Page 8 - Builder Brief November 2023 Issue

2023 PRESIDENT
YOUR VOTE MATTERS!
Governor Abbott announced the call for a third special session on October 6th for the 88th Legislature. Under the Texas Constitution, when the Legislature is convened in special session, ‘there shall be no legislation upon subjects other than those designated in the proclamation of the Governor calling such session or presented to them by the Governor and no such session shall be longer duration than thirty days.”
Here are the agenda items outlined by Governor Abbott for this 30-day Special Session:
Education Freedom:
• Legislation providing education savings accounts for all Texas schoolchildren.
Border Security:
• Legislation to do more to reduce illegal immigration by creating a criminal offense for illegal entry into this state from a foreign nation and authorizing all licensed peace officers to remove illegal immigrants from Texas.
• Legislation to impede illegal entry into Texas by increasing the penalties for criminal conduct involving the smuggling of persons or the operation of a stash house.
• Legislation to impede illegal entry into Texas by providing more funding for the construction, operation, and maintenance of border barrier infrastructure.
Public Safety:
• Legislation concerning public safety, security, environmental quality, and property ownership in areas like the Colony Ridge development in Liberty County, Texas.
Ending COVID Restrictions:
• Legislation prohibiting COVID-19 vaccine mandates by private employers.
The issue that could affect our industry the most is the public safety charge, as it is specifically geared toward certain residential development.
Constitutional Amendments Set to be Decided on November 7th
We asked our Lobby Team at the Texas Association of Builders (TAB) to weigh in on the Constitutional Amendments being voted on Tuesday, November7th. Voterswillheadtothepollstodecideonamendmentstothe state's constitution. For a proposed amendment to make it onto the ballot, the language must receive support from 2/3rds of the House and Senate members. All these propositions received overwhelming support from Republicans and Democrats in both chambers. If you have any questions
SHAD SCHMID
about these, feel free to call the TAB government relations team at TAB at 512-476-6346.
The propositions that TAB supported during the session are:
Proposition 1 recognizes the right to engage in farming, ranching, timber production and wildfire management and enshrines it in the Texas Constitution.
Proposition 3 prohibits a net worth or wealth tax on individuals or business entities from ever being imposed in the state of Texas.
Proposition 4 delivers $12 billion in property tax relief by increasing the homestead exemption to $100,000, establishing a 20% cap on the taxable value of certain non-homestead properties, and creating elected positions on local appraisal boards.
Proposition 6 creates the New Water Supply for Texas Fund, the statewide water public awareness account, and the Texas Water Fund to address critical water challenges across the state.
Proposition 8 creates the Broadband Infrastructure Fund to facilitate affordable and universal access to high-speed internet statewide.
Thank you for your continued support of GSABA. Please vote!
Sincerely,
8 NOVEMBER 2023 | GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION