.png)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Join the conversation and let your voice be heard.
Submit your letter to the editor to [email protected].
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
The second special session of the Legislature ended last Thursday with a new congressional map, flood relief and safety measures but a stalemate on whether to ban or regulate THC. The Dallas Morning News reported lawmakers approved most of the legislative priorities Gov. Greg Abbott listed for the special session.
In addition to those mentioned above, lawmakers made ivermectin an over-the-counter medication available in pharmacies, agreed to replace the annual State of Texas Assessments of Academic readiness education test and authorized the Texas attorney general to prosecute election fraud.
The original reason the first special session was called came after Abbott vetoed a ban on THC, the psychoactive ingredient in many hemp-derived products. Instead, the governor wanted lawmakers to come up with regulations on its sale.
However, the Senate again passed a ban that went nowhere in the House.
“I’m proud of all of you,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told senators before closing the session. “I know we didn’t always agree on every issue or between parties or within a party, but everybody always was respectful to the other members on the floor, and I’m proud of you.”
Patrick and Abbott remained at loggerheads concerning the THC ban while agreeing on nearly all the other agenda items in the special session.
The first special session went nowhere after Democratic lawmakers broke quorum by leaving the state to block passage of a new congressional redistricting plan. They returned for the second session, where a redistricting map that would likely give the GOP five additional congressional seats was passed on party lines. That map was quickly challenged in court.
In addition, lawmakers passed four bills requiring increased safety measures after the deadly Hill Country flooding in July.
GOP LAWMAKERS ROLL BACK VOTING BILL THEY HELPED PASS
A voting bill that allowed some voters to update their addresses on Election Day went into effect Sept 1. However, after an outcry by some Republicans, the Legislature during the second special session voted to undo that provision and sent the bill to the governor’s desk.
The San Antonio Express- News reported the now-undone law affected voters who changed addresses within the same county. Gov. Gregg Abbott added the call to reverse the legislation after members of the State Republican Executive Committee and some conservative activists expressed concerns the change would lead to voter fraud.
State Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano, authored both the original bill amendment adding the same-day provision and the bill last week to reverse it.
“A lot of the questions were raised during the convention of the elections administrators,” Shaheen said. “So I took it upon myself and thought it would be prudent to reverse the amendment and then hold interim hearings and have all the different stakeholders come to the Capitol and work through all the different scenarios.”
CRUZ WARNS NASA RISKS LOSING GROUND TO CHINA
The United States is at risk of losing dominance in space exploration to China, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and a bipartisan group of senators warned last week. The Houston Chronicle reported that delays continue to plague NASA’s planned mission to the moon. China plans to land on the moon by 2030, according to Cruz.
NASA’s Artemis moon mission aims to put U.S. astronauts back on the moon by 2027. However, experts say that timeline is unlikely given various technical setbacks. U.S. space explorers first landed on the moon in 1969, but missions ceased a few years later.
Cruz said China aims to control space between the Earth’s atmosphere and the moon.
“Space is no longer reserved for peaceful exploration,” Cruz said. “It is a strategic frontier with direct consequences for national security, economic growth and technological leadership. Make no mistake: we are in a new space race with China.”
P resident Donald Trump has proposed slashing NASA’s $24 billion annual budget by 24%.
BID TO LIMIT PROPERTY TAXES DIES IN THE LEGISLATURE
A bid by Texas lawmakers to limit city and county property-tax bills died quietly in the second session, according to The Texas Tribune. The proposal would have tightened the limits on how much more cities and counties can raise property taxes without voter approval.
In negotiations, House and Senate lawmakers deadlocked on how to move forward on the bill, with House lawmakers arguing the bill didn’t go far enough to rein in local spending.
“This is not the solution to our problems,” said state Rep. Mitch Little, R-Lewisville. “This is not the answer to our prayers.”
The bill would only have applied to cities and counties with at least 75,000 residents.
DSHS WARNS CHEMICAL FOUND IN KRATOM IS DANGEROUS
The Texas Department of State Health Services is advising people not to use kratom plant products containing the chemical 7-OH. Concentrated forms of the chemical have been popping up for sale in gummies or as a liquid extract.
Kratom and 7-OH products are marketed as natural remedies for pain, anxiety or to help with opioid withdrawal. They are not approved for medicinal use by the federal Food and Drug Administration. Kratom is often sold in stores that also sell CBD products.
The Texas Poison Center has received 192 reports of exposures involving kratom or other products containing 7-OH. Symptoms can include nausea and vomiting, agitation, high blood pressure, loss of consciousness and seizures.
HUNTERS URGED TO PRACTICE FIRE SAFETY With dove season underway and deer season not far behind, Texas hunters are urged to remain alert and be proactive in preventing wildfires, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Limited rainfall in the Rolling Plains, eastern Hill Country, South Texas and lower Gulf Coast have led to heightened risk of wildfires.
“Even a small spark can quickly ignite a wildfire under the right conditions,” said Jared Karns, Texas A&M Forest Service fire chief. “Texans are encouraged to stay alert and be aware of hazards that can cause a wildfire while hunting this season.”
Hunters are urged to avoid driving or parking over tall, dry grass; never leave a campfire unattended; and ensure trailer chains do not contact the road, which can cause sparks.
Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.
com.
