Austin, Texas (KTRK) – The City of Houston released its 2023 Legislative Report detailing the gains and losses during this year’s regular session. There were more losses than gains.
“This was a very difficult session for all cities, not just Houston, in the state of Texas, so it was very difficult,” said Bill Kelly, director of government relations for the City of Houston. “There were some positives, but when you go into a session with $33 billion, you really hope for more.”
This year was Kelly’s fourth legislative session. He spent the entire session in Austin working on the legislation on behalf of Houstonians, and he and his team did just that Publish their legislative report.
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He says the win included $50 million for flood mitigation in Kingwood, a law allowing the city to use hotel occupancy taxes to upgrade the George R.R. Convention Center.
“They literally haul cars that are already boosted from metropolitan area to metropolitan area and run a race,” Senator Paul Bettencourt said.
Bettencourt sponsored the bill in the Senate, Written by State Representative Ann Johnson.
The losses include the failure to pass a law that would have banned gun accessories like those used in the killing of HPD Officer Bill Jeffrey.
“This is specifically focused on protecting law enforcement and our men and women from HPD,” Kelly said. “We already had an officer who came down on him, and I pray we don’t have another before 2025 when we can get that right.”
The biggest disappointment, Kelly said House Bell 2127– the so-called law of pre-emption, which takes power from cities and gives it to the state. It is also called the Death Star Bill because of what leaders in major Texas cities say affects their ability to pass new laws.
“When you block cities from taking action, it really hits the protections we’ve tried to give residents,” Kelly said. “The model of judging fewer than 500 people for the third and fourth largest cities in America doesn’t make sense.”
Legislation prevents cities from passing certain laws, giving the state more power.
“This is perhaps the most radical transfer of power from local communities to elected officials and politicians in Austin that we have ever seen,” said Rick Levy, Texas AFL-CIO. “Broad sections of the policy are completely off limits to local officials. That includes water blackouts in the summer heat. But it also includes limits on payday lending. It includes certain zoning requirements. It includes 10 different areas of Texas law.”
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Senator Bettencourt disagrees with that assessment.
“The city still has a role to play,” Bettencourt said. “They’re still doing everything they’re doing. They can’t reach out and say, ‘Oh, today we’re going to ban fracking.'” Oh, today we’re going to ban plastic bags. “
The law, which takes effect Sept. 1, comes at a time when Texans are less than thrilled with the state government.
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a UT-Austin Texas Politics Project The poll published last week showed that only 19% strongly support the idea of giving more power to the state and less than half said they see state government as either very favorable or somewhat favorable.
“I think the partnership in local and state government is broken,” Kelly said.
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