Gov. Greg Abbott added the legislation to the special session agenda after similar bills failed to pass during the regular session earlier this year.
Texas Legislature 2021
The 87th Texas Legislature approved hundreds of new laws during its regular session that ended in May 2021, including a near-total ban on abortions. Lawmakers then returned to Austin for three special sessions aimed at passing additional conservative priorities. Although House Democrats fled the state for weeks, lawmakers eventually passed new voting restrictions. They also approved new political maps and a proposed constitutional amendment that could lower property tax bills.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Texas House Democrats flee the state in move that could block voting restrictions bill, bring Legislature to a halt
A majority of Democrats in the Texas House left for Washington, D.C., Monday afternoon in a bid to again deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass new voting restrictions with 26 days left in a special legislative session called largely for that purpose.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Deploy law enforcement? Call another special session? Texas GOP mulls options for elections bill after Democrats leave the state
A number of House Republicans indicated that they would support what’s known as a call of the House, a procedural move that would allow law enforcement to track down lawmakers who have already fled the chamber.
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Texas Legislature 2021
GOP voting bills advance in Texas House and Senate after overnight committee hearings
Authors of the legislation are moving to ban drive-thru and 24-hour voting options, enhance access for partisan poll watchers and prohibit local election officials from proactively distributing applications to request mail-in ballots. Both bills also include language to further restrict the state’s voting-by-mail rules, including new ID requirements for absentee voters.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Texans testifying on GOP voting bill faced a 17 hour-wait to be heard by lawmakers in the dead of night
Members of the public arrived at the Texas Capitol as early as 6 a.m. to sign up to speak before lawmakers considering the legislation. In the House, public testimony wouldn’t begin until early the next morning.
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Texas Legislature 2021
House and Senate committees advance GOP bail legislation, as Democrats warn bills could lead to mass detentions
Legislators in the House and Senate filed matching bills to change state bail practices earlier this week, echoing legislation that failed to pass in the regular session. On Saturday, committees in both chambers approved the bills.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Texas Senate bill seeks to strip required lessons on people of color and women from “critical race theory” law
The bill would also remove a requirement to teach that white supremacy is “morally wrong.” One Democratic lawmaker said the bill’s attempts could lead to a “frightening dystopian future.”
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Texas Legislature 2021
Texas lawmakers take first steps to restore Legislature’s funding after Abbott’s veto
The House Appropriations Committee voted on Friday 21-0 to move forward a bill that would reinstate the funding after Abbott vetoed it to punish House Democrats who broke quorum in the final days of the session to kill two of his priority bills.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Texas House attempting to reset on contentious elections bill with new author, new committee in special session
The lower chamber, led by House Speaker Dade Phelan, is trying to start off on a new foot with a controversial election bill that blew up during the regular session.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Texas lawmakers are back for a special session. Here’s what you should know.
We asked our readers for their questions about the special legislative session that starts Thursday in Texas. These are the answers.