biannual magazine that covers all things Texas football from the Dallas Cowboys to the roughly 1,400 high school teams. This year over 130,000 votes were cast to determine the best stadium. The Tomato Bowl is a cultural staple of Jacksonville. First built in the 1930’s, the stadium features an impressive wall around it made of rocks and stones from the area. Despite renovations in the last few years, the original wall still stands. The Jacksonville Tomato Bowl is one of the last downtown stadiums in the state. The stadium boasts unique traditions including lighting a flaming letter ‘J’ to start home games. I am a proud alum of Jacksonville High School and played many football games in the Tomato Bowl. Congratulations to Jacksonville High School on their well-deserved win!

5. Five East Texans sign deals following NFL draft

East Texas makes an impressive footprint on the National Football League this year following the 3-day NFL draft. Five East Texans signed deals in the draft and one player from Stephen F. Austin signed a deal following the draft. Kevin Rose of Henderson signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars following his time playing football at the University of Arkansas. Nash Jones, from Nacogdoches, signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, following his play at Texas State University. Moochie Dixon, from Carthage, and Elliot Davison, from Tyler Legacy, signed with the New Orleans Saints. Dixon played at Southern Methodist University and Davison played for the University of Texas- San Antonio. Jerrin Thompson, from Lufkin, signed with the Tennessee Titans, after finishing his college play at Auburn University. Bruce Harmon, a former SFA Lumberjack, signed a contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

This year, we commemorate the 189^th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto. On April 21, 1836, General Sam Houston led the Texan Army against General Santa Anna and the Mexican army in a fight that lasted just 18 minutes. The Texans’ victory paved the way for Texas independence from Mexico and the birth of the Republic of Texas.

Here are five things happening around your state:

1. Senate passes additional property tax relief for seniors

This week, the Senate passed Senate Bill 23 and Senate Joint Resolution 85 by Senator Paul Bettencourt. The bill and its accompanying joint resolution would increase homestead exemptions for Texans over 65 and disabled Texans to $200,000. Together the package offers additional  meaningful property tax relief for Texas seniors, many of whom live on a fixed income. It offers, on average, almost $500 in annual savings if passed by the Legislature and approved by voters. Over the past ten years, the Legislature has continued to increase homestead exemptions for all homeowners, but most significantly for seniors. In 2015, the senior exemption was at $25,000. The passage of this bill would be the fourth exemption increase over the past decade. Property tax relief for Texas seniors is one of our most important priorities this session.

2. House passes massive school funding bill

Last week the Texas House passed House Bill 2, a public school finance bill that would invest almost $8 billion in local schools. While the bill has a number of provisions, some major highlights include a $340 increase per student to the basic allotment and tying the basic allotment growth to property values, which would provide over $3 billion in increased per-student spending. The bill also increases a variety of other allotments, including the small and mid-sized district allotment, which would provide almost $1 billion for rural schools. Special education also would receive a funding increase by about $1.5 billion. While this bill provides a needed investment for public schools, it still must make its way through the Senate. I have been, and will always be, a strong supporter of public schools and look forward to seeing this bill move through the process.

3. Bill regulating autonomous vehicles passes Senate

Several years ago, the Legislature passed legislation giving primary regulatory control over autonomous vehicles to the state. The bill was designed to preempt superfluous local regulation that stymied the autonomous vehicle industry from developing in Texas. Now those vehicles are driving on the streets and a more robust regulatory framework is required. That’s why I filed Senate Bill 2425, which creates more structure around the commercial autonomous vehicle industry. This bill only effects vehicles that carry passengers or goods without a driver. It would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to license operators in the state and suspend or revoke the operator as necessary. It also requires operators to submit information to the Texas Department of Public Safety for enforcement measures. This bill passed this Senate last week and now heads to the House for consideration.

4. Texas leads nation in job creation over past year

Texas is well known as a business-friendly state and this year has been no different. Over the past 12 months, Texas led the nation in total job creation and hit new highs for the number of Texans working and the size of our labor force. In March alone, Texas added 26,500 positions. That outpaces national growth trends. With a plethora of job openings in Texas, our economy continues to grow and unemployment remains low. I will continue to support pro-business policies to ensure that Texas is the best place to start or grow a business.

