Sine Die Session Wrap Up

Dear Friends, 

On Monday, May 31^st the 87^th Legislative Session came to a close. 1,159 bills made it to Governor Abbott’s desk for review.  The Governor has until June 20^th to sign or veto this legislation. 

Texas is a rarity in that our Legislature meets for 140 days every odd year.  Given that we are the second largest state and the ninth largest economy in the world it’s getting more and more difficult to complete our work in that short 140 day timeframe.  Because of this the governor must often call additional 30 day special sessions.  I have attended 13 special sessions so far during my time in office. I expect at least one special session to be called by Governor Abbott this summer and another in the early fall. 

As you can imagine, COVID-19 and Winter Storm Uri further stressed the 140 day session this year.  Nonetheless, there were many, many accomplishments for Texans to be proud of that I will be detailing for you over the coming weeks.  For example, we saw huge victories in defense of the unborn and religious liberty, in securing 2^nd amendment rights, advancing healthcare, codifying state government spending limits, electricity reform and business liability protection just to name a few.  However, it is not lost on me that several priority bills did not make it across the finish line. I look forward to completing that important work in the soon coming special sessions. 

Unlike the 140 day regular session, in a special the governor alone gets to set the agenda by limiting what topics can be taken up.  I will be urging Governor Abbott to not just address election integrity and bail reform as he has already noted but to add other key priorities to the call like prohibiting gender modification of children, which I believe to be child abuse.  I’ll also request one of my priority bills, SB 14, that died when the Democrats walked out, breaking the constitutional quorum on the last day of session.  SB 14 is a top priority for small business owners throughout the state. 

I want to be mindful of your time.  So, for the next several weeks, I will be sending you short summaries every few days detailing the key legislation passed this year.  As always, I really appreciate hearing from you and I am eager to listen.  Your calls and emails during session were a tremendous help.  I am looking forward to seeing everyone again in Parker and Wise counties before special session starts.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out if I can ever be of assistance. 

 Sincerely,