Abbott calls second special session of Texas Legislature to 'finish the work that was started'

Gov. Greg Abbott has made good on his promise to call another special session of the Texas Legislature, which is to begin on Aug. 7 at noon.

Abbott took to Twitter to inform the public of the initiatives he wanted lawmakers to tackle.

“I'm convening a second special session on 8/7,” he wrote. “The #txlege must finish the work that was started. I'll call special session after special session to reform our broken bail system, uphold election integrity and pass other items Texans demand and deserve.”

The new session will start after the first special session ends, with Abbott previously stating that he would keep calling on them until the Texas Democrats who left to Washington, D.C. return.

"I will continue to call special session after special session to reform our broken bail system, uphold election integrity, and pass other important items that Texans demand and deserve," Abbott said.

The liberal lawmakers left the state shortly after the first session began in an effort to stall voter reform legislation, which had been at the anchor to the entire agenda on why Abbott called the special session initially.  

Politico reported that Democrats went to the nation’s capital in an effort to raise awareness on the proposed bill, which they view as restrictive, along with hopes of having a federal law passed that would render the proposed Texas voter reform law obsolete.  

Abbott called the first session as a measure to get the GOP's election security bill passed, countering the Democrats' first walkout that ended the regular session of the 87th Legislature.

Apart from election voter reform, topics on the agenda will include border security, education during the COVID-19 pandemic and bail reform.

"Passing these special session agenda items will chart a course toward a stronger and brighter future for the Lone Star State," Abbott said.