Good morning, 

The second special session has officially begun. Can Texans expect a different outcome?

Here is today's Texas Minute.

–Brandon Waltens 

Monday, August 9, 2021
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• After Democrat lawmakers walked out of the Texas House in the final hours of the regular legislative session in order to kill election integrity legislation, Gov. Greg Abbott announced he would call a 30-day special session to pass a series of his priority items. 
   
• But after calling a 30-day special session in July, House Democrats fled once again, this time leaving for Washington, D.C., breaking quorum and causing legislation to be frozen for weeks until the session’s conclusion on Friday.
   
• Meanwhile, the Senate did have a quorum, and passed all of the agenda.
   
• On Saturday, a second special session by Abbott began. But while the Senate has already begun committee hearings in their effort to once again pass all of the items on the call, Democrats are nowhere to be seen in the Texas House. 

The following are the items Abbott has tasked lawmakers with passing:

• Bail Reform: Legislation reforming the bail system in Texas to protect the public from accused criminals who may be released on bail.
   
• Election Integrity: Legislation strengthening the integrity of elections in Texas.
   
• Federal Relief Appropriations: Legislation providing appropriations from unappropriated available revenues for COVID-19-related healthcare expenses, such as those listed below, taking into consideration the approximately $10.5 billion in funds received by local governments intended to be used on COVID-19 from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). This is new for the second special session. 
   
• Education: Legislation providing strategies for public-school education in prekindergarten through twelfth grade during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is new for the second special session.
   
• Border Security: Legislation enhancing criminal laws or providing funding from unappropriated available revenues to support law-enforcement agencies, counties, and other strategies as part of Texas’ comprehensive border security plan.
   
• Social Media Censorship: Legislation safeguarding the freedom of speech by protecting social media and email users from being censored based on the user’s expressed viewpoints, including by providing a legal remedy for those wrongfully excluded from a platform.
   
• Article X Funding (Legislature): Legislation providing appropriations from unappropriated available revenues to the Legislature and legislative agencies in Article X of the General Appropriations Act.
   
• Family Violence Prevention: Legislation similar to Senate Bill 1109from the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, requiring schools to provide appropriate education to middle- and high-school students about dating violence, domestic violence, and child abuse, but that recognizes the right of parents to opt their children out of the instruction.
   
• Youth Sports: Legislation identical to Senate Bill 29 as passed by the Texas Senate in the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, disallowing a student from competing in University Interscholastic League athletic competitions designated for the sex opposite to the student’s sex at birth.
   
• Abortion-Inducing Drugs: Legislation similar to Senate Bill 394 from the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, which prohibits people from providing abortion-inducing drugs by mail or delivery service, strengthens the laws applicable to the reporting of abortions and abortion complications, and ensures that no abortion-inducing drugs are provided unless there is voluntary and informed consent.
   
• “13th Check”: Legislation similar to House Bill 3507 from the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, relating to a “thirteenth check” or one-time supplemental payment of benefits under the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
   
• Critical Race Theory: Legislation similar to House Bill 3979 concerning critical race theory as originally passed by the Texas Senate in the 87th Legislature, Regular Session.
   
• Appropriations: Legislation providing appropriations from unappropriated available revenues for the following purposes:
  • Property tax relief
  • Enhanced protection for the safety of children in Texas’ foster-care system by attracting and retaining private providers for the system
  • Better safeguards for the state from potential cybersecurity threats
     
• Primary Elections: Legislation modifying the filing periods and related election dates, including any runoffs, for primary elections held in Texas in 2022. This is new for the second special session.
   
• Radioactive Waste: Legislation reforming the laws governing radioactive waste to protect the safety of Texans, including by further limiting the ability to store and transport high-level radioactive materials in this state. This is new for the second special session.
   
• Employment: Legislation shielding private employers and employees from political subdivision rules, regulations, ordinances, and other actions that require any terms of employment that exceed or conflict with federal or state law relating to any form of employment leave, hiring practices, employment benefits, or scheduling practices. This is new for the second special session.
   
• State Legislature: Legislation relating to legislative quorum requirements. This is new for the second special session.

• Despite the fact that there was not a quorum in the Texas House on Saturday, Republicans present did not declare a “call of the House,” which would have authorized the House sergeant-at-arms to seek out absent lawmakers under warrant of arrest.
   
• The Texas Senate will meet today at 11:00am, while the Texas House will get a later start at 4:00pm.

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