Abbott Vetoes 20 Bills as Family Violence
and Crime Justice Measures Top Victims

Capitol Inside
June 19, 2021

Twenty bills fell victim to Governor Greg Abbott's red pen on Friday after clearing the Texas Legislature in the 2021 regular session with overwhelming support and unanimous votes in most case.

The gubernatorial bill killing spree came on the same day that Abbott wiped out the Legislature's budget for the next two years as a way to punish lawmakers from both parties for a parliamentary maneuver that House Democrats employed to block a vote on a controversial voting restriction measure.

The bills that Abbott vetoed included a dozen or more that had been designed to improve the state's criminal justice system with a focus on curbing family violence, sexual abuse, animal cruelty and other problems that have been magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Republican governor took a swipe at the Texas Capital City when he vetoed a municipal utility district bill that a pair of Austin Democrats had guided through the House and Senate this year. Abbott torpedoed a measure that took aim at hazing on Texas university campuses - and he vetoed another bill that revolved on the use of hypnosis in trials.

Abbott used the red pen to bury a piece of legislation that would have given police more leeway for citing people for criminal trespassing as opposed to jailing them for the offense. The governor cited a furor over homeless encampments in Austin as evidence on why people who are charged with trespassing should go to jail. Abbott did not mention in the veto proclamation on the measure that he wants the state police to start arresting migrants on trespassing charges after they're apprehended for crossing the southern border illegally.

The 20 bills that Abbott vetoed on Friday had 30 Democratic legislators and 10 Republicans as chief sponsors.

Abbott zapped four measures that Democratic State Senator Judith Zaffirini of Laredo had passed as the Legislature's most prolific bill sponsor on a perennial basis. Democratic State Senators Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa of McAllen, Eddie Lucio Jr. of Brownsville and Borris Miles of Houston each had two bills whacked by Abbott. The governor also vetoed two bills that GOP State Senator Bryan Hughes of Mineola had shepherded to his desk this year.

more to come ...