GOVERNOR ABBOTT CALLS FOR SPECIAL SESSION
Sending out the call late yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, Governor Greg Abbott advised the 85th Texas 
Legislature that they would be convening for a special session.
The session will begin on July 18th.
The special session agenda items will include legislation such as:
- Sunset legislation
- Teacher pay increase of $1,000
- Administrative flexibility in teacher hiring and retention practices
- School finance reform commission
- School choice for special needs students
- Property tax reform
- Caps on state and local spending
- Preventing cities from regulating what property owners do with trees on private land
- Preventing local governments from changing rules midway through construction projects
- Speeding up local government permitting process
- Municipal annexation reform
- Texting while driving preemption
- Privacy
- Prohibition of taxpayer dollars to collect union dues
- Prohibition of taxpayer funding for abortion providers
- Pro-life insurance reform
- Strengthening abortion reporting requirements when health complications arise
- Strengthening patient protections relating to do-not-resuscitate orders
- Cracking down on mail-in ballot fraud
- Extending maternal mortality task force
In a statement from State Senator Lois Kolkhorst, she had the following to say in response to the call:
"I share the Governors commitment to solving the nineteen issues put forth in his Call for the special session of the 85th Legislature. Whether it is solving school finance challenges, lowering skyrocketing property taxes, protecting the privacy, safety and dignity of all Texans, or addressing the alarming maternal mortality rates in our state, I stand ready to serve."