With a Democratic majority set to take control of the Texas House of Representatives in January, state Rep. Mary González, a co-founder and past chair of the Texas LGBTQ Caucus who was just elected to her eighth term in the House, is wasting no time in preparing for the 90th Texas Legislature.
Today (Monday, Nov. 9) is the first day for prefiling legislation ahead of the 2027 session, and González’s office announced in a press release this morning that she is “officially prefiling 42 pieces of critical legislation … spanning from data center regulations to public education [to] improve the lives of Texans across the state.”
“Going into this next session, we have the opportunity to create lasting, impactful change across the state of Texas,” González said in the press release. “I’m proud to have spent this interim developing a well-rounded legislative package that addresses the concerns of my district and creates new avenues for future growth for our state. We have spent the past year listening and creating targeted pieces of legislation that advocate for my district and Texas
as a whole.”
Noting that as utility prices are increasing, “It is our responsibility as legislators to create programs that can decrease the costs for those most in need and make basic assistance more attainable,” Gonzalez said. “Access to working utilities is becoming a basic human necessity and should not be profited off of..”
With that in mind, the press release notes, some of the bills González has prefiled include creating affordable water assistance programs and addressing electrity competition with El Paso County.
Other bills she has prefiled include:
• House Bill 292: establishing a commission on assessments and accountability in Texas;
• House Bill 646: repealing vouchers in Texas;
• House Bill 458: creating a taskforce for pollinator health in Texas;
• House Bill 243: childcare access for children with disabilities;
• House Bill 364: increasing penalties for not completing water usage surveys for large water
consumers; and
• House Bill 763: transparency over the use of automated license plate readers like Flock.
“Good governance means finding and working towards equitable solutions for all, including for my district and Texas,” González said, pledging that she will “continue fighting for public education, finding reasonable solutions to address artificial intelligence and pursue a comprehensive platform to combat data centers.”
“This is the only the start of our legislative package,” González said. “My office will continue to work and develop priorities that help every Texan.”
— Tammye Nash