Texas Governor On Thursday, Greg Abbott announced that a new special legislative session would begin on Aug. 7, at noon. This is the day after the expiration of the current special session. Republicans are continuing their push to pass new election regulations in the wake of the 2020 elections.Abbott's 17-item agenda contains a number of bills, including critical race theory and bail reform. It also includes education legislation. This would make it mandatory that masks and Covid-19 vaccines are not required. The main item is election legislation. Republicans have been pushing for a bill since months that would reverse voting practices that were championed in blue counties during the pandemic. It would also add restrictions on mail voting and criminal penalties that would impact poll workers.The Texas state House Democrats lost quorum during July's first special session over proposals to limit voting rights. This denied Republicans the chance to pass the bill. To meet with elected officials and gain support for stronger protections, the Democrats fled to Washington, D.C.
