Just hours after the Texas House approved a new congressional redistricting plan, Gov. Greg Abbott announced he was expanding the ongoing special session agenda to include three additional priorities. Most notably among them: punishments for lawmakers who break quorum.
The move comes on the heels of the Democrats’ high-profile walkout earlier this month, when more than 50 House members fled to Illinois and other states to stall Republican redistricting efforts. Their absence deprived the chamber of the two-thirds quorum required to conduct business, effectively shutting down the first special session.
Abbott said the state cannot afford a repeat.
“Today I am expanding the agenda for the second special session to include important issues that will benefit Texas,” Abbott declared. “First, we need to ensure that rogue lawmakers cannot hijack the important business of Texans during a legislative session by fleeing the state. Additionally, Texans should have increased access to the benefits of Ivermectin. Finally, we need to ensure appropriate studies are conducted to protect the health of East Texas aquifers.”
According to Abbott’s proclamation, the new items on the call include:
• Legislation to impose penalties or punishments for legislators who willfully absent themselves during a session.
• Legislation to authorize a person to purchase Ivermectin at a pharmacy.
• Legislation relating to a groundwater study of East Texas aquifers by the Texas Water Development Board prior to the issuance of permits or permit amendments by certain groundwater conservation districts.
