Patrick Demands Special Session After Priority Bills Die

In a desperate attempt to get his bills passed one way or another, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has requested Gov. Greg Abbott calls for a special session in June. Patrick expects to have three bills passed during that session: SB10 which would ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, SB12, a bill that would allow Texans to sue social media if they get censored or suspended, and SB29 which would require public school students to compete in interscholastic athletic competitions based on their birth sex.

Patrick has the ability to hold up any piece of legislation to do this, including the omnibus winter storm response and SB3, a bill relating to weatherization actions in Texas.

Gov. Abbott was quick to respond, citing that there’s still time to get bills passed this session.

The Lt. Governor has used this type of political maneuvering in the past, back in 2017 he held the Texas Medical Board sunset bill hostage to get his bathroom bill moving in a special session.

This time, Patrick is trying to hold HB1600, otherwise known as the Sunset safety net bill, in order to get his way. The bill would extend the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), the Department of Agriculture, TDLR, and the Office of State-Federal Relations, among other agencies, for two more years.