The Texas Legislative session lasts 140 days, beginning in mid-January and ending in early June. But here at the Lone Star Chapter, we know that the 89th Legislative Session has already begun.
Important Dates in the 89th Texas Legislative Session
- Tuesday, January 14, 2025 (1st day) - 89th Legislature convenes at noon. Regular Session Begins
- Friday, March 14, 2025 (60th day) - 60-day deadline for bill filing
- Monday, June 2, 2025 (140th day) - Sine die (last day of 89th Regular Session)
Pre-filing begins on Tuesday, November 12
Elections are over. Texas Republicans had a big night on Tuesday, picking up two open Texas house seats in Corpus Christi and Uvalde that previously leaned Democratic.- Adam Hinojosa (R) also defeated Brownsville Senator Morgan LaMantia (D). This means Republicans will have 87 out of 150 seats in the Texas House, and 20 of the 31 seats in the Texas Senate. On Tuesday, November 12, Senators and House members can begin pre-filing their legislation. And we are ready to read their ideas.
Interim committee in the state House and Senate
The Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter and other stakeholders have been watching, testifying, and turning in written testimony to interim committee hearings, and there are a few more on the way. As an example, the Sierra Club has participated in recent hearings on Cement Plant Production, Texas Energy Fund, air quality issues, and electricity issues. Most recently, we told the Senate Committee on State Affairs exactly what we thought about the state’s decision to blacklist investment companies that want to make investment decisions based on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues.
Texas budgeting processes
There is only one (yes, only one)bill that must be passed next session and that is the state’s two-year budget. While the Comptroller of Public Accounts won’t release the Biennial Revenue Estimate until next year, the Governor’s office, Speaker’s office, Lt Governor’s office and the Legislative Budget Board have been conducting public hearings throughout September and October. Each state agency and public university is required to present their budget requests that are based on the previous two years. Sierra Club has been in these hearings. Want to see our comments? Some highlights? Click here.
Who will be Texas’ Speaker of the House?
The race for speaker is on! While the current Speaker, Dade Phelan, survived his primary - barely - multiple rural Republicans lost and the race for Speaker is hot. It now appears that the two Republicans in the race are David Counts and Dade Phelan. While the speaker will not be chosen until 2025, lots of conversations are taking place between Republicans and Democrats about who to support. While the Sierra Club will work to further policy with the Speaker regardless, the reality is that the Senate and House are both politically conservative, and both tend to favor big business and industry over environmental protection and action on climate.
Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter announces 2025 Legislative Agenda
In October, our volunteer-led executive committee approved our 2025 Legislative Agenda, which is organized into five issue areas. Many of these issues reflect the Lone Star Chapter’s long-term priorities, such as stronger protections for communities against pollution, expanding energy efficiency programs to improve grid reliability, and preventing the Legislature from subsidizing fossil fuels or blocking wind, solar, and battery storage. We’re also focused on enhancing water quality standards, securing funding for water and flood protection, and supporting conservation easements and climate-smart initiatives for farmers and ranchers. Some priorities are newer, like reforms to lower insurance costs and protect Texans from climate extremes.
Join us for our Legislative Program launch
We are going to be discussing our Legislative Agenda with our friends and allies through a training series that begins with an initial online meeting this Saturday, November 16 at 11 AM. We’d love for you to join us! We want you to get involved, whether it’s writing to your legislator, meeting with them back in the district, or forming a citizen lobby team at the Capitol - whatever your passion, there is a place for you.