End of Session Recap, New Laws, Personal Bills June 25, 2021

Every session has a certain personality to it. Some are characterized by partisan rancor or fiery rhetoric, while others can feel fairly benign. Sessions also typically get described by the issues that make the most headlines–regardless of whether or not those issues took up the lion’s share of the time. Though this session will be remembered by some as the “one with the Democrat walk-out”  or as the “COVID session,” I think it’s important to judge a session by the work product in full–not the headlines.

That’s why we are sending out this end of session recap: to provide an overview of the various bills that passed and the issues the Legislature worked on over the last 5 months. While we try to cover the items that most people will be interested in, this newsletter can in no way cover everything. There were nearly 7,000 bills filed this session, and over 1,000 of those passed both the House and Senate. Therefore, if you have specific questions that aren’t answered in this newsletter, I invite you to contact us and we’ll be happy to get you answers. In that vein, be on the lookout for a follow-up newsletter where we will cover the unfinished business from this session, including the issues that will likely be considered in a special session.

Though it may change over time, I think I’ll remember this session for the strangeness of being at the Capitol during COVID protocol and for the ERCOT/PUC issues in the wake of Winter Storm Uri. I’ll also remember it for the passage of meaningful pro-life legislation, firearms rights protection, and as a meaningful start on a health care plan for Texas.

From a personal perspective, I don’t know that we’ve ever had a more successful session. I filed 23 bills and sponsored 8 Senate bills ranging in topics from health insurance coverage and Medicaid reform to foster care and water. Of those 31 bills, 20 of them either passed on their own or were included as parts of other bills. I am proud of that success rate and appreciate the support of my colleagues in making it possible. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the hard work of my staff–Travis Stedje, Gregory Cline, Carlye Bindel, Maureen Metteauer, and Jim Johnson–without whom none of this would happen.