November 11, 2022, Number 44

Download the full .pdf version here: TML Legislative Update Number 44

2022 general election results

With over eight million Texans voting in the 2022 general election, Republicans have maintained control of all statewide races and will keep their majority in the Texas House and Senate. The 2022 election was the first after the redrawing of electoral districts based on the 2020 census.

Statewide Elected Offices
Governor Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton, Comptroller Glenn Hegar, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, and Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian won re-election. Former Senator Dawn Buckingham won her bid to be the first woman to lead the General Land Office.

Texas Legislature
Republicans flipped three seats and Democrats flipped two seats in the House for a net gain of one Republican member. Republicans will enter the 88^th Legislative Session with an 86-64 advantage. Despite all incumbents winning re-election, the House will have 23 new members. Prior to election day, Representative Tony Tinderholt filed paperwork to challenge current Speaker Dade Phelan for Texas House Speaker. The election for speaker will not take place until the legislature convenes in January 2023.

In the Senate, there will likely be a recount where it appears Morgan LaMantia (D) narrowly defeated Adam Hinojosa (R) 50.2% - 49.8% in Texas Senate District 27. In addition to the Senate District 27 seat, the Senate will have four other new senators: Phil King (R-Weatherford), Mayes Middleton (R-Wallisville), Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound), and Kevin Sparks (R-Midland) as well as, a returning member, Pete Flores (R-Pleasanton). Republicans will keep majority control in the Senate and the partisan make up is expected to be 19-12.

Texas Congressional Districts
In the U.S. House races, the Texas delegation remains relatively unchanged. All incumbents won re-election and each party gained one seat. Texas will be sending seven new members of Congress to represent us in Washington, D.C.

• Nathaniel Moran (R – TX 1^st District)
• Keith Self (R – TX 3^rd District)
• Morgan Luttrell (R – TX 8^th District)
• Monica De La Garza (R – TX 15^th District)
• Jasmine Crockett (D – TX 30^th District)
• Greg Casar (D – TX 35^th District)
• Wesley Hunt (R – TX 38^th District)

All results can be found on the Secretary of State’s website or on The Texas Tribune’s election results page.

texas legislature: pre-filing begins monday

On Monday, November 14, the bill pre-filing period begins for the 88^th Texas Legislature. Legislators and legislators-elect can file legislation from November 14 until March 10, 2023, the bill filing deadline.

League staff will review each bill and summarize those that are city-related in the Legislative Update beginning next week. In addition, a master list of summaries by topic area will be available on the Legislative Information webpage.

tml legislative advocacy toolkit

The League has prepared an advocacy toolkit to provide the resources, tools, and training to help city officials successfully advocate at the Capitol. The toolkit contains information on:

• The Texas legislative process;
• Tips for grassroots involvement;
• A guide to writing an effective advocacy letter or email;
• Tips for testifying at the Capitol; and
• Various legislative resources.

The League is nothing without the voices of city officials. The most effective legislative communication comes directly from mayors, councilmembers, and other city officials to their legislators. The toolkit will empower city officials whether they are a season-veteran, new to advocating, or new to city government.

The toolkit can be found here.

governor announces grants to military communities

Governor Abbott announced a round of $13.1 million in grant funding from the Texas Military Preparedness Commission’s Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEAAG) program. The DEAAG program is a grant program that invests in infrastructure projects and other initiatives to increase the military value in Texas military installations to help prevent any potential future Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round from occurring in Texas.

The following cities will receive FY 2022 – 2023 DEAAG reimbursements:

• City of Abilene: $300,000 for Security Sensor Installation at Dyess Air Force Base
• City of Corpus Christi: $1,611,159 for Wastewater Collection System Line and Manhole Replacement at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi
• City of El Paso: $850,000 for Bert Williams – Iron Dust-Off Bypass at Fort Bliss
• City of Fort Worth: $350,000 for Anti-Terrorism Protections Security System at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth
• City of Killeen: $5,000,000 for Lake Belton Water Treatment Plant at Fort Hood
• City of Kingsville: $1,700,0000 for Kingsville Fire and Rescue Facility at Naval Air Station Kingsville

house and senate committee interim hearings

The Texas House and Senate Committees are underway studying interim charges outlined by Speaker Phelan and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick.

