The Texas Report 4/17

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Happy Wednesday!

Written by: Jay Williamson

Statewide News Round-Up

Yesterday, the Texas House advanced HB 2127 by Representative Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) regarding the state preemption of certain municipal and county regulations. Over thirty-eight amendments were introduced, and discussion on the bill lasted well over six hours. Many Democrats spoke against the legislation out of fears the bill would strip away the power of local governments to decide on certain policies and regulations that best fit their district. The legislation will come up for another vote in the House today, likely passing by a similar margin,. (92 - 55)

Advocates for the bill see it as an opportunity to strip back or prevent cities and counties from passing regulations beyond state law in areas like labor regulation, agriculture, natural resources, and finance. Opponents express concern that it would prevent local officials from responding to their communities needs and instead create a one size fits all cookie cutter approach at the State. 

Yesterday, the House Select Committee on Community Safety heard various gun control and reform bills. Among those was H.B. 2744 by Representative Tracy King (D-Laredo), requiring purchasers to be at least 21 years old when buying a semi-automatic weapon. As the Texas Tribune reported, most of these bills likely won't have the votes to become law. However, the Speaker is open to allowing a debate on the legislation. (More here) As far as we've seen, there has yet to be any movement on these issues in the Senate or any indication Lieutenant Governor intends to allow them to come up for a discussion. 

Parents whose children were killed in the Robb Elementary School massacre also made emotional pleas for stricter gun laws before legislators late Tuesday night and into early Wednesday morning. Veronica Mata, when referring to her 10-year-old daughter who was among those killed in Uvalde, said, "But you as lawmakers have a choice in what her life will be remembered for." Witnesses were forced to wait nearly thirteen hours to testify, and the majority expressed that had the introduced age restriction bill been law, their children would still be alive. Bill author Tracy King said that his bill had been introduced in the last session of the Texas Legislature, and he would have probably voted against it. However, "everything changed" following Uvalde when nineteen children and two teachers were killed. 

"That changed my life," he said. 

His bill drew several witnesses who spoke against the legislation, including a lobbyist from the National Rifle Association. They gave a range of reasons for their objections, from the Second Amendment to the bill would be litigated and found unconstitutional. (More here) The parents and families of the Uvalde victims and other mass shootings in Texas have repeatedly come to the Capitol during this session to advocate for changes to Texas gun laws. Thus far, this is the first hearing that's focused on the issue, and it comes at a time when there are only forty days left in the session, and passing any law around this issue will be difficult. Other states have taken more expedited action following recent mass shootings, including Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, who signed an executive order strengthening background checks about two weeks after the March 27 shooting in Nashville. 

Governor Greg Abbott attended the new Wells Fargo regional campus groundbreaking in Irving. During the ceremony, he touted the work and investment Wells Fargo has put into the State, including "hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment and myriad new jobs."

In a recent interview with Spectrum News, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick doubled down on his threats for a special session. During the interview, Patrick said, "I can't call a special, but I can create one by not passing a key bill that has to pass. That's what I did in '17." Patrick's major priority bills this session revolves around property taxes and establishing a school voucher system. There are certainly many rumors about which bills he would potentially hold hostage. Still, if it's a similar situation to 2017, then it would be key Sunset legislation for extending the life of state agencies or even the state budget. Patrick seems committed to ensuring his priorities pass, even if it means stalling necessary legislation. 

Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems reached a $787.5 million settlement agreement yesterday afternoon. In a press conference after the announcement, Dominion's CEO said, "Fox has admitted to telling lies," Dominion hopes this will help begin restoring faith in elections. The Fox statement didn't specifically admit any wrongdoing but did "acknowledge the Court's rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false" The network added that they would continue their "commitment to the highest journalistic standards." (More here)

The United States Supreme Court is expected to meet today and decide the fate of the abortion pill used in more than half of the abortions across the United States. The court is weighing an emergency application by the Biden administration to maintain the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the drug after a Federal Judge in Texas placed limitations on the medication. (More here) Their decision would have wide-sweeping implications for abortion treatments across the county. 

Today the House will approve the Sunset legislation to extend the Public Utility Commission. And consider H.B. 16 by Representative Joe Moody (D-El Paso), which is intended to divert youth from confinement in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) facilities in favor of local placements utilizing community resources. The bill would increase court involvement, enhance court discretion at key intercept points in the juvenile process, and create stricter standards for children's detention. 

Also up today is HB 900 by Representative Jared Patterson (R-Frisco), dealing with perceived library material containing graphic content in public schools. The bill would require parental consent before a child is allowed access to material rated as sexually relevant and would require school districts to review and report the content of certain materials in their library catalog every other year. 

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