AUSTIN, Texas – Texas lawmakers will return to the Capitol on Monday for a special session called to work on the regulation of THC and 17 other items from Gov. Greg Abbott.
Abbott initially called for the session after vetoing a ban on most hemp products.
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THC is the psychoactive compound found in hemp and marijuana.
Other topics on the special session agenda include flood response, natural disaster preparedness and redrawing the state’s congressional districts.
Lawmakers will also consider legislation that would ban abortion pills and allow for collection of DNA samples from some people crossing the border.
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THC ban
When the regular legislative session ended in June, one of the bills sent to Abbott’s desk was a ban on THC, Senate Bill 3.
The bill banned consumable THC products like vapes, gummies and drinks.
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That bill was vetoed by Abbott in a move that stunned Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who had pushed for the bill to pass all session.
In his veto, Abbott called the bill “well-intentioned” but noted it would face legal challenges.
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Abbott has called for stricter regulations of products and to prevent the sale of products to minors.
Patrick called the veto and subsequent special session a move to legalize recreational marijuana.
A poll from the University of Texas and Texas Politics Project shows that more than 50 percent of Texans do not approve of the ban.
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The Texas hemp industry now supports an estimated 50,000 jobs and generates $8 billion in annual tax revenue.
Four items relate to flood response and natural disaster preparedness, marking the severity of the recent flash flooding that claimed over 100 lives in the Texas Hill Country on the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
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In the midst of search and rescue efforts, many critics have questioned the alert systems in place to warn residents before disasters of this nature occur. The special session appears to be weighted towards strengthening those systems and funding areas in need of improvement.
Those four items are:
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FLOOD WARNING SYSTEMS: Legislation to improve early warning systems and other preparedness infrastructure in flood-prone areas throughout Texas.
FLOOD EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS: Legislation to strengthen emergency communications and other response infrastructure in flood-prone areas throughout Texas.
RELIEF FUNDING FOR HILL COUNTRY FLOODS: Legislation to provide relief funding for response to and recovery from the storms which began in early July 2025, including local match funding for jurisdictions eligible for FEMA public assistance.
NATURAL DISASTER PREPARATION & RECOVERY: Legislation to evaluate and streamline rules and regulations to speed preparedness for and recovery from natural disasters.
The Texas House and Senate have each appointed a nine-person committee ahead of the special session. The committees will work together and hold a meeting at the Capitol on July 23 and another meeting in Kerr County the next week.
Congressional redistricting
Lawmakers to consider redistricting in special session
Texas lawmakers will hold their first joint committee meeting next Wednesday to start to discuss ways to prevent another deadly flood disaster. Governor Abbott has also added redistricting to the special session agenda. FOX’s Steven Dial has more on the governor’s priorities, and what to expect.
Abbott has called for lawmakers to take up redistricting as part of the legislative session.
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The U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to Abbott saying four congressional districts in Texas show signs of racial gerrymandering that is unconstitutional.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said he wanted to gain five Republican seats in the U.S. House through the state’s redistricting efforts.
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The move sparked anger from Democrats, who could consider filibusters and possibly breaking quorum to prevent it from happening.
Abortion pills, DNA testing and other special session topics
Lawmakers have already filed several bills for the special session.
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Among the bills, some look to block the sale of abortion-inducing drugs in the state and create penalties for transporting a minor across state lines for an abortion.
Another would require people to use the bathroom, locker room and other similar public spaces that match their biological gender.
A bill filed by Rep. Terri Leo Wilson would allow for DNA collection and testing of certain people crossing the Texas-Mexico border for use by the Department of Homeland Security.
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What is a special session?
According to the Texas Constitution, the governor can call a special session “at any time and for any reason.”
The reasons for calling the special session must be laid out, and only topics listed by the governor’s proclamation can be taken up during the session.
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Special sessions are limited to a maximum of 30 days, but are not required to be that long.
The Source: Information in this article comes from bills filed in the Texas legislature and previous FOX 7 coverage.
AUSTIN, Texas — Rural hospitals remain a focus for Texas lawmakers as the Texas House Public Health Committee reviews the implementation of major health care legislation passed during the last legislative session.
According to the Texas Hospital Association, Texas is home to 147 rural hospitals that serve a larger share of older and sicker patients, as well as more Medicaid and Medicare recipients, than hospitals in metropolitan areas. Those demographics create significant challenges for health care providers in rural communities.
The association reports that 21 rural hospitals have closed over the past decade. Other facilities have eliminated services, including labor and delivery departments, leaving some pregnant women in rural Texas hours away from birth care.
One measure aimed at addressing those concerns is House Bill 18, which provides additional financial support for rural maternity care. The legislation increases payments associated with childbirth services in rural hospitals.
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“That rural hospital is also going to get a $1500 payment. I mean, they’re going to get the regular reimbursement rate associated with providing those services, but because it’s also a delivery in a rural hospital, they’re going to also get an extra 15-hundred dollars,” a witness told lawmakers.
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Only 40 percent of rural hospitals continue to provide labor and delivery services. House Bill 18 was among several bills approved to strengthen the availability and quality of health care across rural Texas, which covers approximately 85 percent of the state’s land mass.
Committee members also heard testimony on efforts to expand telehealth access and recruit health care workers to rural communities. Witnesses highlighted partnerships between hospitals, clinics, and academic institutions for training and residency programs, as well as loan forgiveness programs designed to encourage clinicians to practice in rural areas.
