Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called a special session of the Texas Legislature for Thursday, July 8th.
The session will run for 30 days. While he has not set the agenda for the session yet, it's expected to focus on an election security bill that was supported by the Governor and other Republicans. Democrats in the Texas House blocked a vote on that bill when they staged a walk-out during the final hours of the regular session.
Rice University Political Science Professor Mark Jones predicts the Governor will also add legislation on bail reform to the special session.
"Once those two pieces of legislation are passed, then he's going to put the Legislature's budget on the agenda....to allow them to pass a budget so they won't effectively have to shut down as of September 1st," said Jones. "He's probably going to hold that until he gets his first two items, because that will help avoid Democrats leaving for Oklahoma or New Mexico and not providing a quorum."
Governor Abbott had vetoed the portion of the state budget that pays state lawmakers and their staffers.
"Funding should not be provided for those who quit their job early, leaving their state with unfinished business and exposing taxpayers to higher costs for an additional legislative session," he said in a statement issued at the time of that veto.
The bill Abbott wants lawmakers to pass, Senate Bill 7, has drawn strong opposition from Democrats at the state and national level. It would limit early voting hours, tighten the rules for mail-in voting and eliminate drive-through voting. Republicans call it an election integrity measure, while Democrats call it voter suppression.
The bill on bail reform was also a casualty of the walk-out by House Democrats. House Bill 20 would have set new rules for how people are allowed to post bond in order to be released from jail after they have been arrested for a crime.
"There has been ample time for Republicans to work out their differences on both pieces of legislation, so they should be able to ram these through pretty quickly during the special session if they want to," said Rice University Political Science Professor Mark Jones, "then they'll be able to deal with other issues the governor chooses to place on the agenda."
Several Democratic State Representatives have asked Governor Abbott to include Medicaid expansion to the special session. Governor Abbott has not indicated he supports that idea, but has held news conferences this month to discuss border security and his desire to build new sections of a wall along the border between Texas and Mexico.
"The Governor may decide to put on some legislation related to border security, but it's a virtual certainty he does not place Medicaid expansion on the special session agenda," said Jones.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow NewsRadio 1080 KRLD
