![]() ![]() ![]() If they do, they must cover various viewpoints without favoring any side. House Bill 3979 states teachers cannot be compelled to discuss current events. Though it caused controversy and was deeply opposed by all major teacher unions in the state, Texas lawmakers pushed through a bill that would limit how educators can discuss current events. Though lawmakers championed the bill, some experts believe the legislation did not do enough, leaving some operations up to the discretion of gas suppliers and only allowing minimal fines for noncompliance.Ī proposal in the bill that didn’t make the cut was a potential one-time payment to customers who were affected by the outages. The bill also established a statewide emergency alert system and mandates more communication between participants who generate and distribute power. Senate Bill 3, which was passed nearly unanimously on the next-to-last day of the session, will require power plants and certain gas suppliers to winterize equipment ahead of frigid temperatures. In the aftermath of a devastating winter storm in February, which killed hundreds of Texans who were without power for days, Texas lawmakers passed a bill intended to address the shortfalls of the Texas power grid that led to widespread outages throughout the state. Ryan Guillen voted for it.Ībortion advocates have vowed to sue over the law, setting up a potential showdown that could reach the Supreme Court and have national implications on abortion access. The bill was passed largely along party lines, but border Democrats state Sen. It also creates a new cause of action, allowing any Texas resident to sue abortion providers and anyone else who assisted in enabling an “illegal abortion.” Even if the lawsuit is tossed or fails, the defendant would not be able to recoup attorney fees, as is typical of civil litigation. The ban also applies to women whose pregnancy was a result of rape or incest.īut the bill doesn’t only limit abortion access. ![]() Senate Bill 8, also known as the Texas Heartbeat Act, would ban abortion as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women even know they are pregnant. Fetal heartbeat abortion restrictionĭuring the session, Abbott signed one of the nation’s strictest abortion measures into law. They also say it will increase gun violence and escalate conflicts in public places and could make it more difficult to identify suspects at an active crime scene. Opponents, which included police unions from major Texas cities, say it would remove barriers aimed at keeping people who are not legally fit to possess a gun from carrying one. Supporters of the legislation argue the change would “restore” Second Amendment rights, removing virtually all government barriers to carrying a handgun in many public places. House Bill 1927 will allow Texans 21 and over to carry handguns - openly or concealed - without obtaining a state-issued license, so long they are not excluded from possessing a firearm by another federal or state law. This year, however, Republicans were able to pass the bill, sending it to Abbott’s desk for a signature. ‘Constitutional carry’Ībbott called on Texas to become a “Second Amendment sanctuary state,” and lawmakers followed his lead.Ĭonstitutional carry legislation, which allows Texans over 21 to carry a handgun without a firearms license, was a bill deemed too extreme by conservative leadership in past legislative sessions. If voter approval isn’t received and police funding is still cut, then the county’s property tax revenue will be frozen.Ĭritics say the measure, coupled with last session’s property tax rate freeze, handcuffs leaders in major cities and “pretty much precludes spending on anything else” and could lead to police departments being tasked with non-law enforcement duties like mental illness treatment and evictions. It also allows the state to withhold sales taxes from a city that defunded police, giving that money to the Texas Department of Public Safety instead.Ī similar bill, Senate Bill 23, requires voter approval to cut law enforcement budgets in counties with a population larger than 1 million people. House Bill 1900, authored by a number of Republicans, would freeze property tax revenue for cities with a population of 250,000 or more that defunds police. Legislation discouraging defunding policeĪfter activists made calls to “defund the police” over the summer in the wake of George Floyd’s death, Texas went the other direction, passing legislation that would punish cities if police funding is slashed. Digital Journalist Fares Sabawi joins to discuss what passed during the 87th legislative session. ![]()
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