City of Houston 2023 Legislative Report

The 88th Texas Legislative Session in the Spring of 2023 represented the most direct and sustained attack on local governments in recent memory. From the outset, the tone of the Legislature was not one of cooperation to address pressing issues; rather, a mindset that local regulations and protections were stifling economic growth.

This report details the effort of the City of Houston’s Government Relations Team to address local concerns by advocating for the Legislative Principles passed by Houston City Council.

Unfortunately, this session focused much more on defending municipal authority and services versus changing state law to better serve the shared constituents of Houston. The limited number of Legislative Priorities shows the emphasis on defending local control rather than improving services that Houstonians experience.

This report details the highlights of those efforts, but should not be viewed as the complete record. This session, the Texas Legislature filed a record 8,000+ bills with about 2,000 effecting city services. In addition to the categories listed below, the Government Relations team also has provided a record of every piece of written testimony submitted during the session to detail exactly what positions were taken on many of the biggest issues.

Legislative Priorities

Working with members of City Council, the Mayor’s Office worked to make changes in state law so that local government could work better serve constituents. Unfortunately, many of the needed changes were ignored by Texas lawmakers who had other priorities.

Preemption

Local control, once a governing philosophy of the State of Texas, was under attack like never before by the Legislature. The City of Houston fought to preserve municipal government’s ability to address the quality of life for Houstonians.

Electric Utilities

The City of Houston has worked hard on behalf of ratepayers to challenge increases to distribution and transmission charges. Legislation was filed to completely eliminate Houston’s standing to protect customers by contesting those rates. In the end, Houstonians will face higher bills and utilities much less accountability.

Fire Bills

The Houston Fire Department is the 3rd largest in the country with a budget of almost $600 million. The Legislature pushed mandates that have immediate cost implications as well as threats to undo progress made under the landmark pension reforms.

Public Safety

The Houston Police Department offered legislation that would help them in keeping Houstonians safe. Most disappointingly, the Legislature failed to pass a measure that would have protected those officers from immediate danger.

Land Use

The City of Houston Planning and Public Works Departments work to protect the public use of land and maintaining the integrity of neighborhoods throughout Houston. Unfortunately, the City faced many attacks on its ability to guide land use in and outside of the City limits.

Big Events

As Houston continue to attract major events – from Final Fours to Super Bowls – it is important to have legislation that supports major events. With the World Cup coming in 2026, it is imperative that Houston have the resources to keep convention facilities competitive and attractive to a global audience.

Concrete Batch Plants

The permitting process and lack of public engagement were at the center of the fight for tightened regulations around concrete batch plants due to the health and safety risks associated with fence line communities.

City of Houston 2023Legislative Report

Legislative Issues