Texas Gov. Abbott Says Details On Special Session(s) At Least A Few Weeks Away
(CBSDFW.COM) - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that details about the looming special session(s) are at least a few weeks away. "We will be announcing them in the coming weeks. We need to finish out the next few weeks first. Even though the session is over, I'm still going through the process of having to read through literally more than 1,000 bills and decide whether or not to veto those bills."
The governor made his comments during a live interview on CBS 11 News at 5 p.m.
Texas lawmakers will be called back for a special session later this fall so they can redraw state House and Senate districts, along with Congressional districts.
They will also have to determine how to spend more than $16 billion in federal COVID-19 relief.
The governor has said 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 Friday.
Elections integrity (SB 7) and bail reform (HB 20) bills died in the House late Sunday night after Democrats walked out of the chamber, leaving Republicans without a required quorum to take action on legislation before the midnight deadline.
In a tweet Monday, Abbott threatened to veto the part of the state budget that includes the state legislature.
When asked Thursday if he plans to carry out his threat, the governor said that he would make that determination after reviewing the state budget, which he said he had not yet received.
Some lawmakers have questioned whether the governor can do that because of separation of powers.
But Abbott insisted the Texas Constitution gives him that authority.
The governor defended SB 7, saying it would expand the number of hours for early voting in Texas.
But he acknowledged concern about a new provision of the final version of the bill that said early voting on Sunday could not begin with 1 p.m.
Some African Americans said they believed that part of the legislation targeted their ability to go to the polls after attending church services without having to wait in long lines.
Abbott said it was a clerical mistake and that it should have been 11 a.m., not 1 p.m.
"I agree that on that Sunday, there should be plenty of time for people to be able to vote including having earlier hours so that it's clear, but also factual that there is no discriminatory intent whatsoever. I believe throughout the entirety of this legislation there is absolutely no discriminatory intent period," Abbott said.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH GOV. ABBOTT:
