Eighty-seventh_Texas_Legislature

87th Texas Legislature

87th Texas Legislature

2021 meeting of the Texas legislature


The 87th Texas Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Texas, composed of the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives. The Texas State Legislature met in Austin, Texas, from January 12, 2021, to May 31, 2021.[1] Governor Greg Abbott has announced three special legislative sessions during summer 2021.[2][3][4][5]

Quick Facts Overview, Legislative body ...

All seats in the state house and 16 seats in the state senate were up for election in November 2020. The Republican Party preserved their majority in both chambers.

Major events

  • March 4, 2020 – present: COVID-19 pandemic in Texas.
  • January 12, 2021: Legislature convened at noon (CST).
  • February 10, 2021 – February 27, 2021: 2021 Texas power crisis.[6]
  • March 2, 2021: Greg Abbott announced the reopening of Texas businesses after nearly a year of various shutdowns and restrictions to quell the spread of COVID-19.[7]
  • May 30, 2021: House Democrats broke quorum, first time since 2003.[8][9]
  • May 31, 2021: Legislature adjourns.[10]
  • June 30, 2021: Greg Abbott announced he will convene a special legislative session on July 8.[2]
  • July 8, 2021: 87th Legislature 1st Called Session convened at 10:00 a.m. (CST).
  • July 12, 2021: House Democrats fled to Washington, D.C., to break quorum, when the house convenes for the following day.[11][12]
  • July 13, 2021: The House lacks quorum. Will Metcalf (R) moved for a call of the house, which later passed.
  • July 15, 2021: House Speaker Dade Phelan stripped Joe Moody from the Speaker Pro Tempore leadership position as house democrats continue to break quorum.[13]
  • August 5, 2021: Governor Abbott announced he will convene a second special legislative session on August 7.[4]
  • August 6, 2021: Legislature adjourns 1st special session.
  • August 7, 2021: 87th Legislature 2nd Called Session convened at 12:00 p.m. (CST). The House continues to lack quorum, as several Democrats are still in Washington, D.C..
  • August 19, 2021: Texas House makes quorum with 99 representatives present.[14]
  • September 2, 2021: Legislature adjourns 2nd special session.
  • September 20, 2021: 87th Legislature 3rd Called Session convened at 10:00 a.m. (CST).
  • October 19, 2021: Legislature adjourns 3rd special session.

Major legislation

Texas State Capitol (February 15, 2021), after a winter storm.

Enacted

  • House bills
    • HB 5: The measure would aim to incentivize the expansion of broadband internet access to areas across the state through the creation of the State Broadband Development Office. The office would award grants, low-interest loans and other incentives to build out broadband access.[15]
    • HB 20: Prohibits large social media platform censorship of Texans.[16]
    • HB 1239: The measure would ban public officials from closing churches or other places of worship during a disaster declaration.[17]
    • HB 1280: The measure would ban abortion in Texas if Roe v. Wade were overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States.[18]
    • HB 1927 (Constitutional carry): The measure would allow people to carry handguns in Texas without a concealed handgun license.[19]
    • HB 3979: The bill would ban the teaching of critical race theory in Texas schools and limit what public school students can be taught about the United States' history of subjugating people of color.[20][21]
  • Senate bills
    • SB 1: Tightens the state's election laws and constrains local control of elections by limiting counties' ability to expand voting options.
    • TX SB3: An Act relating to certain curriculum in public schools, including certain instructional requirements and prohibitions[22]
    • SB 3: The legislation would create a statewide emergency system to alert Texans if power outages are expected and require power generation companies to better prepare their facilities to withstand extreme weather.[23]
    • SB 4: The bill would require any professional sports teams with contracts with the state government to play the national anthem before the start of a game.[24]
    • SB 8: Texas Heartbeat Act (nicknamed "Fetal Heartbeat bill"): The measure allows private citizens to sue people who perpetrate or aid and abet abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. It bans the procedure at about six weeks into a pregnancy, except to save the mother's life.[25]

Proposed (but not enacted)

  • House bills
    • HB 3: The measure would give lawmakers more oversight of the governor's emergency powers during a pandemic and carves out future pandemics from how the state responds to other disasters, like hurricanes.
    • HB 20: The legislation would keep more people accused or previously convicted of violent crimes in jail before trial unless they can post cash bonds.
  • Senate bills
    • SB 7: A change on the state election process; election integrity and security, including by preventing fraud in the conduct of elections in this state; increasing criminal penalties; creating criminal offenses.
    • SB 10: The bill would ban local governments from using taxpayer dollars to lobby the state.
    • SB 12: The bill would prohibit social media companies with at least 100 million monthly users from blocking, banning, demonetizing or discriminating against users based on their viewpoint or their location within the state.
    • SB 29: The bill would prevent transgender Texas children from joining school sports teams that match their gender identity.
    • SB 1311: The measure would prohibit health care providers and physicians from performing gender-confirmation surgery or prescribing, administering or supplying puberty blockers or hormone treatment to anyone younger than 18.
    • SB 1529: The measure would create a new statewide court of appeals that would hear cases that have statewide significance — including ones that challenge state laws or the Constitution, or when the state or its agencies are sued.

Major resolutions adopted

  • SR 2: Reduced the supermajority usually needed to bring up a bill in the Senate to 18 out of 31 (previously it was set at 19).[26]

Party summary

Senate

More information Affiliation, Party(shading indicates majority caucus) ...

Leadership

  1. Brian Birdwell (R) (Regular session, January 12 - May 31)
  2. Donna Campbell (R) (1st Called Session, July 8 - )

Members

House of Representatives

More information Affiliation, Party(shading indicates majority caucus) ...

