By rssfeeds-admin Redistricting made headlines in recent weeks as the New York Times reported President Donald Trump was urging Texas Republican congressmen to redraw the state’s maps ahead of the 2026 midterms.
With a slim majority in the U.S. House, it would only take three flips for Democrats to retake control of the chamber. Redrawing maps to benefit the GOP could offset any losses in other parts of the country, and potentially keep the House for the GOP if the election is close.
Republicans already hold 25 out of 38 congressional seats in Texas — a higher percentage of seats than Trump’s 2024 vote share. Some Republicans reportedly have worries that redrawing the maps could make their seats more vulnerable if the midterm environment is favorable to Democrats.
Any attempt to redraw the maps could provoke a response from Democratic governors, as California is reportedly considering a redraw of its maps should Texas move forward. Congressional maps in the country’s two largest Democratic states — California and New York — are drawn by independent commissions, while the two largest Republican states — Texas and Florida — are drawn by legislators.
To address flooding, legislation to improve warning systems and emergency communications in flood-prone areas of Texas is one of the first items in Abbott’s release announcing the agenda. Flooding over the July 4 weekend killed over 100 people in the Texas Hill Country and surrounding counties.
As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 160 people remain missing in Kerr County. The release from the governor’s office did not go into further detail on the system, and lawmakers such as House Speaker Dustin Burrows have said it is too early to determine any specific legislation.
In addition to new warning systems, the special session agenda includes additional funding for flood relief efforts and additional regulation for natural disaster recovery and preparedness.
Education and Tax Relief
Abbott’s agenda includes eliminating the STAAR test and replacing it with alternative assessment tools, along with legislation to reduce property taxes and impose spending limits on entities authorized to levy property taxes.
Social Policy Items
Several agenda items reflect conservative priorities, including legislation to make it a crime to provide hemp-derived products to children under 21 and comprehensive regulation of hemp-derived products. Abbott also seeks legislation “further protecting unborn children and their mothers from the harm of abortion” and measures “protecting women’s privacy in sex-segregated spaces.”
Government Operations
The session will consider proposals to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, including prohibiting the use of tax dollars to hire lobbyists and payments to associations that lobby the Legislature. Abbott also wants to grant the Attorney General constitutional authority to prosecute state election crimes and protect law enforcement officers from public disclosure of unsubstantiated complaints in personnel files.
Additional Measures
The agenda includes legislation protecting human trafficking victims from criminal liability for non-violent acts tied to their victimization, strengthening protections against title theft and deed fraud, providing water project incentives for conservation measures and addressing judicial department operations.
The special session begins at noon on July 21. Unlike regular sessions, special sessions are limited to 30 days and can only consider items specifically placed on the agenda by the governor.
The flood response measures represent the most immediate priority, as federal and state officials continue search and recovery operations in the Hill Country and communities work to rebuild infrastructure damaged by the historic flooding.
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