Lawmakers Unlikely To Pass Most Of Greg Abbott’s Special Session Priorities

Must-pass sunset legislation, and a pair of abortion-related measures are among the few bills passed by both the House and Senate.

By Jill AmentAugust 14, 2017 11:43 am

As we head into the last week of the Texas Legislature’s special session, a few of Gov. Greg Abbott’s priority bills are arriving on his desk. That includes essential sunset legislation lawmakers failed to pass during the regular session that’s needed to keep some state agencies running.  

But with time running out for this round of legislative overtime, several priority bills remain stuck with House and Senate negotiators.

KUT Austin’s Senior Editor Ben Philpott says the governor has received bills related to four of the 20 items on the special session call. They include the sunset legislation, a mail-in voter fraud measure, a rule changing the requirements for abortion-reporting by doctors, and local annexation restrictions.

Philpott says a property tax rollback bill could still pass the House, as well as a bill requiring women who want insurance coverage for an abortion to purchase it separately of their regular insurance plan.

Issues that are unlikely to pass, says Philpott, include a school finance measure, where proposed House and Senate spending numbers remain far apart.

 

Written by Shelly Brisbin.