Abbott delivers State of the State

In his biennial State of the State speech Monday, Gov. Gregg Abbott declared Texas is “brimming with promise” as it seeks to turn the corner on the virus and return to economic dominance.

Abbott unveiled a legislative agenda centered on the state’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and a series of other politically charged issues such as police funding and "election integrity."

In his address, Abbott designated several items the Legislature can vote on within the first 60 day of the session, which began Jan. 12. Items he prioritized were expanding broadband internet access, punishing local governments that “defund the police” as he defines it, changing the bail system, ensuring what he described as “election integrity” and providing civil liability protections for businesses that were open during the pandemic.

Concerning election security, Abbott said he is looking to instill "trust and confidence in the outcome of our elections."

Texas already has some of the most restrictive voting laws in the country, though the state's Republicans are newly focused on the issue after fighting efforts by Democrats to make it easier to vote ahead of the November election due to the pandemic.

Abbott did not mention any particular proposal to penalize local governments that cut police funding, though he has previously pitched ideas like freezing property tax revenues for cities that do so.

Abbott also asked lawmakers to pass laws strengthening civics education in Texas classrooms.

Other non-emergency items included restricting abortion and making Texas a “Second Amendment sanctuary state" by keeping "any government office anywhere" from infringing on Texans' gun rights.

In addressing the pandemic, Abbott called for legislation to permanently expand telemedicine and to prevent “any government entity from shutting down religious activities in Texas,” nodding to a debate early on in the pandemic over whether churches counted as essential businesses.

"I will continue working with the Legislature to find ways to navigate a pandemic while also allowing businesses to remain open," said Abbott.

Dr. Emily Knight, CEO of the Texas Restaurants Association, responded to the pandemic liability protections for businesses favorably, saying, “The Texas Restaurant Association applauds our state’s leaders for prioritizing pandemic liability protections for businesses – like local restaurants – that are going above and beyond to keep their customers and employees safe. COVID-19 has devastated the restaurant industry, but with tools like liability protections, we can work together to ensure the Texas economy recovers stronger than ever."

National Federation of Independent Business State Director Annie Spillman said, "Governor Abbott clearly understands the challenges facing the state's small businesses in these difficult times. Our members are especially relieved by the governor's support for COVID-19 liability protections for small businesses. Bad actors should be held accountable, but businesses that follow the government's safety guideless to protect their customers and employees from the coronavirus should be protected from predatory trial lawyers trying to profit from the pandemic. We're also encouraged by the governor's support for easing the regulatory burdens on small businesses.”

The Alliance for Securing and Strengthening the Economy in Texas offered a statement that "Governor Abbott is leading with an agenda that will foster economic growth and allow opportunities for individual Texans to flourish. This agenda will help the Texas economy continue to recover by removing regulations that stifle job creation and by keeping business decisions with businesses, rather than government. Given the uncertainty facing businesses and employees, we are also encouraged by the Governor’s emphasis on preparing workers to meet the demands of our dynamic Texas economy.”

M. Scott Norman, Jr., Executive Director of the Texas Association of Builders, applauded the efforts of Abbott “in keeping our state and its citizens open for business during the COVID-19 pandemic that has allowed our members to continue to safely build and repair homes across the state. As outlined in tonight’s address, we appreciate his ongoing commitment to maintaining our state’s healthy business and jobs climate that continues to be the envy of the nation.”

This will be Abbott’s last session before he is up for reelection in 2022, and he alluded to one potential Democratic challenger for a third term: Beto O’Rourke, the former El Paso congressman. Abbott said gun rights are “under attack” and noted politicians have said, “Heck yes, the government is coming to get your guns” — a paraphrase of O’Rourke’s 2019 statement embracing a mandatory buyback program for assault weapons.

The session is also coming at the start of a new Democratic presidential administration in Washington, D.C. While Abbott and other top Texas Republicans have made clear they plan to vigorously challenge President Joe Biden’s policies, the governor made only one allusion to Biden in his speech, saying that "because of the federal government’s open border policies, Texas must fortify its efforts to secure our border."