THE VICTIM WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE LATER DIED DRIVER DID STAY ON SCENE AND
TRIED TO HELP POLICE SAY THE
DRIVER IS NOT EXPECTED TO
FACE CHARGES.
>> TEXAS REPUBLICANS LARGELY
GOT WHAT THEY WANTED DURING
THIS 3RD SPECIAL SESSION OF THE
TEXAS LEGISLATURE.
>> WELL THE GOP PASSED NEARLY
EVERYTHING IT WANTED TO
HIGH-PROFILE PROPOSALS FAILED
AND JOINING US LIVE RIGHT NOW
JOURNALIST HARRIS A VALLEY TO
TALK ABOUT THE LAST
TEXAS LEGISLATURE, GOOD
MORNING. FERRIS.
>> GOOD MORNING. HOW ARE YOU
GUYS WERE GOOD. HE WAS LARGELY
SUCCESSFUL SESSION FOR
REPUBLICANS BUT WHAT DID NOT
MAKE IT OVER THE FINISH LINE.
>> YEAH THERE WERE A FEW THINGS
MARK THAT JUST HAPPEN TO NOT
MAKE IT
YOU KNOW THE FIRST WAS THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD PUT A LOT
OF PRESSURE ON GOVERNOR ABBOTT
AND THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE TO
PASS AN ELECTION
AUDIT BILL. TRUMP HAD WON TEXAS
AND YOU KNOW IS IT WAS VERY
CLEAR THERE IS NO DISPUTE OVER
THAT, BUT REGARDLESS OF THAT.
YOU KNOW TRUMP HAD WON IN.
>> A BILL THAT
WOULD ALLOW.
>> ANY CANDIDATE TO YOU KNOW
REQUEST AN AUDIT FROM THE
SECRETARY OF STATE.
IT WAS GOING
TO REALLY UP AND A LOT OF THE
ELECTION PROCESS EASE AND YOU
KNOW THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS
BEHIND EVERYTHING YOU WOULD
HAVE MADE IT HARD FOR
A LOT OF OUR ELECTION OFFICIALS
TO DO THEIR JOBS BECAUSE
CANDIDATES WOULD BE ABLE TO
REQUEST DOCUMENTATION ALL
THE TIME. SO THAT WAS SOMETHING
THAT NEVER MADE IT ON TO THE
AGENDA OF THE SPECIAL SESSION
AND THEN AND A PASSING ANOTHER
THING GOVERNOR ABBOTT HAD ASKED
LAWMAKERS TO INCREASE
THE PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL
VOTING NOW FUTURE THE TEXAS
LEGISLATURE PASSED THAT DAY THE
ELECTIONS. EARLIER
THIS YEAR AND PART OF THE
COMPROMISE THAT THEY WORKED OUT
WITH DEMOCRATS
WAS TOO DECREASE THAT PENALTY
ON ANYBODY WHO MAYBE VOTED
ILLEGALLY BUT DIDN’T KNOW THEY
WERE ILLEGALLY VOTING AND
ABBOTT HAD ASKED THE
LEGISLATURE TO POSSIBLY
INCREASE THOSE PENALTIES OF THE
LEGISLATURE DID NOT TAKE THAT
UP AND LASTLY ABBOTT HAD ASKED
THE LEGISLATURE
TO I’M REALLY PUT HIS
EXECUTIVE ORDER INTO STATE LAW
AND COVID-19
VACCINE MANDATES FROM ALL
BUSINESSES PRIVATE AND PUBLIC.
>> AND SPEAKING OF THAT PEREZ WHY DIDN’T LAWMAKERS TAKE UP ABBOTT’S PROPOSAL TO BAN
VACCINE MANDATES.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW I THINK ONE
THING STEPHANIE WAS THAT ABBOTT
ADDED THIS TO THE YOU KNOW WITH
REALLY ABOUT A WEEK WEST.
IN THE SPECIAL SESSION AND YOU
HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT YOU KNOW
THEY WERE
THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THIS
REALLY TOUGH
REDISTRICTING BATTLE. AND SO
THAT WAS REALLY TAKING ALL OF
THEIR ATTENTION SO THEY DIDN’T
REALLY HAVE TOO MUCH TIME
TO CONSIDER THAT VACCINE
MANDATE BILL I THINK THE OTHER
THING WAS TO IS THAT A LOT OF
BUSINESS GROUPS A LOT OF
PROMINENT BUSINESS GROUPS
AROUND THE STATE.
REALLY HEAVILY OPPOSED THIS
BILL AND THEY TOLD LAWMAKERS
LOOK IF YOU WERE TO PASS THIS
INTO LAW YOU’RE PUTTING A LOT
OF OUR BIGGER BUSINESSES IN AN
IMPOSSIBLE POSITION
HAVING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN
WHETHER TO FOLLOW THE STATE LAW
WERE TO FOLLOW FEDERAL MANDATES
PUT OUT
AND YOU KNOW GENERALLY SPEAKING
FEDERAL LAW TAKES PRECEDENCE
OVER STATE LAW.
SO IT WAS JUST A TOUGH PROPOSAL
AND I THINK LAWMAKERS DIDN’T
REALLY HAVE THE TIME TO GET
INTO IT AND AND WITH THE
OPPOSITION FROM THE BUSINESS
GROUPS JUST MAY BE EASIER TO
KIND OF KICK THIS ONE.
YOU KNOW KICK THIS CAN DOWN THE
ROAD AND NOT NOT REALLY GET
INTO THE DEBATE
A BIT.
>> FARIS IS THERE ANOTHER
SPECIAL SESSION SCHEDULED AT
THIS POINT.
>> WELL YOU KNOW MARK I’M
SURE THE LAWMAKERS SURE SURE
HOPE NOT AT THIS POINT YOU KNOW
THEY’VE BEEN HERE FOR 3 SPECIAL
SESSIONS NOW ON TOP OF THE
REGULAR SESSION WHICH WAS SUCH
A BUSY TIME FOR THEM.
YOU KNOW IT’S REALLY UP TO THE
GOVERNOR’S DISCRETION. HE CAN
CALL FOR A SPECIAL SESSION IF
HE FEELS LIKE YOU KNOW THOSE
THINGS REALLY NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED. BUT THE TONE WE GOT
FROM THE STATE LAWMAKERS AS
THEY GAVEL NOW OF THIS 3RD
SPECIAL SESSION. IT SEEMED LIKE
THEY WEREN’T EXPECTING TO COME
BACK TO REALLY GET ANY OF THESE
SPEAKER DADE PHELAN HAD KIND OF
BID FAREWELL TO A LOT OF THE
STATE LAWMAKERS WHO MAY BE
RETIRING ARE NOT SEEKING
REELECTION. SO I KIND OF GIVES
US A
SIGN THAT YOU THAT THERE
SHOULDN’T BE FOR A SPECIAL
SESSION COMING BUT AGAIN IT’S
UP TO THE GOVERNOR SO WE’LL
JUST HAVE TO SEE WHAT HE