(The Center Square) – In just a few days, the Texas Senate passed all but four bills on the special session agenda. The second special session was called on Friday, by Tuesday, 14 bills of 18 on the call had already passed.
This is after the Senate passed all of the bills on the call for the first special session while Texas House Democrats absconded and halted all House proceedings. The House passed no bills during the first special session because Democrats blocked a quorum from being reached. Nearly all of the bills the Senate passed in the first special session were read again, voted on again, and passed.
On Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick lauded the Senate for their efficiency in passing the bills, many with overwhelming bipartisan support.
“The Senate passed all 18 bills on Gov. Abbott’s call in the first special session and is on track to do it again. The Texas Senate once again proved we can deliver real results for the people of Texas,” Patrick said.
He also said that since enough House Democrats returned to Austin to reach quorum, he looks forward to receiving legislation from the House to pass the remaining bills.
“Texans expect their elected officials to stay in the state and get the job done, rather than fleeing to other states just because they oppose a particular bill,” he said, referring to a redistricting bill that could give Republicans an additional five seats in Congress in Texas.
The Texas Senate passed the following bills:
SB 2, Natural Disaster Preparation and Recovery, filed by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock;SB 3, Flood Emergency Communications and Warning, filed by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston;SB 5, Relief Funding for Hill Country, filed by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston;SB 6, Banning THC, filed by Perry;SB 8, Protecting Women’s Spaces, by Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston;SB 10, Cutting Property Taxes, filed by Bettencourt;SB 11, Protecting Human Trafficking Victims, filed by Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound;SB 12, Attorney General Authority to Prosecute Election Crimes, filed by Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Tyler;SB 13, Banning Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying, filed by Middleton;SB 14, Water Project Incentives, filed by Perry;SB 15, Police Personnel Records, filed by Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford;SB 16, Stopping Title Theft and Deed Fraud, filed by Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas;SB 18, Maintaining Texas Dams, filed by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo.
The only reason the four remaining bills haven’t yet passed the Senate is because they must first pass in the House. After the House passes them, they will go to the Senate. These bills are SB 4: Redistricting; SB 7: Protecting Unborn Children; SB 9: Eliminating the STAAR Test; and SB 17: State Judicial Omnibus Package.
The Texas House made quorum for the first time on Monday after nearly two weeks. House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, said he expects all bills to be passed by Labor Day weekend.
Notably, the Texas Senate passed a bill to ban THC in Texas for the third time this year, twice in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott calling to regulate it.
During the regular session, the legislature passed with bipartisan support a bill to ban THC. Abbott vetoed it at the last hour of the last day allowed by the state constitution after the regular session ended so his veto could not be overridden.
The Senate will not back down on banning THC, Patrick maintains. It’s “a top legislative priority because the Texas Senate refuses to allow bad actors to use loopholes in agriculture law to flood our communities with potent, intoxicating products disguised as harmless treats,” Patrick said. “These products lure and endanger our children and threaten public safety. That’s why every single law enforcement agency in Texas, along with the Texas Medical Association, the Texas Pediatric Society, and countless families, stand behind SB 6.”
“Since 2019, bad actors have taken advantage of a loophole in Texas agriculture law to sell potent, intoxicating forms of THC that have nothing to do with agriculture,” Patrick maintains. “These shops have rapidly spread throughout Texas, endangering the health and safety of children and families across our state, with no accountability.”
The bill would prohibit the retail sale of all intoxicating cannabinoid, including in beverages; doesn’t alter the Texas Compassionate Use Program or laws related to hemp farming; and doesn’t impact the sale or use of CBD or CBG products.
