Good morning, 

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, June 23, 2025.

– Sydnie Henry

Special Session Announced for July 21

• Gov. Greg Abbott has announced that a special session of the Texas Legislature will begin on Monday, July 21, after he signed 1,155 bills and vetoed 26 others from the 89th Regular Legislative Session.
   
• “Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Dustin Burrows, and the Texas House and Senate worked hard to send critical legislation to my desk,” Abbott said. “This session has seen monumental success, but there is more we can do.”
   

• Among the items up for reconsideration in the upcoming special session are several bills Abbott vetoed or let pass without his signature that he says he would like to see improved. Those include:

  Senate Bill 3 – regulating consumable hemp products
  Senate Bill 648 – recording requirements for real estate documents
  Senate Bill 1253 – water project impact fees
  Senate Bill 1278 – protections for trafficking victims
  Senate Bill 1758 – regulating cement kilns near semiconductor plants
  Senate Bill 2878 – judicial branch administration reforms
   

• Special sessions can only be called by the governor on issues he chooses and can last up to 30 days at a time.

New Teacher Misconduct Reporting Law Closes Loopholes

• A bill to strengthen student safety by closing “dangerous loopholes” in teacher misconduct reporting laws has passed into law, reports Erin Anderson.
   
• Despite current laws, Texas schools have continued “passing the trash”—covering up allegations of educators physically or sexually abusing students, enabling them to keep working around kids in other school districts.
   
• Senate Bill 571 by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) closes gaps in both educator misconduct reporting and the Do Not Hire Registry for individuals ineligible for employment by a Texas public school due to misconduct or criminal history.
   
• The new law expands the Do Not Hire Registry to include all campus personnel and contractors, broadens the definition of disqualifying misconduct, requires faster reporting of incidents, and permits temporary placements on the registry during investigations. The bill also gives school contractors access to relevant registry data.
   
• “SB 571 ensures that misconduct is caught early and acted on swiftly, no more ‘passing the trash’ or looking the other way that lets predators reappear in other educational roles or in other schools.” - State Sen. Paul Bettencourt

Texas Lottery Operator Rebrands Amid Scandals

• International Game Technology PLC is rebranding its global business to Brightstar Lottery amid scandals surrounding its operation of the Texas Lottery. Luca Cacciatore has the story. 
   
• Since the Texas Lottery’s inception in the early 1990s, IGT (formerly GTECH) has been its primary vendor.
   
• Recent controversies include allegations of rigged jackpots through bulk ticket purchases, questionable relationships with state officials, and violations of political contribution rules, resulting in fines and ongoing investigations.
   
• Despite these issues, IGT’s contract with Texas has been repeatedly extended. 

San Antonio’s Abortion Travel Funding on Hold While Case Continues

• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a temporary court order blocking San Antonio from using $100,000 in taxpayer funds to help residents travel out of state for abortions while a lawsuit over the policy proceeds. Addie Hovland has the details.
   
• Paxton sued the city after it allocated the funds to a “Reproductive Justice Fund,” arguing the move violated the Texas Constitution’s Gift Clause, which restricts public money from being used for private purposes.
   
• Although a lower court initially dismissed the suit, the Fifteenth Court of Appeals granted Paxton’s request for an injunction, preventing the city from distributing the funds until the case is resolved.
   
• Meanwhile, new legislation set to take effect in September will further clarify that local tax dollars cannot be used for out-of-state abortion travel.

Former US Soldier Sentenced for Smuggling Illegals Into Texas

• Former U.S. Army soldier Enrique Jauregui was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for organizing a scheme to smuggle illegal aliens into Texas, recruiting fellow Fort Hood soldiers Angel Palma and Emilio Mendoza-Lopez to assist him.
   
• The smuggling operation ended in a high-speed chase with U.S. Border Patrol, during which the smugglers’ vehicle struck a patrol car and injured an agent.
   
• All three soldiers pleaded guilty and received prison sentences, with Palma and Mendoza-Lopez each sentenced to 24 months and all three ordered to serve three years of supervised release. 

Quote-Unquote

"Can Texas cease to cherish the memory of those, whose dying words gave a pledge of their devotion to her cause?" – Jack Shackelford​

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