5. Bill to rein in squatters passes Senate

This week, the Senate passed Senate Bill 38 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt. This bill seeks to curtail squatting in Texas. As a member of the Local Government Committee, we heard harrowing tales from Texans detailing how bad actors illegitimately moved into homes they owned without the owners consent and refused to leave. In some cases, the squatters caused excessive amounts of damage to the home and in many cases stole property belonging to the owner. Owners were required to use the eviction process for these illegitimate squatters. The civil eviction process can take months to resolve.  This bill expedites timelines for removal of squatters if there is no genuine dispute over the owner’s right to possession.

This week we observed Holy Week and remembered the sacrifice Christ made for us. We look forward to celebrating the resurrection this Easter Sunday. I hope you enjoy time with your families this Easter weekend.

Here are five things happening around your state:

1. House, Senate name conferees on budget

The budget has passed both chambers of the Texas Legislature. However, since each chamber passed their own version of the budget, there will be a conference committee to reconcile the differences. I am once again honored to serve as one of five Senate conferees on the budget. In the coming weeks, I will work with my House counterpart, Representative Armando Walle, to delve into articles of the budget we work on and produce a conservative, fiscally responsible budget. We will work on three budget articles: Article 6 on Natural Resources, Article 7 on Business and Economic Development, and Article 8 on Regulatory agencies. Together 36 agencies and almost $60 billion in all funds are covered in that part of the budget. We continue to work hard on crafting a budget to best serve Texas.

2. ERCOT releases updated load forecast

Last week, ERCOT presented an updated long-term load forecast to the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce. As a member of the committee, I heard from the CEO of ERCOT Pablo Vegas about the continued increase in demand the state will experience over the next six years. According to ERCOT’s projections, the state could see demand surge up to 148 gigawatts. Existing load currently sits under 95 GW. That is a massive increase in demand and thus requires a massive increase in generation. Most of the new generation demand is driven by the increase in data centers coming to the state. It is the largest growth by type. Data centers require massive amounts of electricity to power since they play a critical role as the backbone of digital infrastructure. The Legislature is actively planning how best to accommodate large loads that want to connect to the ERCOT grid and incentivizing generation to meet that demand.

3. Bill to ban cell phone use in schools passes Senate

The Senate passed Senate Bill 2365 by Sen. Brandon Creighton unanimously this week. The bill would require local school boards to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using cell phones during instructional time. The bill does require school boards to make exceptions for students who have special needs and require the use of a cell phone and for any health and safety requirements. Cell phones have been shown to be disruptive to classrooms, lead to adverse mental health outcomes, and affect students’ attention spans. While many districts statewide have already banned cell phone use at school, it’s critical that all students are focused on learning in the classroom – not their phones. I was proud to support this legislation in the Senate.

4. Sales tax holiday for emergency supplies approaching

Summer means severe weather for much of Texas. It is important to stock up on emergency supplies before the next fire, flood, tornado, or hurricane hits. Texans have the opportunity to do that tax free beginning April 26 and ending April 28. There is no limit to the number of qualifying items you can purchase, which include: household batteries, fuel containers, and flashlights priced under $75; hurricane shutters and emergency ladders priced under $300; and portable generators priced less than $3,000. The Comptroller estimates Texans will save about $2.3 million in state and local sales taxes during the tax holiday. For a list of all qualified purchases, visit the Comptroller’s website at www.comptroller.texas.gov.

5. Governor announces 2025 Star of Texas nominations

Governor Greg Abbott announced the 2025 Star of Texas nominations are now open. Each year, the governor honors peace officers, firefighters, and emergency first responders who are killed or suffer serious injury in the line of duty. Private citizens who are seriously injured or killed while aiding or attempting to aid a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency first responder are also eligible to receive the award. The awards began in 2003 when the Legislature passed House Bill 1937.  The bill also recognizes September 11^th as Texas First Responder Day. Since then, 734 Texans have been honored. To be eligible for consideration, the incident must have occurred between September 1, 2003 and June 13^th the year of the awards ceremony. A person may receive more than one Star of Texas Award. To nominate a brave Texan in your community, visit https://gov.texas.gov/apps/staroftexas. Nominations close on June 13, 2025.