Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday unveiled a jam-packed agenda for the upcoming particular legislative session, calling on legislators to redraw the state’s congressional maps and tackle a number of unfinished conservative priorities from earlier this 12 months.
The governor, who controls the agenda for additional time legislative periods, additionally included 4 gadgets associated to the lethal Hill Nation floods over the July Fourth weekend, directing lawmakers to have a look at flood warning techniques, emergency communications, pure catastrophe preparation and aid funding for the impacted areas.
The flooding has killed greater than 100 individuals, with greater than 160 nonetheless lacking.
The decision consists of laws to redraw the state’s congressional districts — which the Trump administration has reportedly been pressuring state GOP leaders to do. Republicans in Texas’ congressional delegation have expressed unease in regards to the concept, worrying it may jeopardize management of their present districts.
As anticipated, Abbott’s agenda for the session — scheduled to start out July 21 — consists of laws to extra firmly regulate THC merchandise, reminiscent of new restrictions to maintain them from youngsters. Abbott had beforehand introduced plans to take up the difficulty after he vetoed an outright THC ban that had been championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
The ban on consumable hemp merchandise that contained any THC handed the Senate however divided the Republican majority within the Home, with some backing a proposal to extra aggressively regulate these merchandise as a substitute. Ultimately, the full ban handed the chamber with scant GOP opposition. Abbott vetoed the invoice, saying it will not have survived “legitimate constitutional challenges.”
A majority of Texans oppose a ban, in accordance with a June statewide ballot.
Abbott additionally included a number of high-profile and controversial conservative priorities that didn’t cross through the common session, together with proposals to ban cities and counties from hiring lobbyists to advocate for them in Austin; require individuals to make use of bogs that align with the intercourse they had been assigned at start; and crack down on the manufacturing and distribution of abortion drugs.
Greater than 40 Republican lawmakers, together with Patrick, signed onto a letter to Abbott, asking him to incorporate the abortion capsule proposal on the particular session agenda. Senate Invoice 2880, thought of probably the most wide-ranging laws to crackdown on abortion drugs within the U.S., handed the Senate however stalled in a Home committee.
The so-called “toilet invoice” equally did not make it out of a Home committee.
Abbott is asking lawmakers to sort out an agenda with 18 gadgets in roughly 30 days that features politically-supercharged proposals surrounding abortion, redistricting and the authority of the lawyer normal’s workplace to prosecute election crimes, in addition to difficult ones like one other discount in property taxes.
State lawmakers meet each different 12 months. They adjourned their common session in early June.
This text initially appeared in The Texas Tribune, a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and interesting Texans on state politics and coverage.
