Alright, so Texas’s 2025 legislative session is quickly approaching its end. Lawmakers only have a couple of weeks left until they wrap things up on Monday, June 2. And guess what? There are still some major bills that haven’t made their way to the governor’s desk yet. Talk about leaving things to the last minute, right?
Behind closed doors at the Capitol, there’s a lot of shady stuff going on. Apparently, lawmakers are engaging in some sneaky negotiations and backroom deals to push their bills through. University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus says this is all part of the game. It’s like a poker match, with everyone trying to bluff their way to victory.
The main showdown right now is between the House and the Senate over two key bills: Senate Bill 3, which aims to ban THC products, and House Bill 2, which focuses on boosting public school funding and teacher pay. But not everyone is thrilled about how these bills are being tied together. Daphne Hoffacker, chair of the Austin Council of PTAs, is pretty ticked off about the whole situation. She thought the focus was supposed to be on school funding, not vouchers and THC. Can’t blame her for being upset, really.
This whole horse-trading business might be seen as compromise by some, but others see it as a shady way to push through controversial bills. Take Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, for example. He’s all about banning THC, but his bill is now linked to school funding. Advocates against the THC ban, like the Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars, are not happy about this at all. They believe veterans should have access to all possible alternatives to opioids, including THC.
In the end, it’s all a waiting game to see which chamber, the House or the Senate, will come out on top. The winner will be whoever gives up the least in this high-stakes poker match. So, let’s sit back and see how this all plays out. Not really sure why this matters, but hey, it’s politics, right?
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