Texas lawmakers started a 30-day special session Monday, returning to the Capitol to tackle a robust agenda of 18 items set by Governor Greg Abbott following his vetoes of key legislation during the regular session that ended in June.
Opening Day Overview
The special session officially began at noon on Monday, with lawmakers tackling consumable THC, flood dangers, new congressional districts, abortion pills and other conservative priorities.
On the first day of pre-filing for Texas’s current special legislative session, lawmakers submitted 82 bills, none of which addressed flood relief directly—even though flood response was a core component of the governor’s agenda.
🧾 Highlights from Day One filings:
- Most of the proposals were focused on social and political issues, including:
- One bill related to emergencies: adding repeater systems for first responders on Capitol grounds.
- A bipartisan nondiscrimination bill (HB 38) was filed by Rep. Jessica González, aimed at public accommodations and employment protections for LGBTQ+ individuals and veterans.
The House and the Senate gaveled in around lunchtime before quickly adjourning. Only one committee hearing took place in the House yesterday.
The session comes after Abbott vetoed 28 bills from the regular legislative session, prompting the need for lawmakers to return to Austin.
The governor praised the collaboration with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows during the regular session.
“Working with the Texas Legislature, we delivered results that will benefit Texans for generations to come,” — Governor Greg Abbott, when announcing the special session on July 9
Key Agenda Items
The special session agenda reflects several conservative policy priorities that faced obstacles during the regular session:
THC Regulation: One of the most prominent items involves regulating consumable hemp products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), including gummies and other edibles. This issue became a focal point after Abbott vetoed related legislation from the regular session.
Flood Preparedness: Following recent natural disasters, lawmakers will address flood dangers and natural disaster preparedness measures.
Congressional Redistricting: The session will tackle new congressional district maps, part of Texas’ ongoing redistricting efforts.
This issue was center stage Monday.
Texas Republicans, including Gov. Abbott, were reluctant to redraw the state’s congressional maps. Then Trump got involved. (Texas Tribune)
Texas lawmakers kicked off their special legislative session Monday with the filing of Senate Bill 5, a measure that would dramatically tighten regulations on hemp-derived products, effectively banning the sale of anything containing cannabinoids other than cannabidiol (CBD) or cannabigerol (CBG). The proposal is much stricter than many in the hemp industry were expecting following a recent veto of a similar bill by Governor Greg Abbott.
SB 5 was quickly referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee and immediately scheduled for a hearing with very little notice to the public.
Healthcare and Abortion: The agenda includes measures related to abortion pills and other healthcare policies.
Property Taxes: Lawmakers will examine local property tax rates as part of ongoing efforts to provide tax relief to Texans.
Education: The session may address changes to standardized testing, including potential modifications to the STAAR test system.
Legislative Dynamics
Republicans maintain control of both the Texas House and Senate, providing a favorable environment for advancing Abbott’s conservative agenda. The 30-day timeframe creates urgency for lawmakers to move quickly on the governor’s priorities.
The Texas House Democratic Caucus held a press conference Monday ahead of the special legislative session.
Reactions and Analysis
The special session represents a continuation of policy battles that extended beyond the regular session’s June conclusion. Abbott’s strategic use of vetoes effectively forced lawmakers to return and reconsider legislation that didn’t meet his standards or priorities.
The focus on issues like THC regulation reflects ongoing tensions between state-level control and local autonomy, while the flood preparedness measures respond to recent natural disasters that highlighted infrastructure vulnerabilities across Texas.
What’s Ahead
With only 30 days to complete their work, lawmakers face a compressed timeline to address all 18 agenda items. The coming days will likely see committee hearings and bill filings as legislators work to advance measures on the governor’s priority list.
The session’s success will largely depend on how quickly lawmakers can build consensus around the governor’s agenda items, particularly those that faced challenges during the regular session.
Legislators are expected to begin filing bills and scheduling committee hearings throughout the week as they work to make progress on Abbott’s ambitious agenda before the special session expires.
Volunteers have surged into Travis County to take on the monumental task of helping those devastated by the July 5 floods.
Construction started Monday on a bridge that was destroyed in the historic floods. The replacement for Cow Creek Bridge on RM 1431 will be taller, wider, and stronger than the one that washed away.
Travis County Emergency Services has set up a shuttle service that takes people to and from Danielson Middle School.
Williamson County has opened two resource centers for residents affected by flooding.
In Burnet County, a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center is now open.
Meanwhile, the head of FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue branch, which runs a network of teams stationed across the country that can swiftly respond to natural disasters, resigned on Monday, less than three weeks after a delayed FEMA response to catastrophic flooding in central Texas caused by bureaucratic hurdles put in place by the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the disaster response agency. (CNN via MSN)
Austin Public Health officials say they’ve detected traces of measles in the city’s wastewater. So far this year, Travis County has had two confirmed cases.
