Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott convened a roundtable and press conference at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, urging legislators to address what he described as Texas' "deadly and broken bail system." Governor Abbott emphasized the need for legislative reform to ensure that dangerous criminals remain incarcerated.

"I’m here today to tackle a bipartisan, commonsense issue to fix the deadly and broken bail system that lets dangerous criminals back onto our streets," said Governor Abbott. He highlighted incidents where violent offenders were released on bail only to commit further crimes, stressing the importance of passing a constitutional amendment.

Joining him were several notable figures including Senator Joan Huffman, Representative John Smithee, law enforcement leaders such as Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne, and advocacy groups. Survivors like Sophia Strother Lewis also participated in the discussion.

Senator Huffman supported the Governor's stance: "Governor Abbott has laid out perfectly what the bill is going to do," she stated. She urged Democrats to consider their moral obligation towards victims' families. Representative Smithee echoed this sentiment by asserting that successful legislation would benefit victims' families.

Sheriff Hawthorne expressed support for maintaining stringent bail procedures: “The Sheriffs of Texas want to ensure dangerous criminals stay behind bars and out of our communities.” Bob Leonard from CLEAT called for increased judicial transparency and accountability regarding violent offenders.

APA President Michael Bullock criticized lenient judicial practices: “Innocent Texans are being harmed... Radical DAs and lenient judges are making our cities more dangerous.”

SAPOA President Danny Diaz pointed out issues specific to San Antonio: “Our rogue District Attorney and lack of bail reform must be addressed."

Ms. Strother Lewis shared her personal experience with inadequate bail decisions, challenging lawmakers not supporting reform: "I declare, for any representative or senator not on board with this, to come to my face and tell me what value you see."

During the event, Governor Abbott recounted a tragic incident involving Xavier Jones Sr., whose murderers had been released on multiple bonds. He called upon Representative James Talarico to back stricter bail policies.

Governor Abbott proposed several reforms including denying bail automatically for certain violent crimes unless evidence shows defendants won't pose community risks; requiring judges who release violent criminals on easy bail to publicly justify their decisions; and allowing prosecutors appeals over questionable bond rulings.

In his 2025 State of the State Address earlier this year, Governor Abbott identified bail reform as an emergency legislative priority.