Representative, good morning to.
Let's talk about the 2nd
special session here.
Do you expect that the propertyx
relief will finally happen this time?
Well, we have 30 days to figure that out.
And so I think more discussions,
more conversations will be had and more
negotiating and hopefully we'll get it done.
The good thing is everyone wants
property tax release for Texans and so.
But this we'll just have to pute
work in to make sure it's done.t
are your constituents saying about this?
Because the House has a plan,
the Senate has a plan.
It doesn't seem like the governs
really negotiating between the ,
but letting both chambers work it out.
What are your constituents sayi?
Do they want one plan over the other?
They just want property tax rel.
They have not really went back d
forth about the plans that their
main concern in District 110 ist
that they get some type of reli.
Governor Abbott has also said for the
2nd special session he wants lawmakers
to come up with a way to eventuy
eliminate part of the property taxes,
the school taxes that are M&amp;O,
the maintenance and operations s
that funds public schools and is
what schools rely on as you kno.
Is that even possible to do in your opinion?
Well, I guess that's why we're g
to study the issue to see if it
is possible. But I, you know, I.
I don't see it happening anytime soon,
but it's good to look at it and see and
that's unfortunately that's one thing
when we can't come up with a solution,
a lot of times we study it.
But it will be good to really
get do a deep dive in the issue
to see if we can come with some
sound solutions for more relief.
But I doubt that it would be
able to be eliminated. One bill
you got passed in the regular
session is is really remarkable.
It's made a lot of headlines and
and and had a lot of people kind
of scratching their heads tryino
figure out how you do it and tht
is you got a benefit and insurae
benefit extended to new moms whe
they get insurance for for 12 ms
for an entire year after giving birth.
Texas as you know already has the most
maternal deaths in the entire country.
This is the third time you introduced this.
Third time's a charm for you evidently but
why did it pass now when it's failed before?
Well, you know, one of the things that
I've always said to my colleagu,
you know, if you're going to be pro-life,
be pro-life and this bill to exd
Medicaid Services is a pro-life bill.
And I've the first time
my father was in 2019,
I actually it it passed and theI
didn't get a hearing in the Sen.
And then in 2021 during the
87th legislative session,
I was able to get the support of
Speaker feeling he was very supportive
of it because he was aware of te
alarm and race of deaths of wom.
Women were dying and they wouldd
our maternal mortality and morby
review committee report was stag
that these deaths were preventa,
that 90% of the women who died
their deaths were preventable.
And it's because after having ay
they only had two months of healthcare.
But studies have shown that the.
The number one recommendation ws
to extend Medicaid benefits so
that women can have a whole yeaf
comprehensive healthcare becaus,
like the women were dying from,
you know,
postpartum not being able to gee
mental health treatment they ne,
you know, cardiovascular diseas,
hypertension,
things that were preventable ony
if they had access to healthcar.
How significant is the passage of this bill?
You know, this is my 10th legislative,
10th year in the Texas Legislat.
And I've passed some great legislation,
but this one right here is one that's,
I mean, really important to me because
it saved lives to know that wom,
especially black women,
were dying at alarm and rates and now
women will be able to get the health care
that they need and it will save lives.
That's that's huge.
And so that's why this
legislation is so important.
Representative, thank you for
the time. We appreciate it.
Thank you, Jason.