The Texas Tribune
There are fewer than 35 days left in the 2021 legislative session, and Texas lawmakers have filed a flurry of proposals. Here’s a roundup of some of the things they’ve done — and not done — so far and what they are expected to tackle today. Plus, watch the 2021 legislative session live here, sign up for our Texas Legislature Weekly Roundup newsletter here, and watch our Instagram Live series explaining how these proposals could affect Texans here.
🏥 Pandemic preparedness:
As vaccines have become widely available and daily new COVID-19 case totals decline, preparing for the next pandemic is competing for space on the legislative priority list. Yet public health experts are urging lawmakers to prioritize preparations for another infectious disease outbreak — which they say could be likely to happen again.Lawmakers have sought to curb the power of the governor during states of emergency or disaster. The most comprehensive attempt to do this is a proposed constitutional amendment — Senate Joint Resolution 45 and its enabling bill, Senate Bill 1025 — that would require the governor to call a special session to declare a state emergency that lasts more than 30 days. But some lawmakers and health officials cautioned that state and local officials need the flexibility to respond to emergencies in real time.Last week, the Texas Senate advanced Senate Bill 968, which would require Texas to contract with companies to guarantee an adequate stockpile of personal protective equipment. It would also create the Office of the Chief Epidemiologist within the Texas Department of State Health Services to respond to disease outbreaks and coordinate with the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The Senate has also moved forward Senate Bill 969. This would require DSHS to publicly post on its website “all available de-identified public health data” during a disaster and coordinate with local health officials to implement a “standardized and streamlined” method for sharing information.On Thursday, the House is slated to take up House Bill 4139 to formally establish and fund the Office of Health Equity. A similar measure in the Senate by state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, was referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee but has not yet received a hearing.
🚨 Marijuana and medical cannabis in Texas
On Wednesday, the House gave initial approval to a bill that would expand the state’s medical cannabis program. The expansion would include those with chronic pain, all cancer patients and Texans who have PTSD. The House must give the bill a final vote, and then the Senate will consider the bill before it can be sent to the governor to be signed into law.The House has also passed House Bill 2593, which would reduce penalties for possession of some marijuana concentrate. The penalty for possession of up to 2 ounces of those products would be lowered to a Class B misdemeanor. The House will consider a bill Thursday that would lower the criminal penalty for possessing less than 1 ounce of marijuana. House Bill 441 would make that a Class C misdemeanor, which carries no jail time. The bill also provides a path for some Texans charged with such marijuana possession to expunge the charge from their criminal records.
🍻 Alcohol in Texas
The Texas Senate has passed House Bill 1535, which would permanently allow Texans to purchase alcohol to go from restaurants, advancing a shared goal of Gov. Greg Abbott and restaurateurs. The measure now heads to Abbott’s desk.
💰 Pension plans
Senate Bill 321 — a revamping of the Texas Employees Retirement System — has moved forward in the Texas Senate, despite fierce opposition from some state workers’ unions. This would enroll new state workers hired after Sept. 1, 2022, in a cash balance plan rather than the traditional defined benefit pension plan. The bill now heads to the Texas House for consideration.
🚓 Police reform and budgets
The House will consider a handful of police reform bills Thursday. House Bill 830 would limit officers’ ability to arrest people for traffic offenses that at most would result in a fine. House Bill 829 would require officer disciplinary guidelines. And House Bill 834 would require corroboration of undercover police testimony. The chamber will also consider House Bill 1900, which would financially penalize larger cities that cut their police budgets in many circumstances.
BEST OF THE TRIB
Texas’ top state leaders have announced they are releasing $11.2 billion out of nearly $18 billion available in federal pandemic relief funding dedicated for the state’s public schools. In recent weeks, education advocates and Democratic lawmakers have urged officials to release the money set aside by Congress for Texas’ public schools. From Executive Editor Ross Ramsey: Most voters don’t pay a lot of attention to the redrawing of political maps every 10 years. That’s just the way legislators like it. An updated analysis of February’s Texas power crisis by experts at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas shows that lost wind power generation was a small component of the huge losses in electric generation.
BEST OF THE REST
Courts: The Collin County medical examiner has ruled Marvin Scott III’s death a homicide — more than a month after he died in custody at the Collin County Jail. At a Wednesday press conference, Scott’s family called for arrests after watching footage of Scott’s last moments. (The Dallas Morning News, $)
Health: To increase the vaccination rate, the Harris County Commissioners Court approved giving incentives to residents. Commissioners pitched vaccine-promotion concerts, gift cards to local businesses, firework shows and Jose Altuve bobblehead dolls as incentives. (Houston Chronicle, $)
Housing: Texas’ rent relief program has so far distributed 3.1% of its $1.17 billion budget to about 5,000 households. The program — coupled with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s eviction moratorium — was implemented to keep at-risk tenants in their homes and reimburse landlords during the pandemic. (KSAT)
THE LAST WORD
“The penalties have caused far more harm than smoking marijuana ever could.” — Heather Fazio, director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy. The House is slated to consider a measure that would lessen the penalty for possession of 1 ounce or less of cannabis. Fazio said the bill would especially help keep young people from suffering criminal consequences.
