It's Official: Governor Calls For Special Session Of Texas Legislature Starting In July

AUSTIN, TX — Gov. Greg Abbott ended the suspense on Tuesday, announcing that, indeed, there would be a special session of the Texas Legislature to hash out issues of particular resonance to him—a move largely anticipated but surprising given the ambitious nature of the envisioned gathering to vote on legislation related to 19 different issues.

With terse language that seemed accusatory of legislators' lack of fitting the items on what was already an issue-packed regular session, Abbott announced the special session will begin on July 18. In a tacit rebuke to lawmakers not taking on various issues he finds important, Abbott directed legislators to hash out laws in the six-week special session that is tantamount to a taxpayer-funded summer sequel of sorts.

Abbott outlined the various issued taking center stage at the upcoming special session, related to limiting or outright prohibiting city annexation authority and regulations related to tree removal on homeowners' properties; fortified abortion-related regulations, including blocking taxpayer funds from reaching abortion providers; and a law related to transgender individuals' use of public bathrooms that he and Lt. Dan Patrick have spearheaded as something of a cause framed as a privacy safeguard and to ward off potential sexual abuse of women and children at the hands of transgender people.

Patrick in particular has called for a ban on transgender individuals' use of public bathrooms labeled with genders with which they identify, calling instead for a law that would force such individuals to use public facilities marked with the sex listed on their birth certificates. A watered-down version of the bill was previously passed limited to public school regulations, much to the chagrin of the lieutenant governor, who has all but demanded an outright ban on transgender bathroom use.

The issue seemed dead in the regular session of the Legislature where business-minded Republicans—most prominently Texas House of Representatives Speaker Joe Straus—had little appetite to see the measure pass amid national threats of economic boycott. But with the special session, the issue is now resuscitated.

However, the first item to be addressed in the special session will be various "sunset laws" related to renewing five state regulatory agencies, including the Texas Medical Board that licenses doctors, Abbott said. The agencies' charters expire on Sept. 1.

"The first order of business will be sunset legislation that failed to pass during the regular session," Abbott said. "This is necessary legislation. Without this legislation, Texas would be unable to license new doctors."

The governor attributed the inaction on the item to partisan politics: "It's unfortunate it was used as political fodder during the regular session rather than the must-pass legislation that it is."

Abbott said that his lieutenant governor, Patrick, has assured him the matter won't take but two to three days tops. After that, the 19 other items will be addressed, he said.

Other items Abbott wants legislation on include permitting that expedites construction; school choice provisions for special needs children allowing for taxpayer money to fund private schooling; rendering null and void any local statutes related to distracted driving given his own texting-while-driving ban he signed into law earlier Tuesday to avoid a scattered "patchwork quilt" of related laws by local jurisdictions; limiting state and local government budget increases as commensurate to population growth and the inflation rate.

In no uncertain terms, Abbott made clear he expects every item on his 19-point agenda to be addressed in what amounts to a legislative mini-session.

“Legislators have six weeks to prepare for this special session,” the governor said. “If they fail it will not be for a lack of time, it will be because of a lack of will.” He then left the lectern without taking questions from reporters.

Austin mayor Steve Adler was expected to address Abbott's call for a special session at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the City Hall ceremonial office, according to an email sent to Patch. The city headed by Adler was singled out by Abbott during his press conference as an example of a municipality too onerous with its local regulations on business interests and taxpayers.

Some of the items Abbott wants passed are unabashedly conservative ideals related to abortion and right to life, similar to other measures easily passed in a Republican-controlled Legislature. The list of items to be hammered out in the special session are:

• Sunset legislation (see above).
• Teacher pay increase of $1,000.
• Administrative flexibility in teacher hiring and retention.
• Establishment of a school finance reform commission.
• School choice for special needs students (see above).
• Property tax reform.
• Establishment of caps on state and local spending.
• Preventing cities from regulating tree removal on homeowners' private land.
• Preventing local jurisdictions from changing rules mid-construction on projects.
• Expediting the permitting process of local governments.
• Municipal annexation reform.
• Preempting local statutes related to texting while driving regulation (see above).
• Bathroom bill regulation related to transgender use.
• Prohibiting tax dollar use to collect union dues.
• Blocking tax dollars for abortion providers.
• Pro-life insurance reform.
• Strengthening the reporting requirements from abortion complications.
• Bolstering patient protections as they relate to do-not-resuscitate orders.
• Crackdown on mail-in ballot fraud.
• Extending the maternal mortality task force.

If this special session amounts to a summer sequel to the regular session ended in at last month's end, the reviews are mixed. While practically every legislator undoubtedly had hoped to return to their home cities after a grueling regular session, those voicing their displeasure the most were from the other side of the political divide.

State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez of Austin labeled the Abbott-resurrected policy matters slated for special session as nothing more than "red meat" issues representing a litany of failed conservative priorities. In a statement, Rodriguez referenced Patrick's bathroom cause as a prime example of the issues inspiring most of his energies.

“The Texas Legislature wasted its time in the 85th Legislative Session on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s misplaced, extreme policy priorities, and he remains behind the steering wheel," Rodriguez said. “The items described by Gov. Abbott in today’s announcement go even further than the lieutenant governor’s wish-list. Abbott conceded to Patrick’s threat and moved further to the right, apparently hoping to establish his radical Republican credentials over those of his political rival."

Rodriguez categorized Abbott's press conference announcing the special-session as mere "political theater," while using a handful of genuine issues for cover: "He used important issues like school finance and special education reform as shabby pretext for advancing an extreme conservative agenda over substantive policy that would benefit all Texans," Rodriguez wrote.

Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt was similarly critical, focusing her response to proposed legislation that calls for exerting control over local jurisdictions.

"We at Travis County have prepared for the prospect of another round of political game-playing at the Capitol," she said in a prepared statement. "Despite the fact that this is a notably safe, prosperous and fiscally sound community, the leaders of state government appear determined to create a crisis that will make it harder for us to meet the needs of our residents and our workforce. While we are saddened, we are not surprised, and we will continue to take steps to ensure that the will and the values of Travis County residents are respected and the needs of our community are met."

Just moments after Abbott's announcement, Austin Mayor Steve Adler staged an afternoon press conference in response. Like his peers elsewhere, Abbott was taken aback at the scope of issues—half of the governor's wish list—related to exerting control over cities or preempting their authority altogether.

“Austin has one of the hottest economies in the country, so clearly we're not over-regulating,” he said during his presentation at City Hall. “We create more middle-income jobs than any other city.”

Adler categorized the Abbott-called special session as a "war on cities" that focuses on establishing bathroom regulations and tree ordinances rather than looking toward the future: “I admit to being a little dumbfounded when I heard what sounded to me like a call for a war against cities," Adler said in his remarks. “Instead of looking at a future, the governor’s special call looks to the past.”

Watch Adler's full response below:

>>> Official photo of Gov. Greg Abbott via State of Texas