Texas Gov. Greg Abbott calls second special session as Democrats continue holdout over redistricting vote
A second special session was called Friday after the Texas House failed to make a quorum for a sixth time in a row, amid Democrats leaving the state to protest a redistricting plan expected to favor Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.
After failing to reach a quorum Tuesday morning for the fifth time in more than a week, Republican leaders announced that if they can't reach a quorum again Friday at 10 a.m., both the House and Senate will wrap up the special session. There were 95 lawmakers present Friday morning, failing to make a quorum.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the second special session, which started Friday at 12 p.m. When House Speaker Dustin Burrows began the session, there were 97 lawmakers present, again not making a quorum.
The Texas House will reconvene Monday at 12 p.m.
Gov. Abbott has said he will call a special session over and over if necessary.
"Delinquent House Democrats ran away from their responsibility to pass crucial legislation to benefit the lives of Texans," Abbott said. "We will not back down from this fight. That's why I am calling them back today to finish the job. I will continue to use all necessary tools to ensure Texas delivers results for Texans."
Agenda items for second special session include:
- Camp safety: Legislation to ensure and enhance youth camp safety.
- Flood warning systems: Legislation to improve early warning systems and other preparedness infrastructure in flood-prone areas throughout Texas.
- Flood emergency communications: Legislation to strengthen emergency communications and other response infrastructure in flood-prone areas throughout Texas.
- Relief funding for Hill Country floods: Legislation to provide relief funding for response to and recovery from the storms which began in early July 2025, including local match funding for jurisdictions eligible for FEMA public assistance.
- Natural disaster preparation and recovery: Legislation to evaluate and streamline rules and regulations to speed preparedness for and recovery from natural disasters.
- Eliminate STAAR test: Legislation to eliminate the STAAR test and replace it with effective tools to assess student progress and ensure school district accountability.
- Cut property taxes: Legislation reducing the property tax burden on Texans and legislation imposing spending limits on entities authorized to impose property taxes.
- Protect children from THC: Legislation making it a crime to provide hemp-derived products to children under 21 years of age.
- Regulate hemp-derived products: Legislation to comprehensively regulate hemp-derived products, including limiting potency, restricting synthetically modified compounds, and establishing enforcement mechanisms, all without banning lawful hemp-derived products.
- Protect unborn children: Legislation further protecting unborn children and their mothers from the harm of abortion.
- Ban taxpayer-funded lobbying: Legislation prohibiting taxpayer-funded lobbying, including the use of tax dollars to hire lobbyists and payment of tax dollars to associations that lobby the Legislature.
- Protect human trafficking victims: Legislation, similar to Senate Bill No. 1278 from the 89th Legislature, regular session, that protects victims of human trafficking from criminal liability for non-violent acts closely tied to their own victimization.
- Police personnel records: Legislation that protects law enforcement officers from public disclosure of unsubstantiated complaints in personnel files.
- Protect women's spaces: Legislation protecting women's privacy in sex-segregated spaces.
- Attorney general election powers: Legislation that strengthens the attorney general's authority to investigate and prosecute state election crimes.
- Redistricting: Legislation that provides a congressional redistricting plan.
- Title theft and deed fraud: Legislation, similar to Senate Bill No. 648 from the 89th Legislature, regular session, that provides strengthened protections against title theft and deed fraud.
- Water project incentives: Legislation, similar to Senate Bill No. 1253 from the 89th Legislature, regular session, that authorizes political subdivisions to reduce impact fees for builders who include water conservation and efficiency measures.
- State judicial department: Legislation, similar to Senate Bill No. 2878 from the 89th Legislature, regular session, relating to the operation and administration of the Judicial Department of state government.