CHARLOTTE, N.C (TNS) — The Texas Senate met for less than a minute Sunday and gaveled out for the day without debating a controversial border security bill prioritized by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Sunday’s unexpected development likely assures Abbott will call a fourth special session as only two bills from this 30-day session will reach his desk.
Only three Senators appeared on the floor and they recessed until 4 p.m., Tuesday — the last day of the special session.
Heading into Sunday, the chamber had been expected to debate House Bill 4, a contentious proposal that would allow state and local police to arrest migrants who are in Texas without proper legal documentation.
But hours before the meeting, two Democratic senators confirmed to The Dallas Morning News the chamber would confer briefly. That approach is different from when the House debated the proposal as that floor session went deep into the night and early morning hours. Democrats argue the bill is unconstitutional and would discriminate against Hispanic Texans.
A few hours later, Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick canceled Sunday’s session. The day before, Patrick’s official account on X announced he was diagnosed with viral pneumonia Thursday morning. The post said he would be working from home until he could resume his full-time schedule.
The exterior of the Texas Capitol in Austin on Thursday, May 4, 2023. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News/TNS)
