Six issues are key in the legislative session
Here are six key issues before the Texas Legislature and their prospects in a session that will be dominated by financial concerns.
Election reforms
Why now: Given the attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, there is little doubt Republicans will try to place further restrictions on early voting and absentee voting in the name of guarding against fraud, even though no evidence of widespread fraud has surfaced. A particular target will be Harris County, where Republicans are convinced election officials overstepped their authority by sending absentee ballot applications to all voters and allowing multiple dropoff sites.
Why not: Texas already has some of the most restrictive rules in the nation regarding absentee ballots, allowing absentee voting only for people who are going to be away during the election, are sick or are 65 or older.
Police reforms
Why now: The killing of former Houston resident George Floyd triggered national outrage and cast near-universal condemnation of police brutality. Even Republican leaders such as Gov. Greg Abbott called for police reforms to prevent the type of brutality the whole world watched.
Why not: Republicans in the fall of 2020 seized upon calls to “defund the police” and wielded them against Democrats who were hoping to flip state legislative seats, amove that helped the GOP retain control of the Texas House. For Republicans, the incentive nowis to keep pressing to
protect police budgets and target Democratic mayors for going too far.
Redistricting
Why now: Every 10 years, lawmakers are required to redraw every legislative and congressional district to assure each district has an equal number of residents. With the U.S. Census complete, this year lawmakers will have to redraw districts. It has typically been a bruising process politically
as legislators try to craft districts to improve their own reelection chances.
Why not: Lawmakers may get a temporary reprieve. Because of delays in Washington, new census data may not make it to lawmakers in time for this session. Some lawmakers have said if the data arrives after April 1, there’s little chance redistricting can be done during the regular session. The process may require a special session later in the year.
Casino gambling
Why now: The Texas budget is amess thanks to COVID-19 and an international price war in the oil and gas industry. Opening the door would not only bring billions of dollars of gambling revenue but would recoup money Texans are spending on hotels, restaurants and lodging in neighboring states where casinos are legal.
Why not: The Texas Constitution prohibits casino gambling.
Legislators would first have to put a measure on the ballot and voters would have to agree to change the Constitution. Not only does the platform of the Texas Republican Party expressly oppose expanded gambling, but Abbott also has made clear he fully supports that prohibition.
Medicaid expansion
Why now: Texas already had the highest percentage of uninsured in the nation and the pandemic made it worse, leaving millions of Texans without access to primary care doctors to get tested for COVID-19 and fueling calls from Democrats to expand Medicaid.
Why not: Republicans in Texas says Medicaid already eats up toomuch of the state budget, and adding more Texans to those rolls will only mean more costs, not just now, but in the future.
Marijuana legalization
Why now: There are not many states with more restrictions on marijuana than Texas. While at least 31 other states have comprehensive medical marijuana programs, Texas is one of the few that allow only low-level medicinal cannabis in extremely limited cases. If Texas decriminalized marijuana, it could be taxed and bring in revenues to help shore up the state budget while also reducing the number of people arrested each year for possessing the drug.
Why not: Public polls show Texans support decriminalization, but the Texas Republican still are divided on the issue. Advocates are pushing for legislation to at least expand the ability of doctors to treat patients facing other diseases with medical cannabis.