State Rep. Brooks Landgraf, R-Odessa, says he’s ready to roll-up his sleeves and get back to work on border security, bail reform and additional funding for foster care children, when the Texas Legislature reconvenes on Aug. 7 for another special legislative session.
On Friday, Landgraf said he and other Texas Republicans were frustrated when more than 50 Texas House Democrats brought the first session to a halt on July 8 when they broke quorum and left the state. The Texas Constitution requires two-thirds of members to be present in order to pass bills during a legislative session.
“This marks the second time the legislature has been called into a special session in 2021,” Landgraf was quoted saying in a news release issued Friday by his office. “Unfortunately, some House Democrats wouldn’t know what a real work ethic looked like if it bit them on the backside.
“They went on vacation to Washington DC and Europe to avoid doing the work they were elected to do. Their antics prevented us from being able to address pressing state needs including necessary funding for children in foster care, additional financial support for retired teachers, much needed bail reform, and border security – just to name a few.”
Texas House Republicans want to address several controversial issues when the Legislature reconvenes, including social media censorship, abortion-inducing drugs, election integrity and critical race theory.
The special session is scheduled to last from Aug. 7 until Sept. 5. If the agenda items are not passed into law, another 30-day session could be called by the governor.
