“One can only come to this conclusion, which surprises me, the governor of the state of Texas wants to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas.” — Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick
The conflict between Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick over THC regulation has erupted into one of the most significant public disputes between these two powerful Republican leaders in their decade-long political partnership. The confrontation centers on Patrick’s top legislative priority—a complete ban on all THC products—which Abbott vetoed just minutes before the midnight deadline on Sunday.
Patrick, who serves as the powerful head of the Texas Senate, had championed Senate Bill 3 as essential legislation to protect young people from high-potency hemp-derived products that have flooded Texas’s $8 billion cannabis market.
“We’re not Colorado.”— Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick
Abbott’s veto came with sharp criticism of the bill’s legal framework, arguing that it would face “valid constitutional challenges” that would keep it tied up in court for years. The governor particularly objected to provisions that would have banned cannabis seeds naturally containing THC, which he argued conflicted with the 2018 federal law that legalized hemp products. Instead of supporting Patrick’s prohibition approach, Abbott called a special legislative session for July 21 in Austin, demanding that lawmakers craft strict regulations for the THC industry rather than eliminate it entirely.
Patrick responded with unusual public fury, accusing Abbott of misleading him about his intentions and failing to engage with the issue throughout the legislative session. “This is a fight that didn’t need to be,” Patrick declared at a defiant news conference, claiming that Abbott had told him the bill “is fine” and “don’t worry about your bill” in their last conversation before the session ended. The lieutenant governor went further, alleging that Abbott’s regulatory approach amounted to wanting to “legalize marijuana” and vowing to continue pushing for a complete ban during the upcoming special session.
KXAN-TV
The governor’s office responded to Patrick’s press conference.
“Governor Abbott has always shared the Lieutenant Governor’s desire to ensure that THC products are not sold to our children and that the dangerous synthetic drugs that we have seen recently are banned. SB 3 was well intentioned but legally flawed and this is why he is putting it on the special session agenda so that it can be fixed, improved and signed into law. We should not risk years of potential legal battles when we can fix the bill and protect kids now. Governor Abbott looks forward to working with the legislature to pass a strong bill that is on sound legal footing.”
The political stakes of this dispute extend far beyond cannabis policy, representing a rare fracture in the typically unified front presented by Texas’s top Republican leadership. Patrick faces pressure to deliver on his prohibition promise, while Abbott must navigate competing demands from hemp farmers, veterans groups, and law enforcement who have taken different positions on the issue.
With public polling showing 50% of Texas voters opposing the hemp ban compared to 34% supporting it, both leaders are gambling their political capital on fundamentally different approaches to addressing concerns about youth access to psychoactive cannabis products. The upcoming special session will test whether compromise is possible or if this ideological split will define a new era of tension between the governor’s mansion and the lieutenant governor’s office.
The clash marks a rare break between two of the most powerful Republicans in Texas after a legislative session that ushered in a series of conservative victories.
KXAN-TV
TEXAS MINUTE via Texas Scorecard
TribCast from The Texas Tribune posted an emergency episode to discuss Gov. Greg Abbott vetoing SB3 and calling a special session.
TribCast via YouTube
Reaction from Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller:
“I think the governor heard loud and clear from the citizens of Texas, they don’t want a ban. They want these products, responsible access to these products,” — Eddie Vélez, with the Texas Hemp Coalition.
CBS Texas
An emergency anti-Iran war protest brought together a group of community members, students, and anti-war organizers on Monday night in Republic Square.
KXAN-TV
Similar protests are being formed and advertised on social media.
CapMetro’s rail services were impacted this morning after a pedestrian was reportedly struck by a freight train.
KVUE-TV
A concrete pump truck driver involved in a fatal Bastrop County crash in March 2024 pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges on Monday. 44-year-old Jerry Hernandez accepted a plea deal during what was slated as a pre-trial hearing. The collision, which occurred on March 22, 2024, killed a five-year-old and an adult. Hernandez had been charged with two counts of manslaughter and two counts of criminally negligent homicide.
