AUSTIN — Today, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 455 by Senator Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) into law. This legislation allows the Texas Attorney General to petition the Texas Supreme Court for the formation of a three-judge panel to hear school finance and redistricting cases with major statewide impact.

"It has been a privilege to work with my colleagues toward the passage of this landmark legislation," said Senator Creighton. "For over forty years, our state has found itself in and out of court on school finance and one court in Austin has held the power to dictate the outcome on these constitutional issues. All Texans deserve a voice in cases of this magnitude. The additional perspective from two other district judges will be very powerful moving forward."

Under Senate Bill 455, one judge on the panel will automatically be the district court judge from the court where the case was originally filed. This will ensure that the original court's jurisdiction is protected. The other two judges will be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. If assembled, the panel would consist of another district court judge and an additional appellate court judge from elsewhere in the state.

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