Austin

Batteries, flashlights, generators and other types of emergency preparedness supplies will be sold without sales taxes from April 22-23.

House Bill 2 would cut school property tax rates and limit how much property values can increase annually. Its approval sets up a potential showdown with the Texas Senate over their opposing tax relief packages.

Under the plan, the state will build new mental health facilities and work with local hospitals to increase capacity. The money will come from the state’s $32.7 billion budget surplus.

The Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 16, which would ban professors from compelling students to adopt certain political beliefs. Critics of the proposal say it undermines the freedom of speech.

The Texas House also passed a bill to decriminalize fentanyl test strips, which are used to determine if other drugs contain the deadly opioid. Tackling the fentanyl crisis is one of Abbott’s top priorities for the current legislative session.