Days after signing school choice legislation into law, Gov. Greg Abbott is turning up the pressure on lawmakers to pass another key priority: bail reform.
On Wednesday, Abbott hosted a roundtable in Austin with law enforcement officials, policy leaders, and victims of violent crime to advocate for a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at strengthening Texas’ bail system. The event, held at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, culminated in a press conference where Abbott emphasized the need for urgent action.
“The urgent need to fix a broken bail system in the state of Texas … is literally killing our fellow Texans,” Abbott said, flanked by victims and police leaders. A sign at the podium underscored the message: “Citizens or Criminals?”
Abbott’s proposed constitutional amendment includes three primary reforms:
1. Require judges to deny bail for those accused of violent crimes—such as murder, rape, and human trafficking—unless there is “clear and convincing evidence” that the defendant will appear in court and will not pose a danger to the public.
2. Mandate that judges who grant bail to violent offenders provide a written, public explanation of their decisions.
3. Allow prosecutors to appeal judges’ bail decisions that may endanger public safety.
Abbott called the measure a “common sense” proposal and emphasized that the Texas Constitution currently limits the ability of judges to deny bail, requiring an amendment to change it. Constitutional amendments must receive two-thirds support in both chambers of the Legislature before being sent to voters.
The emotional centerpiece of the press conference came from Sophia Strother Lewis, a survivor of sexual assault and human trafficking. Strother Lewis described being kidnapped, tortured, and raped, only to watch her attacker—already a convicted felon—be released on bond after his conviction. The man has since disappeared.
“After going through the trial … he was found guilty of sexual assault … and the judge let him out on $75,000 bond,” she said. “That basically meant I was only worth $750. And he never showed back [up] to the sentencing trial.”
She shared how the experience destroyed her business, left her in debt, and pushed her to the brink of suicide.
“We wage war,” she told lawmakers. “It’s not about chit chat … Come to my face and tell me what value you see in me.”
State Sen. Joan Huffman, who is carrying the measure in the Senate, said negotiations with Democrats had failed, and it was time to move forward.
“We are done negotiating,” Huffman said. “These Democrats who continue to not be willing to look at the facts … have a moral obligation to take this vote and pass this on so the Texas voters can make a decision.”
State Rep. John Smithee, the bill’s House sponsor, echoed the urgency, saying, “If we pass good, strong legislation, it will save human lives—innocent human lives.”
Abbott said he expects a House vote “in the coming weeks” and challenged lawmakers directly.
“Every member of the Texas House has one question to answer,” he said. “Are they going to vote to protect the citizens they represent—or the criminals who kill them?”
While the Senate passed its set of bail reform measures earlier in the session, the House has yet to do so. Smithee said they would likely need to pass the bill out of committee this week for it to have a chance in the chamber.
Abbott, meanwhile, would not indicate whether or not he would bring lawmakers back for a special session if the issue failed to pass.
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