(The Center Square) – A group of House Republicans has called on Gov. Greg Abbott to veto a Democratic-authored bill related to expanding state-funded loan repayment programs for a range of mental health professionals.
SB 646 filed by state Sen. Royce, West, D-Dallas, would amend state law to expand and increase financial assistance provided through the Mental Health Professionals Loan Repayment Program.
It would increase the amount of loan repayments for physician psychiatrists, licensed clinical social workers, professional counselors, advanced practice registered nurses and a wide range of licensed social workers and counselors, according to the bill analysis. It also would increase the amount of awards to those who speak languages other than English and for those who practice in rural areas. It also allocates $1 million to the MHPLRP for advertising.
The majority of House Republicans, 58, voted against it. Thirty-four of them called on the governor to veto the bill.
The bill “expands a Biden style student loan repayment program,” House Republicans, led by Rep. Brent Money, wrote in a letter to the governor. “58 republican members voted against this bill and in opposition to student loan repayment programs. There are many laudable things that the legislature funds and expands during the session but few that received such significant opposition as SB 646. We humbly ask that you veto this legislation and in so doing encourage the legislature to make ‘loan repayment programs’ and their expansion something we have to avoid in future sessions.”
West argued the program was necessary to help more mental health professionals enter the field “given Texas’ stark shortage of mental health professionals.” The existing program isn’t helping meeting the shortfall, he says, which “remains critical.”
Of Texas’ 254 counties, 168 don’t ‘have any licensed psychiatrists; 147 don’t have any psychologists; 91 don’t have licensed clinical social workers; 78 don’t have licensed chemical dependency counselors; 41 don’t have licensed professional counselors; 211 don’t have psychiatric-mental health advanced practice registered nurses (as of 2019 data) and 148 school districts don’t have any school counselors, according to the bill analysis.
Earlier in the week, a group of 41 House Republicans called on Abbott to veto a bill they argue will only help increase property taxes, The Center Square reported.
SB 974, filed by state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, passed the legislature with bipartisan support. It would allow school board members and school district employees to serve on appraisal review boards, the entities responsible for assessing property tax appraisal challenges.
Those who voted against it argue it “establishes a clear conflict of interest … An employee who is paid by a school district should not be involved in the processes of determining the value of property that is taxed to generate funding for the district.”
Abbott previously vetoed similar legislation in the last legislative session.