Below is a full list of committee hearings set to hear certain city-related charges. All hearings will be held at the Texas Capitol unless otherwise indicated. If a committee has newly posted notice and was not included in last week’s edition of the Legislative Update, it is indicated as such.

Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee

The committee will meet on Thursday, November 17 at 10:00 a.m. to hear the following interim charges:

Groundwater Management and Protection: Evaluate the status and effectiveness of the State’s groundwater management process, including data used to support regional water planning and conservation goals. Report on the effectiveness of the State’s groundwater protection efforts and whether statutory changes are needed to protect groundwater quality.

Information on the hearing, including how to register and submit written testimony, can be found here.

Senate Business and Commerce Committee

The committee will meet on Thursday, November 17 at 9:00 a.m. to hear the following interim charges:

Electricity: Assess the electricity market in Texas. Study issues impacting the Texas electric grid, including transmission planning and maintenance scheduling. Study the consequences of increased electric vehicle usage and charging on the generation, transmission, and distribution, and retail sectors of Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and evaluate their potential impact on increased electric demand and reliability of the grid. Examine the growth of renewable energy generation in the state and evaluate its impact on grid reliability. Make recommendations to strengthen the reliability of the grid, and meet the future generation needs of ERCOT through new and existing dispatchable generation. Assess plans to expeditiously add new dispatchable generation. Monitor the implementation of Senate Bill 2 and Senate Bill 3, 87^th Legislature.

Information on the hearing, including how to register and submit written testimony, can be found here.

Senate Natural Resources and Economic Development

The committee will meet on Thursday, November 17 at 10:00 a.m. to hear the following interim charges:

Economic Development Programs: Review the programs in Chapters 380 and 381 of the Local Government Code. Consider the benefits of each program in generating economic development. Make recommendations for improvements to Chapters 380 and 381 to increase transparency and accountability and the effectiveness of the programs.

The committee has invited TML staff to testify on the charge above. 

Hotel Occupancy Taxes: Study the collection and use of hotel occupancy taxes. Evaluate and make recommendations related to the effectiveness, costs of rebates, incentives, and other taxes applied to qualified hotel and convention center projects. Investigate and determine whether the creation of a standard Hotel Occupancy Tax legislative template is feasible, and whether it would enable the legislature to more efficiently evaluate proposed Hotel Occupancy Tax bills during the legislative session.

Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development passed by the 87^th Legislature, as well as relevant agencies and programs under the committee’s jurisdiction. Specifically, make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, or complete implementation of the following:

• Senate Bill 13, relating to state contracts with and investments in certain companies that boycott energy companies.

Information on the hearing, including how to register and submit written testimony, can be found here.

federal infrastructure bill update

In November 2021, the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed into law. The IIJA is altogether a $1.2 trillion bill that will invest in the nation’s core infrastructure priorities including roads, bridges, rail, transit, airports, ports, energy transmission, water systems, and broadband.

The League will monitor state and federal agencies and work with the National League of Cities (NLC) to access the latest information relating to the IIJA. We will be providing periodic updates in the Legislative Update on resources for Texas cities on how to access IIJA funding for local infrastructure projects. 

National League of Cities (NLC)

The Local Infrastructure Hub, sponsored by NLC and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, among others, is designed to help city officials navigate the funding programs made available by the IIJA. Interested city officials can sign up for the mailing list, attend virtual learning events, and access articles and other resources on some of the key IIJA funding opportunities.

Upcoming events on the Local Infrastructure Hub include:

• November 29, 2022 – One Year Anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Workforce Opportunities and Strategies

Additionally, NLC recently posted this article celebrating the one year anniversary of the passage of the IIJA, which includes suggestions for how cities can make the most of the funding opportunities created by the IIJA.

disclaimer

TML member cities may use the material herein for any purpose. No other person or entity may reproduce, duplicate, or distribute any part of this document without the written authorization of the Texas Municipal League.