Texas Bitcoin Reserve proposal passed a Senate vote with 25 out of 30 votes in favor. It will require another vote in the House of Representatives to reach the Governor and become law, but the progress is very encouraging.
Several other state-level reserve proposals failed due to Republican Party defections. In Texas, however, most Democrats voted in favor. This bill does not trigger mandatory Bitcoin purchases yet, which was a major sticking point with fiscal conservatives.
Texas Could Get a Bitcoin Reserve Soon
Throughout several states in the US, pro-crypto lawmakers are trying to pass small-scale Bitcoin Reserves. Texas’ effort has been a particular point of interest, and the state’s Lieutenant Governor has enthusiastically supported the proposal.
Last week, the Bitcoin Reserve bill in Texas passed through Committee, and today, it succeeded a Senate vote 25-5.
“The Texas Bitcoin Reserve Bill passed the Senate with some Democrat support. (The final vote was 25 – 5, and there are 11 Democrat Senators). If there is similar cross-aisle support in the House, then the bill’s prospects for success are good,” a legislative watchdog claimed on social media.
The effort to pass a Bitcoin Reserve in Texas has been an important piece of crypto regulation for several reasons. Obviously, Texas is a large and economically vital area, with the second-largest GDP of all US states.
Additionally, this effort represents a crucial chance to defeat a losing streak in state-level Reserve bills.
Essentially, these bills would trigger up to $23 billion in Bitcoin purchases nationwide, which thrilled the crypto community. There’s just one problem: the Republican Party values fiscal conservatism.
Montana lawmakers rejected spending tax dollars on Bitcoin, and a wave of other red states followed soon after.
Crucially, however, Texas’ Bitcoin Reserve proposal did not mandate this spending. If the state government wishes to purchase Bitcoin, ideally from the large local mining industry, it can do so.
However, approval at this stage does not inevitably trigger this sort of spending, and now Texas can join states like Utah and Arizona as the leaders in this race.
What’s Next for the BTC Reserve Bill in Texas?
Despite today’s win, the fight for a Texas Bitcoin Reserve is far from over. The bill will now move to the state’s House of Representatives, which has more than five times as many members.
More specifically, the Texas House of Representatives has 89 Republican members and 62 Democrats. In theory, this should be a clear win, as Republicans are largely pro-crypto.
However, this wasn’t the case in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming, where several Republican members voted against the respective BTC reserve bills.
The Texas bill passed the Senate with near-unanimous support, but it might be more contentious before a larger body. In any event, it’s a win, and the Bitcoin Reserve efforts could use a victory right now.
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