On Monday, July 21, 2025, Texas lawmakers convened for the state's first special legislative session of the year, igniting fierce debate over a packed agenda that has stirred deep divisions across the political spectrum. The session, called by Governor Greg Abbott, includes contentious issues such as congressional redistricting, restrictions on transgender Texans’ access to public restrooms, abortion limitations, hemp product regulation, and flood relief measures following devastating natural disasters earlier this month.
Amid the session’s opening, Texas Democrats and a coalition of 19 advocacy groups—including Texas For All, Equality Texas, and the Transgender Education Network of Texas—held a press conference to voice their opposition to what they described as Governor Abbott’s "cruel special session." The coalition accused the governor of prioritizing a partisan and extreme agenda over urgent disaster response, notably the recent catastrophic floods in Central Texas that claimed at least 135 lives and caused millions in damages.
Drucilla Tigner, executive director of Texas For All, sharply criticized Abbott’s focus, saying, "Instead of focusing on addressing the recent devastating floods that hit Central Texas or preparing for the next natural disaster that we all know is coming, Abbott is focused on bringing Trump-style politics into Texas and pushing an extreme agenda." She added a rallying call to Texans, emphasizing, "We all have one thing in common: We aren’t gonna let that happen … We are not gonna let Gov. Abbott or President Trump or anyone else steal our rights from us."
Emmett Schelling, Executive Director of the Transgender Education Network of Texas, highlighted the personal stakes at play for transgender Texans, stating, "When we start legislating around bathrooms and public accommodations, it’s never in service of the people. I’m forced to be here to beg for such a basic right — to be able to use public accommodations my tax money pays for." Texas State Representative Gene Wu underscored the broader implications, warning, "If Republicans and Trump are allowed to cheat our democracy — to cheat us — without repercussions or resistance, then there is no hope for us anywhere in this nation. We are not just defending Texas; we are defending America as well." Other notable voices at the press conference included U.S. Representative Greg Casar, State Representative Ron Reynolds, Planned Parenthood Texas Votes’ Darcy Caballero, Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy, Common Cause Texas Policy Director Emily French, and Denisce Palacious from the Climate Cabinet Action Fund.
In parallel, 48 House Democrats sent a letter to House Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Republican, demanding that the legislature halt all other legislative work until flood relief and disaster mitigation bills are passed and signed into law. The letter criticized Abbott’s agenda for sidelining urgent recovery efforts in favor of "partisan distractions: criminalizing abortion, banning bathroom access, and redrawing voting maps to lock in power for himself and his allies." It stressed, "In this special session, flood relief must come first," urging lawmakers to prioritize the needs of families and communities still reeling from the disaster.
One of the session’s most watched issues is the redrawing of Texas’s congressional districts. According to Michael Li, senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, Republicans face a complex challenge: "In Texas, there really isn’t a way to maximize Republican seats anymore without really targeting the political power of communities of color." He explained that breaking up majority-Black or Latino districts in cities like Houston and Dallas is the likely strategy to gain political advantage. The Texas Democratic Party had earlier flagged Houston-area districts 9, 18, and 29, along with Dallas-Fort Worth’s 33rd district, as vulnerable to redistricting. These districts, currently represented by Black or Latino members, are protected under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which mandates majority-minority districts in certain states. Recent legal battles in other states—like Alabama and Louisiana—have forced map redraws to create additional Black-majority districts, and Texas is already facing litigation over its current maps.
Demographic shifts add urgency to the redistricting debate. Texas’s non-white population accounted for all of the state’s growth between 2023 and 2024, while the white population declined slightly for the first time. Li warned of a looming legal fight, saying, "It’s almost certain that Black and Latino voters, and perhaps other voters, will be in court trying to block these maps, and there will be a fight about whether the maps will be in place for 2026 or not. There isn’t a lot of time to get new maps in place." The stakes are high, as any redistricting could reshape Texas’s political landscape for years to come.
Governor Abbott also spotlighted six vetoed bills for reconsideration during the special session, with Senate Bill 3 (SB 3) among the most controversial. SB 3 aims to outlaw all consumable hemp products containing THC, the intoxicating component found in cannabis. Abbott vetoed the bill last session, warning that "its enforcement would be enjoined for years, leaving existing abuses unaddressed. Texas cannot afford to wait." The bill’s legislative journey has been fraught with changes—initially allowing some hemp products under regulation, it was later amended back to a full ban. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has been a staunch advocate for the ban, labeling these products as "poison" to the community.
Meanwhile, flood relief and disaster preparedness are key priorities following the deadly July 4 floods that devastated Central Texas, particularly Kerr County, which lacked a flood warning system despite being in "flash flood alley." Senator Sarah Eckhardt of Austin filed Senate Bill 25, proposing that municipalities collect residents’ contact information to send emergency alerts via text message, with consent and opt-out options. This measure aims to prevent a repeat of the communication failures that left many residents unprepared for the rapid rise of the Guadalupe River.
Shortly after, Senator Carol Alvarado of Houston introduced Senate Bill 26, which would offer interest-free loans to small and micro-businesses affected by the floods, helping them recover and sustain operations. These bills are part of a broader legislative push to address the gaps exposed by the disaster. Joint House and Senate committees are set to hold hearings beginning July 23, both at the Capitol and in Kerrville, to gather public input and examine flood warning systems, emergency communications, relief funding, and overall disaster preparedness and recovery.
Education is another battleground in this special session. State Representative Brooks Landgraf of Odessa reintroduced House Bill 92, which seeks to eliminate the STAAR test and reduce the scope of standardized testing in Texas public schools. Landgraf argued, "Texans have made it clear: They want to scrap the STAAR test. Students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers are tired of an unnecessarily expensive system that prioritizes high-stakes test scores over actual learning." The bill would retain only federally required standardized tests, aiming to shift the focus back to classroom instruction and a well-rounded education. Landgraf’s previous efforts to pass this legislation fell short, but he sees the special session as another chance to "get this right" and prioritize preparing students for life rather than just exams.
As the special session unfolds, Texans watch closely, weighing the balance between urgent disaster recovery and the politically charged culture war issues that dominate the agenda. With lives lost, communities shattered, and the state’s demographic landscape rapidly evolving, the decisions made in these weeks will resonate far beyond the Capitol’s walls.
