Special session gets underway

The Texas Legislature convened Monday, July 21, to begin a 30-day special session devoted to 18 topics - a large agenda for a short period of time. The primary issues prompting the session include addressing flood relief and emergency systems in the aftermath of the July 4 Central Texas floods, congressional redistricting, and THC regulation or prohibition.

The sole education issue included in the governor's list of topics, elimination of the STAAR test, has not yet gotten underway. A list of bill numbers for Senate priorities notes that SB 8 will be that chamber's testing bill, but as of midday Friday, July 25, it had not been filed. The Senate author of SB 8 will be Sen. Paul Bettencourt. A few bills related to testing and accountability have been filed in the House, but no hearings have been scheduled for the House Public Education Committee.