Gavel To Gavel 87th Legislative Session: Week Ending May 14, 2021
This week was an important deadline week, as evidenced by the long hours and contentious scramble to finalize legislation and get it to the Governor. Thursday was the last day for the House to consider second-reading HBs and HJRs on the daily or supplemental calendars. Friday was the last day for the House to consider ALL third reading HBs and HJRs on the supplemental calendar, and second- and third-reading consent HBs on the local & consent calendar. Next Saturday will be the last day for House Committees to report SBs and SJRs, and many of the Senate deadlines will take place during the final week of May.
Several bills on Gov. Greg Abbott’s list of legislative priorities were passed and sent to his desk this week, including HJR 4 and SB 8. HJR 4 proposes a constitutional amendment allowing magistrates to deny bail to persons accused of certain offenses, such as violent or sexual offense or human trafficking. SB 8 requires physicians to perform a test on pregnant women seeking an abortion to ascertain whether the fetus has a heartbeat and prohibits them from performing that abortion if they a) fail to conduct the test or b) have conducted the test and found a heartbeat. Additionally, Gov. Abbott received the first of many bills crafted by the Legislature to respond to Texas’ energy grid failures during Winter Storm Uri. HB 16 would prohibit the sale of wholesale electricity pricing plans to consumers, protecting them from the exorbitant bills that many Texans received immediately following the February storm.
Another important piece of legislation that moved this week was HB 3, relating to pandemic disaster response. Key features of the bill include the creation of a Pandemic Disaster Legislative Oversight Committee comprising House and Senate leadership and select committee chairs from both chambers, and a requirement for the Legislature to convene 120 days after a declared pandemic to collaborate with the Governor on pandemic response. HB 3 is not dissimilar to SJR 45 and its enabling legislation SB 1025, which would curtail the Governor’s executive authority and require the Legislature to convene under certain disaster or emergency conditions. The Senate legislation was received in the House and referred to State Affairs on April 16th but has not moved since.
The House having rejected the Senate’s amendments to HB 1927, the “Constitutional Carry” bill, both chambers have appointed members of a conference committee to find a compromise. Senate conferees are Sens. Charles Schwertner (Chair), Brian Birdwell, Bryan Hughes, Donna Campbell, and Brandon Creighton. House conferees are Reps. Matt Schaefer (Chair), James White, Terry Canales, Ryan Guillen, and Dustin Burrows. Republicans, all.
Lastly, Gov. Abbott proclaimed July 27, 2021, as the special runoff election to replace the late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright in Congressional District 6. Republicans Susan Wright and State Rep. Jake Ellzey were the last candidates standing in the runoff election held early this month, pulling 19.21% and 13.85% of the vote, respectively. Early voting begins on July 19th and ends July 23rd.
- Lillian Gerrity