Abbott sets special session agenda. Here’s what Texas legislators will discuss
Gov. Greg Abbott has added several Hill Country flooding items to the special session agenda, which begins at noon on July 21.
Before the July Fourth tragedy, lawmakers were set to discuss the regulation of THC products, protections for human trafficking victims and water project incentives among other things.
Now the agenda has 18 items, including four legislative items dedicated to relief funding for the Hill Country flooding, flood warning system improvements, strengthening flood emergency communications and natural disaster preparation and recovery.
“We delivered on historic legislation in the 89th Regular Legislative Session that will benefit Texans for generations to come,” Abbott said in a press release. “There is more work to be done, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country. We must ensure better preparation for such events in the future.”
Legislators will also discuss eliminating and replacing the STAAR test for public school students, further reductions to property taxes, abortion restrictions, congressional redistricting and “protecting women’s privacy in sex-segregated spaces.”
Bills related to a few of these items had been vetoed by the governor following the close of the 89th legislative session at the beginning of June.
Before the special session agenda announcement, U.S. Rep. Craig Goldman of Fort Worth told the Star-Telegram it’s common for legislators to dissect natural disaster emergency response and draft legislation accordingly.
“I feel assured that they’re going to have hearings at that time which is appropriate to figure out what went right, what went wrong,” Goldman said. “And if things went wrong, then they will either pass legislation or make sure the proper solutions are put in place to attempt to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”