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Abbott’s Second Special Session Doubles Down on Voter Suppression, Ignores Failed Power Grid 

Statement of Adrian Shelley, director of Public Citizen's Texas office

Gov. Greg Abbott today released his call for a second special session of the Texas Legislature starting on Saturday, Aug. 7. Abbott’s highly partisan agenda targets voting rights and transgender students but contains no provisions to address the catastrophic failures by energy companies and state regulators that resulted in hundreds of preventable deaths during Winter Storm Uri in February. Adrian Shelley, director of Public Citizen’s Texas office, issued the following statement:

“If Gov. Abbott really wanted to address the needs of Texans, he would drop his divisive, anti-democratic attempts to suppress the vote in Texas and focus on substantive issues. The governor’s second special session will likely be just as pointless as the first, as he doubles down on political pandering aimed at placating his base.

“Abbott falsely told lawmakers ‘mission accomplished’ on improving the Texas grid in June. In July, he ordered the Public Utility Commission to do an energy market overhaul designed to appease fossil fuel companies while his campaign is accepting millions from energy executives. Energy pricing affects everyone in Texas, and a market design process should involve all Texans, from legislators to the public — not just Abbott-appointed insiders.

“We appreciate Abbott’s renewed statement of opposition to high-level radioactive waste in Texas in his new special session call. Lawmakers should join him in preventing Texas from becoming the nation’s nuclear waste dump.”