Although the lower chamber backed the Senate’s action on gender-affirming care, it has been less accepting of school choice and attempts to rein in higher education.
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But the lower chamber is putting its own tweaks on the bills, watering them down in some cases and leaving it unclear whether the powerful Patrick will go along — if the bills even make it out of the House. The situation is adding even more uncertainty to the home stretch of a regular session that has already been fraught with threats of overtime lawmaking.
To be clear, the House has aligned with the Senate on some priorities this session. On Monday, the House approved a version of Senate legislation banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors that appears to be OK with the upper chamber and its allies., R-New Braunfels, marked the House passage with a celebratory tweet calling it a “victory.” And Jill Glover, chair of the Texas GOP’s Legislative Priorities Committee, tweeted Monday that SB 14 was “NOT watered-down.
It is unclear at this point if any of the watered-down proposals will even make it to the House floor. Legislative deadlines are rapidly approaching and other disputed issues — like the power grid and property tax relief — are drawing more attention. But they could serve as bargaining chips as legislative leaders hash out end-of-session deals — and in any case, they set a revealing baseline for what the House thinks of them.
Another Patrick priority in higher education — ending the teaching of critical race theory in college — faces even bleaker prospects in the House. The proposal,, passed the Senate over a month ago but has not yet received a House committee hearing. Saturday is the deadline for a House committee to advance it.
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