Abbott’s State of the State Address Targets Public Education, Teacher Pay & Property Taxes

We would have loved to have live-tweeted Gov. Abbott’s State of the State address on location, but reporters weren’t allowed in, and neither were cell phones. The speech took place in San Marcos, in a bunker, where they tried to require attendants to sign NDAs.

This year’s legislative session is the fifth one under Abbott, and it comes months after he managed to beat Beto O’Rourke in one of Texa’s most expensive races in history.

Abbott began by saying “The state of our state has never been more exceptional,” he then urged the legislature to take action on several issues, including school choice, property taxes, the border, and fentanyl.

“This session, we will ensure Texas remains the leader of this nation as an unflinching force in this world,” Abbott said, “Together, we will build a Texas for the next generation — the Texas of tomorrow.”

Abbott reiterated several priorities that he has been emphasizing for months, such as utilizing the state’s substantial budget surplus to implement the “largest property tax reduction in Texas history.” Additionally, he expressed his intention to eliminate “woke agendas” in schools and enable parents to utilize tax dollars to send their children to non-traditional educational institutions. To achieve this, Abbott proposed implementing Education Savings Accounts, which would allow state funds to be deposited into accounts to assist parents in paying for non-traditional educational expenses, including homeschooling or private schools.

The Democrats’ rebuttal to Abbott’s address focused on the failure of the electric grid, managing the surplus, defunding public schools through vouchers, teacher pay, Medicaid expansion, and public safety.