The latest episode of Headlines and Heartlines features State Rep. Janis Holt, who represents Texas House District 18, which includes Hardin, Liberty and San Jacinto counties, along with part of Montgomery County.
Holt, a former teacher, school board trustee and small-business owner, began her first term in the Texas House in January 2025. Before taking office, she served on the Silsbee ISD board and was active in the Republican Party at the local, state and national levels, including as a delegate to the 2012 and 2016 national conventions and as a member of the 2016 Electoral College.
Following the close of the most recent legislative session, Holt said her focus has shifted back to the district, where she is reconnecting with local officials and residents.
“I am getting out into the district,” Holt said. “We spent eight and a half months in Austin, so I missed being able to attend commissioners courts, as well as city council meetings, school board meetings, as well as just meeting with the constituents. So we’re focusing on that right now. I want to see, you know, how are things in the district, what can we do to help, what are issues going on, what do you need in the district, and making sure that our cities and our counties are represented at the state level in a way that helps them facilitate what they need to be doing here at their local level, too, as well. So I’m ready to get back and do that a lot.”
Holt discussed several measures considered during the session, including Senate Bill 17, which restricts land purchases in Texas by individuals or entities connected to countries listed by the federal government as foreign terrorist states — currently Iran, China, North Korea and Russia. She said the legislation, which was the result of efforts by multiple lawmakers, was aimed at protecting critical infrastructure such as water supplies, energy facilities and military installations.
Education was also a major topic. Holt outlined two key bills — House Bill 2, which provides funding for teacher pay raises and supplemental pay for support staff, and Senate Bill 2, also known as the education savings account or voucher bill. HB 2 allocates additional resources for classroom employees, which Holt said was “long overdue,” while SB 2 would allow qualifying families, particularly those in low-performing schools or at the poverty line, to access up to $10,000 for private school tuition, transportation or educational services such as tutoring.
“It’s designed for our inner cities and larger population school districts,” Holt said. “It’s a vehicle for parents to be able to get their kids out of these low-performing schools.”
She added that the program’s funding comes from a separate line item and does not draw from the public education budget.
In addition to discussing education policy, Holt addressed the effects of illegal immigration on local schools, including Cleveland ISD, and noted that the Legislature has expanded homestead exemptions in an effort to provide some relief for property owners. She also spoke about proposals to restrict student cell phone use during school hours.
“Our citizens are being taxed out of their homes,” Holt said, emphasizing property tax concerns raised by residents.
To hear the full episode of this week’s Headlines and Heartlines, go online to https://open.spotify.com/episode/1OpNRXyegLsvumnUZDl4eT?si=245f32f8467849a1 or listen online at www.kilefm.com, which will air the episodes on Tuesday, Oct. 14, and Friday, Oct. 17; both shows begin at 10 a.m.