Texas lawmakers return for special session. Here’s what Governor Abbott has on the agenda

Lawmakers head back to Austin on Monday for their third special session of 2023 with issues like “education freedom” and border security on the docket.

It has been speculated for months that lawmakers would be called back in October, but the agenda set by Gov. Greg Abbott wasn’t announced until Wednesday afternoon. As expected, Abbott’s special session call includes legislation for a voucher-like program the governor has made a top priority — education savings accounts, allowing parents to use taxpayer dollars for their child’s private education.

“Together, we will chart a brighter future for all Texas children by empowering parents to choose the best education option for their child,” Abbott said in a Wednesday statement.

Abbott’s agenda also includes measures aimed at curbing illegal immigration, ending certain COVID-19 restrictions and policies related to the Houston-area community of Colony Ridge in Liberty County. The neighborhood has been the subject of unsubstantiated claims that it it’s a magnet for immigrants in the country illegally, according to the Associated Press.

The governor sets the agenda for special sessions. Earlier special sessions over the summer largely focused on property tax cuts.

The following is on the agenda for the session starting at 1 p.m. Monday.

• “Legislation providing education savings accounts for all Texas schoolchildren.”
• “Legislation to do more to reduce illegal immigration by creating a criminal offense for illegal entry into this state from a foreign nation and authorizing all licensed peace officers to remove illegal immigrants from Texas.”
• “Legislation to impede illegal entry into Texas by increasing the penalties for certain criminal conduct involving the smuggling of persons or the operation of a stash house.”
• “Legislation to impede illegal entry into Texas by providing more funding for the construction, operation, and maintenance of border barrier infrastructure.”
• “Legislation concerning public safety, security, environmental quality, and property ownership in areas like the Colony Ridge development in Liberty County, Texas.”
• “Legislation prohibiting COVID-19 vaccine mandates by private employers.”

Abbott elaborated on his ideas for the policies in his statement accompanying the special session announcement.

“Texas will also pass laws to mirror the federal immigration laws President Joe Biden refuses to enforce that will reduce illegal immigration and enhance the safety of Texans,” He said, continuing that the state will also “subject people to arrest for illegal entry into our state from a foreign nation.

“All licensed law enforcement officers in Texas will be authorized to arrest or remove any person who illegally enters the State, with penalties up to 20 years in prison for refusing to comply with removal,” Abbott said. “To crack down on repeated attempts to enter Texas illegally, re-entry will be penalized with up to 20 years in prison.”

Tensions will likely be high between the House and Senate, particularly between House Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and within the Republican Party as lawmakers return to the Capitol. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment in the House and subsequent acquittal in the Senate has exasperated the divides.

The majority of House lawmakers have previously rejected using state money voucher-like programs. The entanglement of education savings accounts with the push for teacher pay raises added another wrinkle during the regular session that ended in late May.

Democrats on Wednesday pushed back on Abbott’s plan for education savings accounts.

“No one wants Abbott’s voucher plan,” said Rep. Chris Turner, an Arlington Democrat in a campaign email. “What Texans want is to fund public schools, pay our teachers better and fix our flawed accountability system.”