Update from the Capitol January 23, 2023

The 2nd week of the 88th Legislature

It was another exciting week to be in Austin, as our Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick were sworn in on the floor of the Texas House, and then celebrated on the Capitol grounds. One of the coolest parts about the day (for both Jeff and me!) was visiting with the Texas Tech University crew... 🖤❤️ Here we are pictured along with my amazing Capitol staff -- I'll introduce each of them very soon.


Our office has been working diligently with the Texas Legislative Council on bills we will be filing. Several are bills that originated from our HD-65 cities. We want to protect our communities from human trafficking rings, protect our children, and reduce the burden of rising property taxes.


At the time you receive this email, I'll be on I-35 headed back down to Austin for meetings... and then the House gavels in again tomorrow (Tues 1/24).

Remember, you can always watch legislative proceedings live, via this online link at the Texas House website!

Legislative News from the First 10 Days

The first order of business in the Texas House is always to elect a Speaker (who will then lead the whole body), and to adopt the rules by which the House will govern itself for the session ahead. Your House of Representatives undertook both of those in the first week of the 88th, electing Rep. Dade Phelan as Speaker of the House by a vote of 147-3.


There has been a lot of information shared online about these votes, and I would like to share the informative words of a more senior legislator: my friend and mentor, Rep. Candy Noble of HD-89 in Eastern Collin County.


Rep. Noble did an excellent job discussing the parliamentary process of opening up a legislative session -- and what was actually voted on last week. Rep. Noble covers the committee appointment and seniority process, and why our Legislature is not like the mess in Congress (thankfully!)

"Everything we do in the House depends on the magic number of 76. We have to get at least 76 members to agree with us to get a bill passed..." ~Rep. Noble

I encourage you to click through and read Rep. Noble's full report when you have a few minutes. It is very informative regarding the process that took place... and to which we are bound by the Texas Constitution.

The State Budget

You are surely hearing a lot in the news about the $33 billion budget surplus that the Texas Legislature has to work with for the upcoming biennium. Rest assured that I do not view this as a "windfall" or a spending free-for-all, but a serious obligation to take care of the most critical needs of Texas while never forgetting that these are public funds -- your funds.


I'm focused on making sure we are directing these unexpected funds toward the areas it is most needed: property tax relief and reform... keeping children safe at home and at school... and increasing funding for public education, just to name a couple of top priorities.


This week I'll be visiting with Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, plus diving into the first proposal of HB1, the Texas House budget bill, so I'll share more in the next update. (Make sure you're on my email list to receive it ASAP.)

HD-65 Visitors to the Capitol

Double Oak Mayor Mike Donnelly presents a special street sign for the Capitol office.

(L-R) Northlake Mayor David Rettig, Lewisville Mayor TJ Gilmore, Denton Co. Commissioner Kevin Falconer, Denton Co. Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell, Rep. Kronda, Denton Co. Judge Andy Eads

Naresh Garg and his beautiful family are great supporters!

Long-time friends from Bent Tree Bible Fellowship Bible study stopped by!

Always great to meet with REALTORS® from HD-65, especially my good friend Jeff Varnell

Denton County Republican Party Chair Brent Hagenbuch and Jordan from his staff

Pleased to have these fine community servants stop by for a visit! (L-R) Highland Village Police Chief Doug Reim, Rep. Kronda, Northlake Police Chief Robert Crawford, and Flower Mound Asst. Police Chief Shane Jennings

It was such a blessing to have the Thimesch family join me on the day of my swearing in. We will treasure this memory.

Remember, my office at the state Capitol... is your office, at your Capitol! It belongs to the people of HD-65 and I would love to welcome you and introduce our staff. Our office is small (being a freshman among 150 members comes with pecking order!), but cozy... and there's plenty of room to visit. Please get in touch with our office and let us know if you are coming by... so we can roll out the "red" (aka burgundy) carpet!

Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the District

I was honored to present my first official proclamation to Reverend Willie Rainwater for his work in the City of Carrollton, to shine a light on and honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy. Rev. Willie and his wife Juanita Rainwater started the Carrollton MLK Day Parade 28 years ago and continue to give so much back to our community.

Then, a group from all over Denton County gathered at Macedonia-Champion Cemetery in Lewisville, to help clean up and restore this historic resting place. You should take a moment and read the story of it here; this cemetery is an important piece of the history of Black families in Denton Co. and I look forward to its official designation as a Historic Texas Cemetery.


Thank you to the Rainwaters, Judge Andy Eads, Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell, and all the community leaders, area residents and students who who came out to serve in honor of Dr. King.

Proclamations & Resolutions

We want to celebrate important events in our community -- student accomplishments, business milestones, and significant dates and anniversaries -- with you. Please get in touch with our office to inquire.

Staying Connected with Rep. Thimesch

If you're reading this, you are likely a resident of the HD-65 community, or have been a long-time Kronda supporter! Now that she has been sworn in as your Representative, there are some new state rules around Kronda's communications with constituents and the public. Please take a moment to review Rep. Thimesch's social media and communications policy, and let us know if you have any questions.


And... be one of the first to follow the new Facebook page especially for official HD-65 news and updates!

Official Facebook Page for Rep. Thimesch HD-65

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