House Backs Status Quo Defunding Bill
that Could Kill Future Pay Boosts for Cops

Capitol Inside
May 6, 2021

Texas House Republicans rallied on Thursday with a party-line vote for bill that seeks to capitalize on a myth by punishing the state's largest cities for defunding the police in the GOP's latest attempt to boost the power of state government at the expense of local control.

House Bill 1900 gained initial approval on a 91-55 vote tonight after some of the regular sessions' most heated debate with Democrats portraying the measure as a blatant partisan sham with massive potential to backfire in a way that could do serious damage to the public safety.

Sponsored by GOP State Rep. Craig Goldman of Fort Worth, HB 1900 could have the unintended consequence of giving city councils in a dozen Texas municipalities a major incentive to never increase police pay and benefits to lessen the possibility of state retribution in times of fiscal famine.

Democrats depicted HB 1900 as bread crumbs for police by failing to improve their plight beyond a promise to keep big cities from reducing the amount of money they make. State Rep. Jarvis Johnson - a Democrat who served on the Houston City Council - argued that the bill was the antithesis of conservative by handcuffing the ability of local officials to reduce spending when the economy is suffering and local taxes are down.

The measure would only apply to municipalities with populations of 250,000 or more - with cities that Democrats control accounting for five of the six that would be targeted by HB 1900.

State Rep. Richard Raymond of Laredo - one of 10 Democrats to vote aye on the police defunding prevention plan - stressed the need to pay police substantially more to attract the most qualified officers. HB 1900 does not accomplish that. .

Nine of the Democrats who sided with the GOP majority on HB 1900 represent heavily Hispanic districts on the border. State Rep. Victoria Neave of Dallas backed the police defunding legislation as well in the preliminary House vote along with fellow Democratic State Reps. Terry Canales of Edinburg, Bobby Guerra of Mission, Ryan Guillen of Rio Grande City, Abel Herrero of Corpus Christi, Tracy King of Uvalde, Eddie Morales of Eagle Pass and Sergio Muñoz of Mission.

Goldman said protecting the public safety was the leading priority for the session. But Goldman said he was unaware that Governor Greg Abbott and GOP legislators had cut $50 million several years ago from the Department of Public Safety budget. Goldman bristled at the implication that he and other Republicans had defunded the police based on the standards they're using now in HB 1300.

The Republicans who control the House and Senate have spurned police pleas on the far more significant unlicensed carry gun bill that's cleared both chambers on party line votes with an uncertain fate in a conference committee with time running low.