Republican State Rep. Brian Harrison of Midlothian is calling on Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan to prepare for the next legislative session by issuing 13 interim charges addressing key policy priorities.
Interim charges are directives given to committees for the purpose of studying different policy issues between sessions and making recommendations before the next legislative session begins. Occasionally, these studies will become the basis of future legislation.
Harrison told Texas Scorecard that the Texas Legislature needs to unify together to protect the next generation.
“Texas should be leading in the defense of freedom and liberty, and the Texas House needs bold leadership with a unifying agenda to protect the next generation. Unfortunately, it is lacking both,” said Harrison. “Having led historic initiatives to cut government at the federal level, I’m proud to help lead the fight in Texas for a more free and prosperous state.”
The charges Harrison is asking for include the following:
- Securing the border “by passing bold legislation similar to the Border Protection Unit Act and the Texas Title 42 Act.”
- Banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates on students
- Reining in executive “emergency” powers “so a future Governor cannot abuse them”
- Prohibiting hostile and Communist governments from purchasing Texas land
- Protecting our grid and reforming our energy market
- Banning all taxpayer-funded lobbying
- Eliminating job-crushing regulations “by sunsetting any that are not reviewed every 4 years”
- Reforming the constitutional provisions on impeachment
- Ending destructive ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) policies
- Defining “woman” in statute
- Eliminating property taxes “by requiring future surpluses be used to lower rates”
- Banning all race-based admission, employment, and contracting policies “in public universities, private universities that accept federal money, and all government entities”
- Strengthening Texas’s election integrity laws
Many of Harrison’s charges are similar to the 13 propositions on the Republican primary ballot, including eliminating property taxes, securing the border, strengthening Texas elections, expanding medical freedom, and protecting Texas land.
The primary election will take place on March 5, 2024.
