State of the State Address Recap: What the Next Texas Legislative Session Will Look Like

By Ashley Waters

News Reporter 

AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott delivered a 35-minute State of the State address Sunday evening, outlining his priorities for the upcoming 89th Texas legislative session.

During his speech, Abbott touched on new legislation regarding the Texas economy, education, resource conservation, community safety, and immigration. He also emphasized seven emergency items:

• Property tax cuts
• Increased investment in water infrastructure
• Higher teacher pay
• Expanded high school career training programs
• School choice for parents
• Bail reform
• Establishment of Texas Cyber Command

Economic Priorities

Abbott opened his speech by highlighting Texas’ position as the nation’s leader in economic development for over a decade. He reaffirmed his commitment to limiting state spending while pushing for property tax relief.

“I want at least $10 billion more in property tax cuts for our fellow Texans,” Abbott said.

During the last legislative session, Abbott championed property tax reductions but blamed local taxing authorities for finding loopholes that allowed them to raise taxes. He vowed to close those loopholes and strengthen protections for property owners.

“No taxing entity should be able to raise your property taxes without a two-thirds approval of voters,” Abbott said.

He also addressed housing affordability, advocating for deregulation and expedited permitting processes.

“We need to make it easier to build, slash regulations, and speed up the permitting process to make it more affordable to live in your current home,” Abbott said. “We should offer a one-year tax exemption on home improvements like heating and air conditioning.”

Water Infrastructure Investment

Abbott’s next emergency item focused on what he called the largest investment in Texas water infrastructure in state history. He proposed a long-term plan to secure the state’s water supply for the next 50 years.

“We will tap into new water supplies,” Abbott said. “We will repair pipes to save billions of gallons of water every year. This generational investment in water is so important.”

Education and Workforce Development

Abbott outlined his vision for Texas to become the top state for education. He introduced three pillars for achieving that goal: empowered parents, exemplary teachers, and academic excellence.

He emphasized discipline in schools, a focus on core subjects, and the elimination of “woke” policies, including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in K-12 education.

Abbott also declared a pay raise for all Texas teachers an emergency item.

“We must reward the best teachers by putting them on a path to earn a six-figure salary,” he said.

Another priority is expanding career training programs in high schools.

“Many of the most in-demand jobs are in welding, plumbing, and electrical work,” Abbott said. “To prepare students for those careers, high schools must provide more career training programs so that students can go directly from graduation into a good-paying job.”

He highlighted an example of Raya Rabold, an 18-year-old Jarrell High School graduate who took a welding course and is now training to become a welding inspector at Texas State Technical College, with the potential to earn up to $85,000 annually.

Additionally, Abbott reiterated his commitment to school choice, arguing that parents should be able to select the best educational environment for their children.

“Government-mandated schools simply cannot meet the unique needs of every student,” Abbott said. “We’re going to continue fully funding our schools and raising teacher salaries, while also giving parents the choices they deserve.”

Public Safety and Cybersecurity

Abbott declared bail reform an emergency item, proposing stricter rules to deny bail and parole for violent offenders, repeat offenders, and undocumented immigrants accused of crimes.

He also introduced the creation of Texas Cyber Command, which will partner with the University of Texas at San Antonio to combat cyber threats from foreign adversaries such as China, Iran, and Russia.

Abbott concluded his address by honoring the memory of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungary, who was killed in Houston by two gang members in the U.S. illegally. He proposed legislation that would impose the death penalty on anyone convicted of murdering a child.

Nungary’s mother attended the address and thanked the governor for his call to action.