The veto, announced just before the deadline Sunday night, keeps the state’s hemp industry alive for now, but drew sharp criticism from Patrick, who made the ban one of his top legislative priorities.
Abbott instead called for a special legislative session beginning July 21 to push for stricter regulation rather than a total ban. He argued SB 3 would likely fail in court and called for a regulatory framework similar to alcohol laws.
Watch Lt. Gov. Patrick’s full press conference live at 12:30 p.m. on WFAA+.