Eye on Politics: State lawmakers likely to be called back for fourth special session
NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) — A fourth special session is looking more likely now that it's become clear Gov. Greg Abbott's taxpayer-financed education savings accounts for students to attend private school won't pass during the third special session. Longtime Congresswoman Kay Granger of Fort Worth has announced she won't run for reelection next year. Plus, Jack Fink speaks one-on-one with Democratic Congressman Colin Allred about his bid to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.
Jack covers these stories and more in this week's edition of Eye on Politics (original air date: Nov. 2).
Every week, CBS News Texas political reporter Jack Fink breaks down some of the biggest political stories grabbing headlines in North Texas and beyond. Watch the latest episode of Eye on Politics in the video player above and stream new episodes live every Thursday and Friday at 6 p.m. on CBS News Texas.
Gov. Abbott likely to call fourth special session
Gov. Greg Abbott will likely call Texas lawmakers back for a fourth special session. This week it became apparent that his push for school choice, or school voucher, legislation won't pass in the House before the third special session ends.
Earlier in the week, there was a major reversal from Abbott, when he agreed to expand the special session agenda to include boosting public school funding and teacher raises, in an effort to get his school choice program passed in the House. Rural House Republicans have joined Democrats in their opposition to such a program.
Wednesday morning, the governor said he didn't think there would be a need for another special session:
"There is enough time to get everything done that we want to get done," he said at an economic development event.
But his remarks surprised some Republican lawmakers, because none of the school choice or funding bills have been considered by a committee in the House.
Following Abbott's remarks, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick posted a statement on the social media platform X, saying he agreed with Abbott "only if the House subs their suggested language into SB1, school choice, and SB2, teacher pay raises." He went on to say there is no time to start over with a new House bill.
The House stands at ease, which means House Speaker Dade Phelan can call lawmakers back at any time. No word yet on when the governor might call a fourth special session.
End of an era for Congresswoman Kay Granger
After serving more than 25 years in Congress, Kay Granger announced this week she won't run for reelection next year.
In a statement Wednesday morning, Granger said serving her community has been her greatest honor, and that she's encouraged by the next generation of leaders in her district:
"It's time for the next generation to step up and take the mantle and be a strong and fierce representative of the people."
Granger served as a lot of firsts: first woman to become Fort Worth mayor when she was elected in 1991; first Republican woman to be elected in Texas, which took place in 1996, and the first woman in the GOP to become chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which happened last year.
Watch the video below to learn more about potential candidates to succeed her:
One-on-one with Rep. Colin Allred
This week, Jack spoke with Democratic Congressman Colin Allred from North Texas, who's hoping to unseat Republican incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz.
Along with questions about why he's running for Senate, Jack asked Allred about the Israel-Hamas War and securing the southern border.
Watch the full interview below:
Other political headlines
- The Texas Senate passed a bill prohibiting private employers from mandating workers get vaccinated against COVID-19 this week. Once it becomes law, companies who violate SB7 could be fined up to $50,000. The bill now heads to the governor's desk.
- A federal judge has blocked the Biden administration from removing any razor wire installed by Texas -- at least for now. The motion stops federal agents from removing razor wire until a preliminary injunction hearing is held.
- We learned that an international hacker group targeted Dallas County in a cyber attack. That group is threatening to publish sensitive information it claims it stole from the county's computer system, unless the county pays a ransom by Friday.
- After years of delays, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will stand trial on state securities fraud charges April 15. Harris County Judge Andrea Beall announced the court date during a hearing Monday morning. It came eight years after Paxton was first indicted on the charges by a Collin County grand jury. Paxton has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree securities fraud and a third-degree charge of not registering with the state securities board.
- Donald Trump was in Texas this week. The former president and current presidential candidate was in Dallas Wednesday, headlining a fundraiser. On Thursday, he stopped in Houston for a campaign event at an engineering firm. According to two recent polls, he leads the other candidates by more than 40 percentage points.