Leadership

  1. Joe Moody (D) (January 12 - July 15)[13]
  2. TBD

Members

* Jake Ellzey (R), until July 30, 2021
* Brian Harrison, from October 12, 2021[31]
* Eddie Lucio III (D), until January 31, 2022
* Erin Gamez, from March 15, 2022[36]
* John Lujan, from November 16, 2021[33][40]
* Garnet Coleman (D), until February 28, 2022
* Jolanda Jones (D), from May 18, 2022[37]

Changes in membership

House of Representatives

More information District, Vacated by ...

Committees

Listed by chamber and then alphabetically by committee name, including chair and vice-chair.

Senate

More information Committee, Chair ...

House

More information Committee, Chair ...

Notes

  1. In District 68: The term began with vacant until David Spiller was declared the winner after a runoff election.[27][28]
  2. The committee was created to hear the House Bill 1927, the Constitutional carry bill.
  3. The committee was created to study the athletic and economic impact of the University of Texas at Austin departure from the Big 12 Conference.[53]
  4. The committee was created to study the events that unfolded during the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde.[54]
  5. The committee was created to hear issues for the first special session.

References

  1. Santos, Patty (January 5, 2021). "... Texas Legislature expected to tackle redistricting, public safety and budget issues". KSAT-TV. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  2. Keith Allen and Ashley Killough (June 22, 2021). "Texas governor announces special session of state legislature". CNN. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  3. Dianne Gallagher and Rachel Janfaza (August 5, 2021). "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announces second special session of state legislature". CNN. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  4. "Gov. Abbott Calls Third Special Session". KXAS-TV. September 7, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  5. Travis Caldwell, Keith Allen and Eric Levenson (18 February 2021). "The Texas power grid is improving. But days of outages have caused heat, water and food shortages". CNN. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  6. Billy Gates; Russell Falcon; Wes Rapaport; Maggie Glynn (2 March 2021). "'Time to open Texas 100%': Gov. Greg Abbott announces businesses that want to open can". KXAN. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  7. Eric Bradner and Dianne Gallagher (May 31, 2021). "Texas Democrats leave House floor, effectively blocking passage of restrictive voting bill for now". CNN. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  8. Bud Kennedy (June 1, 2021). "2003: The last time Texas Democrats broke quorum in the House, they fled to Oklahoma". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  9. Cassandra Pollock; Shawn Mulcahy (31 May 2021). "With feelings raw over voting bill's demise, Texas Legislature wraps up — for now". Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  10. Timm, Jane C. (July 12, 2021). "Texas Democrats flee state in effort to block GOP-backed voting restrictions". NBC News. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  11. Nicole Cobler; Chuck Lindell; John C. Moritz. "Texas Democrats leave state to block GOP voting bill in special session". Austin American Statesman.
  12. Greg Abbott (September 23, 2021), "A new Texas law fights Big Tech censorship", Washington Post, Prohibits large social media companies...from banning or censoring a Texan
  13. House Bill 3979 (PDF). Eighty-seventh Texas Legislature. May 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  14. Kelly, Alexandra (June 17, 2021). "Texas passes law banning critical race theory in schools". The Hill. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  15. Lindell, Chuck (January 13, 2021). "Texas Senate modifies key rule to preserve GOP power". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  16. Gersh, AJ (February 24, 2021). "Jacksboro attorney David Spiller wins House District 68 runoff election". KTXS-TV. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  17. Svitek, Patrick (February 23, 2021). "Republican David Spiller wins rural Texas House seat, replacing Drew Springer". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  18. "Newly sworn-in, Harrison files first bill". Waxahachie Daily Light. October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  19. Houston Keene (November 15, 2021). "Texas Dem Ryan Guillen switches to Republican Party over defunding the police, 'chaos' on the border". Fox News. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  20. Edward McKinley and Austin Bureau (November 2, 2021). "Republican John Lujan wins Texas House seat in South Side special election". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  21. "New House District 38 representative sworn in". KRGV-TV. 2022-03-17. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  22. "Texas Rep Switches Parties as GOP Makes Border Inroads". KXAS-TV. November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  23. Feather, Susanna (March 25, 2021). "Representative David Spiller Takes Oath of Office". Olney Enterprise. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  24. Sanford Nowlin (November 3, 2021). "Republican John Lujan narrowly wins San Antonio's Texas House District 118 in runoff". San Antonio Current. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  25. Cantu, Michael (December 28, 2020). "Governor announces special election for Drew Springer's House seat". KCBD-TV. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  26. Gray-Hatfield, Megan (January 25, 2021). "Another runoff coming: Carter, Spiller to go head to head for HD-68". Gainesville Daily Register. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  27. "David Spiller, Craig Carter to face runoff for Texas House District 68 seat". KXII-TV. January 23, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  28. "Texas Special Runoff Election Results: Sixth Congressional District". The New York Times. 2021-07-27. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  29. Sprinks, Bill (August 31, 2021). "Wray, Harrison advance to D-10 runoff". Waxahachie Daily Light. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  30. "Lujan, Ramirez head to Texas House District 118 runoff". KENS. September 28, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  31. Scott Huddleston (October 11, 2021). "Special runoff election for Texas District 118 to coincide with Nov. 2 constitutional election". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  32. "Governor Abbott Sets Special Election For Texas House District 147". Office of the Texas Governor. 2022-02-25. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  33. Umana, Khadeeja (July 27, 2021). "Senate Select Committee to address college sports in lieu of Texas House hearing". KXXV. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  34. Linan, Ali (June 2, 2022). "Texas senate launches special committee following Uvalde shooting". Herald-Banner. Retrieved June 21, 2022.

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