SENATE OPENS SPECIAL SESSION ON FLOOD RELIEF, THC BAN, NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAPS

(AUSTIN) — The Senate kicked off the first called session of the 89th Legislature on Monday, one which will see lawmakers consider legislation to aid regions of the Texas Hill Country devastated by record flooding in early July. Governor Greg Abbott added these issues to the agenda of a session he called following his veto of SB 3, a bill that would virtually ban hemp-derived consumables containing THC, the psychoactive chemical in cannabis. Also on tap are new maps for the US Congress and a number of bills that passed the Senate but couldn’t find enough House support before the 89th regular session ended on June 2nd.

Abbott announced that he would call a special session to address the hemp consumables industry in his veto statement to SB 3, issued on June 23rd. The Senate, led by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, pushed strongly for the full ban that ended up passing both chambers, but Abbott said that such a law could get tied up in litigation for years. “If I were to allow Senate Bill 3 to become law, its enforcement would be enjoined for years, leaving existing abuses unaddressed. Texas cannot afford to wait,” wrote the governor in his veto statement. Abbott laid out a blueprint for a regulatory system that still permits the manufacture and possession of hemp consumables containing THC. This includes restrictions for those younger than 21, stricter guidelines for labelling and packaging, limits on the amount of THC allowed in a product, and a local option to ban such vendors in the community.

Patrick met the news with dismay at a press conference the following day. He reiterated his disagreement in social media posts on Monday. “Regulating THC for 21+ in TX is a backdoor way to legalize recreational marijuana,” he wrote. “Law enforcement is against regulation & supports a full ban.”

That debate looked to dominate the upcoming session until record flooding hit the state on July 4th, killing nearly 150 Texans. The issue now tops the official proclamation setting the agenda for the called session, and includes bills to address disaster preparation, warning, intra-agency communication, direct financial relief, and ways to improve the speed at which affected communities receive that relief. The House and Senate have each created a select committee to consider the issue, and have scheduled a joint meeting on the state response to the disaster for Wednesday at the Capitol. Lawmakers have also slated a trip to Kerrville next week so that local residents affected by the floods can testify in front of the panel.

Abbott’s agenda also calls for the redrawing of some state congressional districts following a memo from the Department of Justice, which claims that four districts are unconstitutional. Similar efforts in 2003 led to a Democratic walkout during regular and called sessions on the issue. Ultimately, those maps passed the legislature and were upheld – save for one district - by the courts in 2006. “The governor placed this on the call, and we have a constitutional duty to show up for work and do our job,” said Weatherford Senator Phil King, who is set to chair the committee that will consider new maps. He said he plans to open hearings Friday.

The rest of the agenda contains a number of priority bills that passed the Senate but failed to get across the finish line in the House. This includes a ban on abortion pills shipped into Texas, a ban on the use of public funds by cities and counties to lobby the legislature, and a bill that would require that individuals use bathrooms, dressing rooms, and other gender-segregated spaces based on the sex listed on their birth certificate. Should the legislature not pass one or more of these bills before the 30 day session expires, the governor can call lawmakers back to Austin to take them up again as many times as he likes.

###