Abbott summons lawmakers to tackle deadly floods, abortion regulations, redistricting & THC debate

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called lawmakers back to Austin on 21 July in a whirlwind special session packed with urgent and controversial reforms. At the heart of the agenda: a sweeping response to this month’s deadly Hill Country floods—alongside mid-decade redistricting, abortion law tweaks, hemp‑derived THC regulation, the STAAR exam, and property tax relief.

Standing in Kerr County on 8 July, Abbott laid out his vision: “We’re going to address every aspect of this storm to make sure we have in place the systems needed to prevent deadly flooding events like this in the future.” Central to that pledge are four flood-related priorities: enhancing early warning systems; building infrastructure to withstand natural disasters; creating relief funds; and streamlining recovery rules.

The regular legislative session had failed to pass disaster‑preparedness funding, but with floodwaters still fresh in Texans’ minds, the governor urged swift action. House Speaker Dustin Burrows endorsed Abbott’s call, stating the Texas House stands ready to “listen to the community and experts” and deliver results.

Abbott’s lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, has urged installing blast-style sirens—akin to those in Israel—to warn communities of impending floods, arguing they could “have saved some of these lives” if deployed before summer 2026. Flood‑response experts like Columbia University’s Upmanu Lall caution that sirens alone aren’t enough without public awareness, urging Texas to emulate China’s advanced sensor network for rainfall, sewer and river-level monitoring.

“Sometimes it takes a disaster like this to focus everyone,” said veteran Republican Rep. Drew Darby. He urged lawmakers to learn from past failures in passing disaster‑preparedness bills.

Outside flood concerns, Abbott’s proclamation—published 9 July—ouchingly added mid‑decade redistricting. The governor cited a directive from the US Department of Justice, but Dallas Democrat John Bryant sees political motives: “The governor wants to do what Donald Trump has asked him to do…redraw congressional lines so Republicans can win more seats.”

Abbott also wants the legislature to outlaw the STAAR test, offer more property tax relief, and “protect unborn children and their mothers” through abortion law revisions. Meanwhile, controversy simmers over consumable hemp products containing THC. Abbott vetoed a full ban in May, but regulation still tops his priority list—though flood recovery and redistricting may now take centre stage.

Experts warn that including politically explosive issues—abortion, redistricting, THC—could derail the session, distracting from the flood agenda. But Abbott appears undeterred, believing that tackling multiple “urgent and interlinked crises” is vital.

As Texas braces for a packed agenda, all eyes are on Austin. Can lawmakers unite behind disaster resilience—or will culture wars fracture cooperation? With floods still displacing Texans, property taxes biting, and abortion debate roiling, the 2025 special session already feels like a pivotal moment. Whether the legislation brings real change or stalls in partisan squabbling remains to be seen—and may well shape Texas’ future.