GOP legislators push Abbott on reopening

Gov. Greg Abbott moved Friday to open up parts of the Texas economy, but he continues to get pressure from many Republicans to move faster even as Democrats have warned him to slow down.

Several conservative legislators began a letter-writing campaign calling on Abbott to reopen other sectors of the economy — notably hair salons, barbershops and bars.

“It is confusing to Texans that they have been allowed to congregate en masse at grocery stores and other big box stores since this crisis began, yet they are barred from patronizing a local barber shop or salon, for example, where they are served individually by professionals trained in sanitation and where they can social distance from other customers,” state Rep. Valoree Swanson, R-Spring, wrote in a letter to Abbott on Thursday.

She’s not alone. Other lawmakers from around the state have been sending letters as well and taking to social media to prod the governor to open more businesses.

State Rep. James White, R-Hillister, took to Facebook to post a story about a Dallas salon that tried to open in defiance of Abbott’s orders to remain closed but was later forced to shut down.

“Greg Abbott Respectfully, ENOUGH!!! You are the only one that can STOP this!!! ENOUGH!!!” White wrote.

Abbott has said he, too, wants to see barbershops and hair salons open “as quickly as possible.” In an interview on KSAT in San Antonio on Thursday, he said he’s working with health officials to determine when those businesses can reopen safely. He said that in those settings, workers and customers are in such close contact that they have to get the precautions right to prevent a flare-up of coronavirus infections.

“The decisions we make are based upon data as well as input from doctors,” Abbott said.

Abbott is so far sticking with his plan for a phased reopening plan in Texas. On Friday, restaurants, retail stores, malls and theaters were allowed to open at 25 percent capacity. Phase two would occur around May 18, and Abbott hopes that will be when barbershops, hair salons, bars and gyms would be able to open.

The pressure from Republicans comes as Democrats have increased their criticism of Abbott, saying he’s moving too fast to reopen Texas.

“I’m not convinced it was time to open, certainly not here in the Houston region,” U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, said Thursday.