Austin police have arrested a 17-year-old suspect in connection with a March mass shooting that left four wounded at a bar on East Sixth Street.
A second suspect is now in custody after two people were killed early Saturday morning in San Marcos.
Late last night, Austin police responded to reports of a person armed with a weapon near One Texas Center.
Capitol Metro Crime Stoppers announced the arrest of a wanted man.
Austin firefighters gathered on the steps outside City Hall yesterday to rally against the city manager’s proposal to repeal a four-firefighter staffing minimum. (FOX 7 Austin)
The city’s budget proposal cuts $8.3 million from overtime by restructuring staffing and having three firefighters on most trucks instead of four.
Bill Spelman, a former Austin City Council member and University of Texas professor known for championing data-driven policymaking and his research on policing, has died. He was 68. (Austin American-Statesman)
Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gómez, who has represented Precinct 4 for nearly three decades, announced Monday that she will retire at the end of her term in 2026. (Austin American-Statesman)
A local Austin family is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing loved one.
Hays County commissioners are pushing back on a judge’s decision to void a voter-approved $440 million road bond.
Austin’s public radio stations, KUT and KUTX, will forgo $1.2 million in annual funding after U.S. lawmakers made good on a pledge to cut federal money for public media.
The funding covered two years, amounting to a $2.4 million immediate loss of promised money for the stations. (KUT 90.5)
WEATHER
Flash flooding in Kansas City left one woman clinging to a tree and another dead in nearby Overland Park. Wildfires in eastern Washington forced evacuations, while more than 60 million Americans remain under heat alerts.
Special Session Begins – How Will Dems Resist A Trump Power Grab?
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is now disclosing at least eight properties to the state ethics agency, after years of saying he did not need to reveal more about the extent of his real estate interests. (KUT 90.5)
Eric Flores, a Republican Army veteran and lawyer from Mission, announced Monday he is running for Texas’ 34th Congressional District, targeting Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen in a swing seat carried by President Donald Trump last year. (Texas Tribune)
Texas Values, an influential group that operates to advance family and Judeo-Christian values in the state, dropped its support of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s bid for U.S. Senate days after news broke that state Senator Angela Paxton filed for divorce. (Chron)
Joe Rogan wants a former San Antonio teacher who is now a Texas lawmaker to run for president. Progressive Texas Democratic James Talarico was praised by the podcaster during a nearly three-hour conversation on an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience aired on Friday, July 18. (My San Antonio)
Following 38 months of silence, legal roadblocks and grief, the board members of Uvalde CISD unanimously voted in favor of releasing the records from the horrifying mass shooting at Robb Elementary.
Be careful what you ask Gov. Greg Abbott and President Donald Trump after a tragedy. As the state and federal governments respond to the disaster in the Texas Hill Country, Abbott and Trump both made clear some questions from the media are completely off limits for them. We catch you up to speed on what happens next in the disaster response and get you ready for the special session of the Texas Legislature, where once again Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will try to ban THC products in Texas. Host Jeremy Wallace breaks it all down with reporters John Moritz, Isaac Yu and Taylor Goldenstein.
(Episode from July 17, 2025)
Kerr County is hosting a town hall meeting tonight for flood victims.
Kerr County Commissioners announced a significant shift in their response to the Hill Country flooding disaster, moving from search and rescue operations to recovery efforts. (CBS12)
A Kerr County man found ten flood victims on his land, bringing closure to grieving Kerr County families. (Local 12)
Hundreds were reported missing after the deadly Texas floods. Most of them were found safe. (Associated Press)
Texas Department of Safety officials reported on fentanyl seizures in the state.
A charging unit is apparently to blame for a Tesla vehicle catching fire and burning a North Texas home.
SPORTS
MLB: Victories for both the Rangers and Astros last night.
Josh Jung homered and scored three times in his return to the majors, Cody Freeman and Michael Helman had big-league firsts on consecutive pitches and the Texas Rangers beat the Athletics 7-2 on Monday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
ESPN‘s Buster Olney reports that Rangers’ All-Star outfielder Adolis Garcia could be acquired this summer. While Texas will not consider trading Jacob deGrom or Nathan Eovaldi, the club does seem ready to move on from its former postseason hero. (Sportsnaut)
Brice Matthews hit his first two big-league homers and had five RBIs, Christian Walker added an RBI double in his return to Chase Field and the Houston Astros beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-3 on Monday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
The Astros face stiff competition for their biggest need as the July 31 trade deadline nears. (CTH)
ON THE SCHEDULE
AL WEST STANDINGS
The MLS All-Star Game is in Austin this week. Goalkeeper Brad Stuver and head coach Nico Estevez are on this year’s team.
Explore the headwaters of many of the rivers that flow through Texas.
