Governor Gregg Abbott called two special sessions earlier this summer. The sessions immediately followed the regular 89th legislative session, which was marked by partisan conflict and a successful quorum break by House Democrats during the first called special session.
The first special session began on July 21 and concluded on August 15. House Democrats left the state to deny a quorum, specifically to block passage of a mid-decade redistricting plan drawn to add five additional Republican-leaning congressional seats. Because of this action, the session ended without passage of any significant legislation, including the new redistricting plan.
The second special session began on August 15 and concluded on September 4. This session included unfinished items from the first session as well as additional issues, such as responding to the Central Texas floods.
The issue that prompted the Democrats to leave—redistricting—was once again front and center and among the first items addressed. Lawmakers passed new congressional maps designed to potentially favor five new seats for the upcoming midterm elections.
The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test was eliminated and replaced with three shorter tests to be administered throughout the school year.
Following the deadly July 4 floods, the Legislature passed several camp safety bills mandating new emergency plans and prohibiting cabins in floodplains.
Additional anti-abortion bills also passed, including those prohibiting abortion-inducing drugs and allowing individuals to sue providers. Another bill prohibited cities from funding out-of-state abortion travel.
A bill restricting access to bathrooms and other facilities based on sex assigned at birth was passed and signed by the governor. Some version of this bill has been attempted for at least the past 10 years.
Despite being a priority, a comprehensive bill regulating consumable hemp and THC products failed to pass. Following the session, Governor Abbott issued an executive order setting an age restriction of 21 for such products. This issue continues to be a point of contention between the governor and the lieutenant governor, who supports an outright ban on THC. This topic will likely continue to generate debate.
Legislation was also passed to impose penalties on lawmakers who intentionally break quorum to block legislation. Only time will tell whether this discourages quorum breaking in the future.
Since the conclusion of the second special session, the governor has indicated he may call another. Several issues, including THC regulation, were not addressed to his satisfaction. Although most lawmakers were eager to leave Austin after the most recent session, the governor can call them back at any time.
Several lawmakers have already announced retirements or plans to run for other offices, and more announcements are expected. This is an election season with all Texas House seats, half of the Texas Senate, and all statewide offices up for election. It is expected to be an expensive campaign season, and one thing is certain: the Legislature will look different in January 2027 than it does now—for better or worse.
—TWGGA Legislative Advocate Kyle Frazier