In one of the fastest growing states in the nation, Texas is experiencing rapid change and increasing demands on public policy as state leaders try to plan for the future. With the bicentennial (Texas’ 200th anniversary) approaching, Texas 2036 is one of the organizations at the forefront of policy discussions that could shape the future of Texas.
Part of the team leading the efforts by Texas 2036 is John Hryhorchuk, Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy.
“We try to use data to solve long-term problems that are facing our state and address those long-term opportunities,” Hryhorchuk says. “We want to make sure Texas is the best state to raise a family and to grow a business.”
The organization’s mission revolves around using data and long-term planning to engage Texans and policymakers in meaningful discussions about policy.
Prior to joining Texas 2036, Hryhorchuk worked in various budget and policy roles for former Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst where he gained expertise in a variety of issues from energy to insurance and health care to water and workforce issues.
After that, he was the Deputy Director of Budget and Policy for Governor Greg Abbott, specializing in policy areas that included school finance, property taxes, and other fiscal and budgetary policy.
While Hryhorchuk has worked for two Republican statewide elected officials in Texas, his work and the efforts of Texas 2036 try to focus on what unites Texans, rather than divides them.
“Using data rather than ideology, we really try to seek out the things that are necessary for the long-term that every Texan can agree on,” Hryhorchuk says.
Among those pressing challenges facing Texas long-term sustainability and success, water management stands out as an issue that goes unnoticed — until it becomes a crisis.
“Water is one of those things where if everything is going right in the world, you don’t have to think about it. The tap turns on; everything’s fine,” says Hryhorchuk.
However, Hryhorchuk points out that with Texas’ rapid population growth and lessons learned from other states in the country, that may not always be the case if there is not proper, long-term planning.
“Are we going to be able to meet the water needs of Texas in 2050?,” asks Hryhorchuk. “We’re blessed to have massive population growth but that growth has benefits and complications.”
With a population of over 30 million today, Texas is expected to reach 34 million by 2036. For that reason, Hryhorchuk believes that what the legislature did on water investments and infrastructure this session was one of the biggest successes of the 89th legislature.
“Water, to me, is the thing that when people look back ten or twenty years from now, they are going to be so thankful that the 2025 legislature decided to take a long-term, strategic overhaul of how we address water,” Hryhorchuk says.
“The real beauty of what the legislature accomplished this session is that the funding dedicated for water is going to allow us to think about water on a different time horizon,” says Hryhorchuk.
Senate Bill 7, led by Senator Charles Perry (R-San Angelo), was authored or co-authored by all but one member of the Texas Senate. The bi-partisan support and recognition of the importance of long-term water planning exemplifies the type of issues Texas 2036 works on.
Combined with the other bills related to water and a vote this November, Texas is poised to invest up to $22.5 billion over 20 years in water infrastructure such as large-scale reservoir projects, desalinization, or rural wastewater treatment.
Another landmark effort that Hryhorchuk believes will have a lasting impact was passage of House Bill 2, the $8 billion school finance legislation by Representative Brad Buckley (R-Salado) and sponsored in the Senate by Senator Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe).
“Anytime you’re putting money into our teachers, that’s a good investment,” says Hryhorchuk. “There’s no amount of helping our teachers that is too much.”
Within this framework, Hryhorchuk recognizes that those investments must be sound and intended to produce results. HB-2 included merit-based pay systems and efforts to foster higher standards in the delivery of education in Texas.
“There were a lot of strategic investments to increase teacher preparation and to ensure our elementary school teachers are trained in the latest and greatest,” says Hryhorchuk.
Another challenge that the legislature sought to address this session for Texas’ long-term future is housing availability and affordability.
“The fundamental problem is that housing is a supply and demand challenge at its core,” says Hryhorchuk.
According to Hryhorchuk and others, the housing market and stock has simply not kept up with the rapid expansion of population in Texas, driving prices higher. And, while housing policy is mostly left to local governments, the state has become more interested in recent years in developing state policy that will promote home construction in Texas.
One particular piece of legislation that Hryhorchuk believes is important was the elimination of the “tyrant’s veto,” which is a 100 year old rule that allows a small percentage (20%) of neighbors within 200 feet of a proposed rezoning to trigger a supermajority requirement of the local governing body, essentially blocking some development.
“This idea allowed a very small number of people to essentially block development of housing,” says Hryhorchuk.
House Bill 24, by Representative Angelina Orr (R-Itasca), raised the threshold to 60% of property owners within 200 feet and eliminated the supermajority requirement. The bill passed both chambers and was signed by the Governor on June 20, 2025.
On a range of important topics to Texas 2036 like water, education, teacher pay, housing, workforce training, and criminal justice, Hryhorchuk believes the 89th legislature was a success.
“This was a very good legislative session for the things that are kind of foundational things for the government to operate, for our economy, and our children.”