Gov. Abbott calls fourth special session

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Gov. Greg Abbott is calling the fourth special session of the year, which is slated to start at 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to a press release Abbott’s office.

The fourth special session is set to begin immediately following the conclusion of the third special session on Tuesday, where only two out of the five proposed items were successfully passed in the legislature.

The fourth special session agenda items include education and border security, the release said.

TxLege data: How long do sessions last and how many bills are typically passed?

State Rep. Brad Buckley, the Fort Worth Republican who chairs the powerful Public Education Committee in the House, shared a draft overview of a bill he intends to file in the next special session. He says the bill “has been shaped by extensive discussion between House Members, the Governor’s Office, and key education stakeholders over the past several months.”

“In the likely event that Governor Abbott calls us back into session… my intent is to file this bill at the earliest opportunity,” Rep. Buckley said in a letter to House colleagues on Monday.

Texas House unveils latest education plan, proposing more money for ESAs and public schools

There are significant differences between Rep. Brad Buckley’s proposal and the education bills the Senate has already passed — those will be subject to considerable negotiations.

The two items that passed in the third special session are prohibiting employers from enforcing COVID-19 vaccination mandates (SB 7) and increasing human smuggling penalties (SB 4).

Abbott’s top priorities concerning topics of school vouchers and border security were largely unproductive within the session, as the House served as a major roadblock.

While the Senate passed a voucher bill early on in the session, it failed to hold a hearing at the House. The same fate was met with border security bills, as that died in the House as well.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was largely frustrated with House Speaker Dade Phelan for the lack of progress on these bills, openly calling him out on social media.

“Speaker Dade Phelan and the Texas House have just wasted another special session with no action on the legislative priorities of the governor, the Senate, and the majority of Texas voters,” said Patrick on X, formally known as Twitter.

In Texas, one special session is limited to a maximum of 30 days. This is only the 11th time in state history that a fourth special session has been called. A record six special sessions were called in the 71st Legislature, from 1989 to 1990.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.