Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González
Texas Border Business
At the McAllen Legislative Wrap-Up Luncheon on October 3, 2025, Texas Rep. Ryan Guillen (R–District 31) highlighted what he described as the most consequential bills of the 89th Legislative Session, pointing to record funding for public schools, a new institute for dementia research, and long-term water infrastructure investment. The luncheon was hosted at the Embassy Suites Convention Center by the McAllen Chamber of Commerce and the McAllen Economic Development Corporation.
Guillen, who chairs the House Agriculture and Livestock Committee, said education funding was one of the most significant achievements. “First, the increase in funding for public schools—House Bill 2. I don’t recall the bill number exactly, but yes, House Bill 2 provided about an $8.5 billion increase in funding for public schools,” Guillen told the audience. “That’s the largest increase ever from one biennium to the next.”
He also pointed to the creation of a new statewide institute dedicated to research on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. “We created a Dementia and Alzheimer’s Institute and put significant funding behind it, which I think is a very big deal,” he said. The measure, modeled after Texas’ cancer research initiative, will be put before voters in November.
Water infrastructure was another priority that Guillen listed as a top outcome of the session. “There was a major water bill,” he said. “The most important part of that legislation is the $1 billion revolving fund, which makes it very consequential over time.” The fund is designed to provide consistent financing for water projects throughout the state, including in drought-prone regions such as South Texas.
Guillen added that while thousands of bills are filed each session, only a small fraction survive the full legislative process. “Each session, thousands of bills are filed, but only about 14% make it through both chambers and survive the veto process,” moderator Veronica Gonzales of UTRGV noted as she introduced the legislators’ remarks.
Guillen’s comments were part of a panel discussion that included Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, Sen. Adam Hinojosa, Rep. Terry Canales, and Rep. Sergio Muñoz Jr. The luncheon provided Rio Grande Valley residents an opportunity to hear directly from lawmakers about the impacts of new legislation.
“These are the ones I consider most significant,” Guillen said, referring to school funding, the dementia institute, and the new water fund. “They are investments that will have lasting consequences for our state and for South Texas.”
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