Vetoes
Governor Abbott signed 1,155 bills into law. The list included SB 293, which means pay raises go into effect on September 1, 2025. (For more details about what that means in practice, read our prior summary.) Congratulations! It is well deserved.
Governor Abbott also vetoed 28 bills including 13 different bills that we were tracking for you. (More on a couple of those below.) The most notable veto for the public was Senate Bill 3, an all-out ban on all consumable hemp and THC products, which we outlined here. It was a Lt. Governor priority and was backed by law enforcement. Abbott waited until late last night to veto the all-out ban. He stated that he preferred to see THC regulated similar to alcohol and laid out what that might look like in a four page veto proclamation.
Lt. Governor Patrick held a press conference today in response to the veto and stated that he was “puzzled” by the veto, especially because he claims the governor told him the bill would not be vetoed. He also took issue with the last-minute unilateral action and with varying aspects of the governor’s reasoning. In conclusion, Lt. Governor Patrick claimed that the governor’s regulation plan would result in legalizing recreational marijuana for adults in Texas, and he will not allow such a law to pass the Senate. Only time will tell if the rhetorical temperature on this topic cools down or stays heated this summer.
Special session
What happens next? The vetoed bills are dead, but Governor Abbott called for a special session to begin on July 21, 2025, to address various issues from some of those vetoed bills (such as SB 3) and to give the legislature another chance to pass them in a more agreeable form.
What is a special session? Only the Governor may call a special session, which can last no longer than 30 days and is supposed to be limited to the topics designated by the Governor. Do not worry though. Lawmakers still file hundreds of bills that are not on topic to that special session agenda. Those off-topic bills have their own built-in kill switch that any single lawmaker can push with a point of order, but bills not “on the call” of a special session can still pass if no legislator objects.
Governor Abbott put six topics on the initial agenda for the special session. In addition to regulating consumable hemp products, other bills (which the Governor vetoed) that we will be closely tracking include:
Senate Bill 1278: Relating to an affirmative defense to prosecution for victims of trafficking of persons or compelling prostitution.
Senate Bill 2878: Relating to the operation and administration of and practices and procedures related to proceedings in the judicial branch of state government.
Senate Bill 2878 was this session’s 139-page omnibus courts bill. Governor Abbott stated that most of the bill should become law but there are policy decisions in the bill that need to be excluded, including automatic expunctions for completing any pretrial intervention program. For now, the result is that the new courts, new district attorney offices, new punishment enhancements, and various other changes in that huge bill are all dead.
Governor Abbott released his initial list of issues for the special session, but he can add any topic to the special session agenda at any time. Other rumored topics include redistricting (to help create more Republican seats in Congress), an abortion pill ban, a taxpayer lobbying ban, and anything else that might be helpful in an election year that will have all statewide positions up for grabs. We will keep you posted as this is a fluid situation.
Never a dull moment under the Big Pink Dome!