Gov. Greg Abbott has called a second special session for 19 agenda items as Texas’ redistricting showdown rages on.
AUSTIN, Texas — As Texas Democrats remained out of state Friday to block state Republicans from passing legislation to redraw congressional districts, Gov. Greg Abbott announced a new special session.
The governor said the second special session is scheduled to begin at noon on Friday with 19 items on the agenda, including flood response legislation, the elimination of the STAAR test, regulating THC, redistricting, and more.
State House Democrats are still at odds with the Republican led redistricting plans. Some of those Democratic lawmakers, prior to the announcement of the second special session, slammed Gov. Abbott Friday morning, accusing him of putting partisan politics ahead of disaster relief for flood victims.
“I am grossly offended that today, Governor Abbott and Republicans are running ads against Democrats, suggesting that we won’t come back for flooding,” state Rep. Ann Johnson, of Houston, said. “It is time that leadership stop playing politics and start actually working for the people of Texas.”
Rep. Armando Walle, of Houston, echoed Johnson, saying that Texans need support.
“The governor could release funds to, at minimum, at minimum, advance flood debris removal,” Rep. Walle said. “Because he’s done it when the City of Houston, after Hurricane Beryl, fronted $50 million for debris removal. So I just want to point that out. He has that authority today.”
In announcing the second special session, Gov. Abbott railed against the Democrats who left the state.
“Delinquent House Democrats ran away from their responsibility to pass crucial legislation to benefit the lives of Texans,” the governor said in a news release. “Because of their dereliction of duty, Texas families and communities impacted by the catastrophic Fourth of July flooding have been delayed critical resources for relief and recovery. Numerous other bills to cut property taxes, support human trafficking survivors, eliminate the STAAR test, establish commonsense THC regulations, and many others have all been brought to a halt because Democrats refuse to show up for work. We will not back down from this fight. That’s why I am calling them back today to finish the job. I will continue to use all necessary tools to ensure Texas delivers results for Texans.”
Shortly after Abbott announced the session, Rep. Johnson released a statement saying she was returning to the state “to continue the fight — from the house floor.” Read her full statement below:
“For the past two weeks, I have stood with my Democratic colleagues in one of the most consequential acts of resistance in my career. We broke quorum to protect the Constitution, to defend fair representation, and to stop a racist and rigged process in its tracks — and we succeeded.
“I am proud of what we accomplished. We ended a session that had nothing to do with helping Texans and everything to do with silencing them. And we exposed the truth behind the Governor’s political agenda: to hijack the maps, erase opposition, and decide the next election before a single vote is cast.
“Now, with that session behind us, I’m returning to Texas to continue the fight — from the floor of the House.
“What comes next is up to Governor Abbott. He alone decides whether redistricting appears on the call of the next special session. But no matter what’s on that call, my focus remains unchanged: protecting the rights of every Texan, ensuring our elections remain fair, and holding this government accountable to the people it serves.”
The agenda includes the following 19 items, verbatim:
- Camp safety – Legislation to ensure and enhance youth camp safety.
- Flood warning systems – Legislation to improve early warning systems and other preparedness infrastructure in flood-prone areas throughout Texas.
- Flood emergency communications – Legislation to strengthen emergency communications and other response infrastructure in flood-prone areas throughout Texas.
- Relief funding for Hill Country floods – Legislation to provide relief funding for response to and recovery from the storms which began in early July 2025, including local match funding for jurisdictions eligible for FEMA public assistance.
- Natural disaster preparation & recovery – Legislation to evaluate and streamline rules and regulations to speed preparedness for and recovery from natural disasters.
- Eliminate STAAR test – Legislation to eliminate the STAAR test and replace it with effective tools to assess student progress and ensure school district accountability
- Cut property taxes – Legislation reducing the property tax burden on Texans and legislation imposing spending limits on entities authorized to impose property taxes.
- Protect children from THC – Legislation making it a crime to provide hemp-derived products to children under 21 years of age.
- Regulate hemp-derived products – Legislation to comprehensively regulate hemp-derived products, including limiting potency, restricting synthetically modified compounds, and establishing enforcement mechanisms, all without banning lawful hemp-derived products.
- Protect unborn children – Legislation further protecting unborn children and their mothers from the harm of abortion.
- Ban taxpayer-funded lobbying – Legislation prohibiting taxpayer-funded lobbying, including the use of tax dollars to hire lobbyists and payment of tax dollars to associations that lobby the Legislature.
- Protect human trafficking victims – Legislation, similar to Senate Bill No. 1278 from the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, that protects victims of human trafficking from criminal liability for non-violent acts closely tied to their own victimization.
- Police personnel records – Legislation that protects law enforcement officers from public disclosure of unsubstantiated complaints in personnel files.
- Protect women’s spaces – Legislation protecting women’s privacy in sex-segregated spaces.
- Attorney general election powers – Legislation that strengthens the Attorney General’s authority to investigate and prosecute state election crimes.
- Redistricting – Legislation that provides a congressional redistricting plan.
- Title theft & deed fraud – Legislation, similar to Senate Bill No. 648 from the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, that provides strengthened protections against title theft and deed fraud.
- Water project incentives – Legislation, similar to Senate Bill No. 1253 from the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, that authorizes political subdivisions to reduce impact fees for builders who include water conservation and efficiency measures.
- State judicial department – Legislation, similar to Senate Bill No. 2878 from the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, relating to the operation and administration of the Judicial Department of state government.
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