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Prime Republicans within the Texas Legislature have introduced the creation of committees tasked with “attending to the underside of” the July flooding that killed greater than 130 individuals, together with 25 younger ladies and two teenage counselors at Camp Mystic.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Home Speaker Dustin Burrows launched on Monday the Senate and Home Common Investigating Committees on the July 2025 Flooding Occasions. They mentioned the panels, which can meet collectively, will research “the info and circumstances surrounding the July flooding,” together with figuring out methods to bolster Texas’ preparedness and responses to pure disasters in addition to analyzing actions taken at youth summer season camps.
“Camp Mystic has not spoken publicly on the report as to what occurred that morning,” Patrick mentioned in a information launch. “They are going to be invited to testify, as will others concerned on this flooding occasion.”
The lieutenant governor additionally mentioned he was “shocked” that Camp Mystic already has a re-opening plan for subsequent 12 months amid unanswered questions. The camp’s officers mentioned final month they might welcome campers again to their Cypress Lake website, which sits uphill from the Guadalupe River and didn’t maintain flood harm. Dad and mom of the campers and counselors killed within the flood, nevertheless, have criticized the plan.
In an announcement, Camp Mystic mentioned it seems ahead to working with the panels and “serving to them and the general public extra totally perceive the info of what occurred.”
The committees had been created by laws handed throughout this 12 months’s second particular session over the summer season. The state Legislature additionally superior a number of flood-related payments throughout this era that deal with camp security, flood warnings and catastrophe response funding.
Patrick named Republican Sens. Pete Flores of Pleasanton and Charles Perry of Lubbock as committee chair and vice chair, respectively. Different members embody Republican Sens. Bryan Hughes of Mineola and Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham in addition to Democratic Sen. José Menéndez of San Antonio.
Within the Home, Burrows appointed Republican state Rep. Morgan Meyer of College Park as chair and Democratic state Rep. Joe Moody of El Paso as vice chair. Republican state Reps. Drew Darby of San Angelo and Paul Dyson of Bryan in addition to Democratic state Rep. Erin Gamez of Brownsville are additionally a part of the committee.
“Whereas progress was made through the second particular session to bolster Texans’ security, the magnitude of this tragedy calls for a complete and thorough evaluation,” Burrows mentioned in a information launch.
This text initially appeared within the Texas Tribune.
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