Gov. Greg Abbott Announces Special Session For Texas Legislature Starts July 8
AUSTIN, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Governor Greg Abbott announced Tuesday, June 22, he will convene a special legislative session on July 8, 2021.
"Agenda items will be announced prior to the convening of the special session," the brief statement read.
Earlier this month, Gov. Abbott told CBS 11's Jack Fink, elections integrity and bail reform, two of his emergency or priority items, would be placed on the call, but he wouldn't indicate other issues.
Elections integrity (SB 7) and bail reform (HB 20) bills died in the House late Sunday night, May 30, after Democrats walked out of the chamber, leaving Republicans without a required quorum to take action on legislation before the midnight deadline.
Democrats have vowed to continue fighting GOP efforts to reduce polling hours and voting access in Texas after staging the last-ditch revolt to stop the sweeping elections overhaul from reaching Abbott's desk.
None has called for a boycott of the special session and the Republicans' commanding majority means it's likely that an elections bill will ultimately pass.
Special sessions in Texas last up to 30 days, but could end sooner if the GOP-controlled Legislature works fast and delivers a bill to Abbott's liking.
Texas Democratic Lt. Governor Candidate Mike Collier issued the following statement on the announced special session:
"Governor Abbott, fix the damn grid."
The Texas Freedom Network Political Director Carisa Lopez issued the following statement:
"We hope that Governor Abbott will act in good faith and use this special session to fix our grid, expand healthcare, and get our Texas economy moving again. Instead, we're likely to get more voter suppression bills and more legislation that further censors teachers and white washes history.
"While Abbott is too busy trying to fend off primary challengers and attempting to mount his own bid for President, the Texas Freedom Network and allied groups are mounting the biggest defense to our voting rights and civil rights in state history. We're not going to go down without a fight and we will never stop fighting to protect the rights of all Texans to cast a ballot."