WEEK IN REVIEW
SENATE TAKES UP FLOODING, THC BAN AS SPECIAL SESSION KICKS OFF
(AUSTIN) — Members of both chambers held a joint hearing on Wednesday to gauge the state’s response to the catastrophic flooding which struck central Texas in the early hours of the Fourth of July. Led by Texas Department of Emergency Management chief Nim Kidd, officials detailed how the storm happened, how they responded, and discussed areas where the state can do better.
The storms which dropped more than a foot of rain over the Texas Hill Country as most residents slept were supercharged by the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry over some of the most flood-prone terrain in the country. Sharp elevation changes, steep ravines, and a web of waterways feeding into one another make this area one of the worst in the nation for flash floods. Rainfall totals far exceeded what was forecast by the National Weather Service, sending floodwaters crashing down on sleeping residents. At the confluence of the north and south forks of the Guadalupe River near Hunt, water levels rose twenty-six feet in less than an hour. By Wednesday, the total death toll from the floods had risen to 137, with the search still ongoing for two missing people.
Next Wednesday, the House and Senate Committees will travel to Kerrville to hear from local officials about their experiences and needs. Members in both chambers will use what they learn to craft legislation to provide relief to the region and improve the state response to disasters in the future. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick announced three bills that the Senate will take up and consider. SB 1, carried by Lubbock Senator Charles Perry, will focus on recovery and response. SB 2, by Senator Paul Bettencourt of Houston, will focus on improving communications and warning systems. SB 3, carried by Houston Senator and Finance Committee chair Joan Huffman, will contain relief funds to help get the region back on its feet.
Tuesday, the Senate State Affairs Committee approved a bill that would ban all forms of THC in hemp-derived consumables. This is the issue that brought lawmakers back to Austin, as Governor Greg Abbott vetoed a similar ban that passed both chambers during the regular session. Abbott said he feared the law might not meet constitutional muster and end up languishing before the courts for years. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, who strongly pushed for the THC ban, spoke out against the veto and said the governor’s plan for a regulated THC industry would essentially make recreational marijuana in Texas legal. “I will not sign a bill that legalizes marijuana in Texas,” he said in a June press conference the day after the governor’s veto. “I will not gavel it down.”
The bill considered on Tuesday, SB 5 by Perry, would ban the presence of any cannabinoid, save for the non-intoxicating chemicals CBG and CBD, in hemp-derived products. This includes all variants of THC, which is the primary intoxicating chemical found in marijuana. The bill would regulate marketing, labelling, and packaging for legal hemp consumables and permit certain hemp products like seeds, oil, and protein supplements, but the bottom line is simple. “If you get high from the product, it is illegal,” Perry said.
Friday, the Senate Redistricting Committee held the first of four hearings on new congressional maps after the Department of Justice notified the state that it believes four districts are unconstitutional. These hearings are an opportunity for members of the public to testify virtually before senators and weigh in on the mid-cycle redistricting plan. The committee, chaired by Weatherford Senator Phil King, will use these hearings to decide what, if any, changes need to be made to the map that was drawn in 2021. The next hearing is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m., with further meetings set for 3 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. Tuesday. All members of the public are welcome to participate online.
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