KXAN-TV
A crash in a construction zone on I-35 south of West Braker Lane last night left one person with serious injuries.
Austin Police have offered more information about a fatal pedestrian/vehicle accident in Hancock Friday morning.
APD also provided details on another fatal accident from over the weekend.
An APD officer, Gabriel Gutierez, who was off duty at the time, claims it was a road rage incident that also involved another APD officer, Luis Serrato.
In 2022, a grand jury declined to indict Serrato and Gutierez.
Gonzales’ parents are suing, claiming the city is liable for Gonzales’ death because their official policies, practices, and customs were a cause of Gutierrez and Serrato’s use of excessive force. (FOX 7 Austin)
Johnson City police have identified the woman being investigated in an attempted abduction of two children. They are looking for 34-year-old Lindsey Jo Walker.
Both children are safe, police said.
That story and more on this week’s Crime Watch from FOX 7 Austin:
FOX 7 Austin
Texas is asking public colleges and universities to identify which of their students are living in the country illegally so they can start paying out-of-state tuition, as required by a court ruling earlier this month.
The Austin Community College District Board of Trustees said it will join a lawsuit brought by the ACLU challenging the state’s request. It asks for clarity on the impact of repealing the Texas Dream Act. (KXAN-TV, KUT 90.5)
Today is Day 3 of Tesla’s robotaxi rollout in the ATX.
Governor Greg Abbott has vetoed a $60 million budget item that would have enabled Texas to participate in a federal summer lunch program.
This veto means Texas will not join the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) program, which would have provided qualifying low-income families with $120 per child for summer lunches in 2027. An estimated 3.75 million children across the state would have been eligible for these benefits.
State Sen. Joan Huffman, a Houston Republican who is one of the longest tenured members of the Texas Senate, announced her bid for attorney general on Monday, making her the third high-profile entrant and second member of the upper chamber to declare for the open seat. (KVUE-TV)
Former NASA astronaut Terry Virts, who spent 200 days on the International Space Station, is leveraging his unique space experience to launch a Democratic campaign for the U.S. Senate, aiming to bring a fresh perspective to national policy and leadership.
WFAA-TV
The body of the missing Dallas firefighter was found early Monday, after days of searching a North Texas lake in Collin County. (My San Antonio)
There have been three drownings at three different North Texas lakes in the past week.
WFAA-TV
Long before actor and San Antonio native Jonathan Joss was killed last month by his neighbor, his San Antonio neighborhood was on edge due to his alleged erratic behavior. (Houston Chronicle)
Photo: Wild Horizons/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
(Episode from June 23, 2025)
Texas Democrats in Congress strongly oppose Trump’s attack on Iran, citing potential escalation and danger to American forces worldwide.
(Episode from June 23, 2025)
Progress Texas via YouTube
SPORTS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian continued his impressive recruiting run in June, adding two more highly-touted prospects this past weekend. This brings the Longhorns’ 2026 recruiting class to a total of 15 commits. (Sports Illustrated via MSN)
COLLEGE BASEBALL: Carson Tinney, one of the nation’s top backstops, announced yesterday that he has committed to the Texas Longhorns. (Sports Illustrated via MSN)
MLB: A second straight loss for the Texas Rangers.
Trevor Rogers allowed three hits in a career-high eight innings in his home debut, Jackson Holliday hit a three-run homer and drove in the game’s first four runs and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Texas Rangers 6-0 on Monday night at Camden Yards with the game temperature reaching 100 degrees. (Yahoo! Sports)
Major League Baseball
The Rangers and Orioles play again tonight while the Astros (idle last night) begin a three-game series hosting Philadelphia.
High Island‘s 40-foot elevation above sea level, created by a salt dome, forms a unique ecologic sweet spot for birds and wildlife along the Texas coast.