Lawmakers also discussed broadband access and its role in telehealth services. Testimony indicated that many rural Texans continue to rely on libraries and senior centers to access telehealth resources because broadband service remains limited in some areas.
The USC Trojans are currently in a recruiting war with the Texas Longhorns over four-star offensive tackle Austin Attalah. The 6-8, 270-pound lineman currently has 29 offers from programs such as Ohio State, Oregon, Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida, Miami and Notre Dame. To help narrow down his choices, the four-star prospect has planned visits throughout the summer.
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Although Attalah has been vocal about USC and Texas standing out among the rest, Attalah’s most recent trip to Austin could give USC a run for its money.
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Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Four-Star Tackle Austin Attalah’s Recruitment
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Playing out of Cajon High School (San Bernardino, Calif.), Attalah is nationally ranked No. 15 by On3/Rivals and No. 50 by 247Sports and is the top-10 of his position – No. 2 and No. 6, respectively.
His size and physicality pop when looking at his film. Attalah rarely gets pushed back during one-on-one blocking assignments and turns into a bulldozer when a running play is called his way. He is quick enough to reach the second level and takes pride in finished blocks
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Austin Attalah’s Recruiting History With the Texas Longhorns
On March 27, Attalah received an offer from Texas. Then this past weekend, Attalah met with head coach Steve Sarkisian, offensive line coach Kyle Flood and the rest of the Texas staff. Adam Gorney of Rivals has confirmed that the visit went well and that Attalah was impressed with the facility, staff and camp.
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Texas’ main recruiting pitch to Attalah seems to be that they have become an offensive line factory. Since Sarkisian took over at Texas, he has had five offensive linemen selected in the NFL Draft – Christian Jones (2024, Round 5), Kelvin Banks Jr. (2025, Round 1), Cameron Williams (2025, Round 6), Hayden Connor (2025, Round 6) and DJ Campbell (2026, Round 6).
Dec 31, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on before a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
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In comparison, USC under Lincoln Riley has only had three linemen drafted – Andrew Vorhees (2023, Round 7), Jarrett Kingston (2024, Round 6) and Jonah Monheim (2025, Round 7).
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Another advantage that Texas has over Southern Cal is Attalah’s familial ties to the state. His grandparents currently reside in Floydada, Texas, where Attalah has spent summers at the family ranch.
Austin Attalah’s Recruiting History With the USC Trojans
Attalah received an offer from Southern Cal on March 7 during a campus visit. Then on March 26 in Long Beach (Calif.), USC hosted Attalah and other local high school stars for a spring practice. Throughout the practice, the four-star recruit impressed the Trojan coaching staff.
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While USC may not be producing at the NFL level the way Texas has, recent recruiting strategies by offensive line coach Zach Hanson can turn USC into the offensive line hub of the past. In 2026, Hanson signed five-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe, the No. 5 overall recruit and No. 1 player at his position, according to 247Sports, as well as Vlad Dyakonov and Esun Tafa, both of whom were top-150 prospects.
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USC Trojans offensive line coach Zach Hanson and freshman offensive tackle Chase Deniz | USC Trojans on SI
It also helps that USC is the home of Attalah’s former Cajon teammate, Taylor Johnson, the Trojans’ freshman linebacker.
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The Trojans currently have 88 offerees in the 2028 class, 12 of which are offensive linemen – nine at the tackle position. If the Trojans are unable to land Attalah, they can get another California talent in four-star recruit Lincoln Fa’alafi from Serra Catholic. Four-star recruits Maui Tonata and Mataio Fano would also be huge gets at the position.
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Attalah is slated for another visit on June 9, according to Gorney and Rivals.
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After more than a decade at 2015 E. Riverside Drive (following the original Red River-era venue closing in 2011), Emo’s current Riverside space will be taken over by AEG Presents when the lease ends later this year. The Los Angeles, CA-based company will assume operations in January 2027 and plans to reopen the building under a new name in early 2027 following upgrades, renovations and a full rebrand.
AEG are also opening a new 4,000-cap venue nearby next spring as part of the River Park mixed-use development in southeast Austin.
C3 Presents, who reopened Emo’s at the Riverside location, say this isn’t the end of Emo’s — they’re working on a new home and plan to move the venue back to downtown Austin, with more updates to come.
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AEG Presents Vice President Robin Phillips shared the following:
There’s like no weirdness or any bad blood or anything. It just, you know, new lease and they’ll [Emo’s] go do something great. They have been important to the Austin music scene, so I have a lot of respect for them.
But I don’t think the Austin music scene or legacy is limited to one name. I know people will remember the original Emo’s and this Emo’s as, you know, both great venues… And I don’t think Austin’s music scene is just a name, it’s the artists, in my opinion.
A C3 spokesperson added:
Emo’s has a long history in Austin and we’ve been working behind the scenes for some time on a new home for this venue. After we wrap up at this venue in December, we will focus our efforts on our new location.
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Emo’s gave the following statement to Austin local news KXAN:
We’re grateful for all of the fans and artists who’ve shaped Emo’s to what it is today: a community of like-minded people who love live music. We have a vision for our future and will be moving into a new building downtown that celebrates our punk rock roots with the new amenities that fans are looking for from a venue. We’ll continue to share updates on the next chapter for Emo’s on social media.
