Local Lawmakers Recap the 89th Texas Legislative Session

For 140 days every two years, Texas lawmakers call Austin home. The lengthy stay at their home away from home is anything but an extended vacation. While the Legislature is in session, 150 state representatives and 31 senators hear, debate and vote on hundreds of bills before they can become new laws. A singular workday at the Capitol can last more than 18 hours and easily stretch into the wee hours of the morning, especially if a polarizing bill is on tap. Weekend sessions are regular, especially in the latter days. But the job has to be done.

The 89th Legislature officially ended on June 2, so our North Texas lawmakers packed up their things and headed home after more than four months of grueling work. The Observer counted more than 350 successful bills authored or co-sponsored by 26 lawmakers from this area. 

Each session leaves its mark on history, whether it be the four special sessions of the 88th session or the Texas Heartbeat Act that almost entirely outlawed abortion during the 87th session. This session will likely be remembered for two partisan Senate bills that will significantly change the state's hemp industry and public education funding.

There were plenty of odd and offbeat moments, too. Like the time Rep. Andy Hopper of Denton admitted he didn't know what intersex meant while discussing a budget amendment that would cut funding for the University of Texas at Austin on the basis of the university's LGBTQ+ programming. 

Or the time Rep. Jeff Leach flexed his dad's 25-year career driving the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile and then proved it with a throwback on X because pics or it didn't happen.

Cheers to 20 years of being married to @beckyleachtx1. My best friend. The mother of my children. The love of my life.

And the girl I took to my Senior Prom in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. pic.twitter.com/v3QMuzfD59

— Jeff Leach (@leachfortexas) June 3, 2025

Now that our lawmakers have left Austin, we decided to ask ones from around Dallas their thoughts on how this session went. We sent the same five questions to all representatives and senators elected by Dallas proper residents (only a few responded). This is what they had to say: 

If you could describe this session in one word, what would it be?
Rep. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez, Democrat, Farmers Branch: Bittersweet.
Rep. Terry Meza, Democrat, Irving: Contentious.
Rep. Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos, Democrat, Richardson: Corrupt.
Rep. Mitch Little, Democrat, Lewisville: Progress.
Sen. Nathan Johnson, Democrat, Dallas: Obsequious.

What are some of the bills that failed that you would have liked to see succeed?

CGH: Prior authorization is required for a wide range of medical procedures, often creating unnecessary red tape that stands between patients and the care they need—care that is already covered by their insurance. House Bill 2119 would have eliminated prior authorization requirements for a range of cancers and their diagnostic procedures, allowing physicians to expedite treatment during a critical and vulnerable time. By removing these barriers, the bill would have ensured earlier detection and more timely access to life-saving care.

ARR: Progressive Democrats introduced dozens of bills that would’ve put money in people’s pockets and dignity back into our laws – like raising the minimum wage, guaranteeing paid family leave, protecting the right to join a union, defending reproductive freedom, and fully funding our public schools. These were policies rooted in common sense and basic fairness, but Republican leadership refused to even give most of them a hearing.

ML: Senate Bill 2880 was the biggest loss, in my view. This bill would have rendered the use of abortifacient drugs illegal in Texas.

NJ: Senate Bill 980. This bill proposed the creation of a Workforce Housing Fund to support the development and rehabilitation of multifamily housing affordable to working Texans. With housing costs soaring, this should have been a priority.

What are some of the bills that passed that you are disappointed passed, or would like to have seen different versions pass?

CGH: I was disappointed to see Senate Bill 2 pass against the will of the majority of Texans. Senate Bill 2 introduced a voucher program that will reduce the overall funding available to public schools. School vouchers amount to a tax break for the wealthy, diverting much-needed funding away from our public education system. At a time when our schools are already under-resourced, we should be investing more in public education, not creating programs that undermine it.

ARR: SB 2, the voucher scam bill, was one of the worst betrayals of the session. Texans made it clear they didn’t want private school vouchers. Democrats proposed an amendment to let voters decide, but instead, Greg Abbott called in Donald Trump to pressure Republicans into obeying. Democrats offered 44 amendments in an attempt to make the voucher bill less devastating for our local neighborhood schools, but Republicans rejected every single one.

ML: I’m discouraged at the momentum that corporate welfare in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence has taken on, despite Republican control. Texas needs to enable those industries to operate freely and let the market solve problems. They don’t need injections of taxpayer capital. I also have concerns about the growth of Democrat influence in the areas of property tax, particularly with bills on training of appraisal district board members and barring appraisal districts from periodic reappraisal of homestead property. We need to be pushing back the other direction.

What do you think will be the legacy of this session?

CGH: The legacy of this session will be defined by missed opportunities and deeply consequential choices. While we made progress in areas like food security, property tax relief and energy innovation, the passage of school vouchers marks a turning point that could reshape the future of public education in Texas. At the same time, our failure to meaningfully invest in school finance and healthcare access leaves critical needs unmet. This session will be remembered as one where bold action was needed, but only partial steps were taken.

ARR: This session will be marked by the total surrender of Democratic leverage. Before the first vote was cast, establishment Democrats handed Speaker [Dustin] Burrows the gavel without demanding anything in return, and then watched him lead the charge on a far-right agenda. This session will be remembered as a case study of what happens when you give up power before the fight even begins.

TM: This session may be remembered for the Speaker’s race. While Speaker Burrows was elected with the help of Democrats, receiving some criticism for allowing Dems to be vice chairs, he kept the contract to have only Republican chairs. Throughout the session until its close, he was successful in promoting the conservative agenda to the extent that he should be able to avoid criticism of his bona fides.

NJ: It’s still too soon to offer a clear answer, but a few things stand out. On the positive side, the Legislature made a long-overdue investment in Texas’ future water supply. That’s meaningful. On the negative side, this was a session defined by division between people, communities and institutions. The Legislature continued to take power from the courts and local governmental entities and concentrate power in the offices of the governor and attorney general; failed to address fundamental needs (like health and housing); and spent lavishly without a clear vision.

What was the rose, thorn, and bud of this session?

CGH: Rose: Senate Bill 1283, this bill strengthens safety standards for senior retirement communities following a string of violent crimes that shook North Texas; thorn: House Bill 2, the school finance bill; bud: The opportunity to serve on the House Committee on Appropriations and help shape the largest investment in water and flood infrastructure in Texas history.

ARR: Rose: Voters are hungry for courage in the face of tyranny. Even when we were outnumbered, progressives showed what it means to fight for working families, tell the truth, and refuse to back down; thorn: this session was a case study in what happens when we fail to claim our power and instead obey in advance; bud: People across this state are paying attention like never before, and they’re ready for change. The momentum is there, and now is the time to organize, build power, and elect leaders who will fight for working Texans, not the billionaire class and the status quo.

TM: Rose: Life of the Mother Act; thorn: anti-immigrant bills and the constant demonization of immigrants; bud: the expansion of the Texas Compassionate Use Program.

ML: Rose: The reimagining of public schools and school finance. We injected taxpayer money in a way that was necessary, but also accountable to taxpayers by compartmentalizing that investment. We encouraged the market to help solve our problem through school choice. We introduced the Ten Commandments, and the Bible and prayer into the environment while aggressively ridding the system of woke ideology and malign influences in our classrooms and libraries; thorn: property tax. We are not providing enough investment to match the growth of values and the growth of government. We have to wake up; bud: the burgeoning synergy between the House, Senate and governor. This is a level of cooperation and integration that no one seems to recall. It bodes well for the future of Texas and solving our state’s problems.