Texas lawmakers are gearing up for their first joint committee meeting scheduled for next Wednesday as they embark on the critical task of addressing measures to prevent future deadly flood disasters.
The newly formed Disaster Preparedness and Flooding Committee will be part of a special session that begins next Monday.
The committee comprises nine senators and nine representatives who will visit Kerrville later this month to gather input from residents directly impacted by recent floods.
While the legislative focus is primarily on flood response, other contentious issues are emerging, notably the anticipated debate over consumable THC regulations in Texas.
Governor Greg Abbott has put forth a comprehensive agenda for the upcoming special session, which now includes redistricting that could have significant national implications.
According to Dr. Matthew Wilson, a political science expert at SMU, the need to respond to the devastating floods in Central Texas will dominate discussions.
However, the added urgency surrounding redistricting has caught the Texas legislature off guard, turning the upcoming session into a complex situation that lawmakers had not initially foreseen.
“The floods in Central Texas now have to be dealt with,” Wilson observed.
He added, “The pressure from Washington to tackle redistricting is also a significant concern.
These two factors will create a larger production than previously anticipated for the upcoming session.”
The initial response to the flooding is expected to be one of the less contentious issues during the 30-day session.
However, the fight over THC regulations promises to be far more challenging.
Governor Abbott had earlier vetoed SB 3, which aimed to implement a near-total ban on THC products in the state, ultimately favoring a more regulated approach instead.
There appears to be a rift between Abbott, who advocates for moderate restrictions, and the lieutenant governor, who seeks broader, stricter regulations.
Wilson noted, “The major question is whether we will see comprehensive restrictions or a more lenient regulatory framework.
The lieutenant governor is clearly pushing for a stricter set of rules, while the governor prefers something less stringent.”
In addition to flood response and THC, other topics highlighted in the special session agenda include proposed property tax cuts, potential abortion restrictions, and discussions on eliminating the STAAR test.
Nonetheless, the largest conflict is anticipated to arise around redistricting issues.
Although district lines have already been revised in Texas, Wilson pointed out that it is technically legal to redraw district boundaries at this time.
However, such a move outside the normal cycle suggests underlying concerns emanating from Washington ahead of the coming midterm elections.
Wilson elaborated on the significance of these circumstances, stating, “This indicates that both the White House and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are anxious about the midterms.
With a slim majority, there’s a real risk of losing control of Congress, so gaining additional seats in states like Texas and Ohio could be crucial.”
Recent reports indicate that some Democratic leaders in Texas are urging their party members to consider executing a quorum break—a strategic measure where members leave the session to prevent a quorum sufficient to pass legislation.
However, the ongoing emotional response to the flood disaster and the contentious THC debate raises questions about the viability of such a strategy specifically for the redistricting segment of the session.
Wilson commented on the strategic timing of legislative discussions, stating, “If I were the Republican leadership in Austin, I would prioritize redistricting first.
Addressing the flood relief early would allow Democrats to feel that they had accomplished something and could potentially leave afterward.
On the other hand, if redistricting comes first and Democrats execute a quorum break, Republicans could leverage that to claim that Democrats are preventing necessary flood relief.
There will certainly be strategic maneuvering related to the sequencing of these discussions within the legislature.”
As the special session unfolds, Wilson posits that it’s possible lawmakers might not achieve all that Governor Abbott aims to accomplish within the constrained 30-day window, which could lead to the necessity for a subsequent special session.
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