"I will announce next week the plan for the state of Texas to begin building the border wall in the state of Texas," @GovAbbott says in Del Rio
Abbott said this at border security summit, where he also said he'd issue a new disaster declaration next week in which DPS "will work w/ local officials to arrest anyone who enters our state illegally & is found trespassing, engaged in vandalism, criminal mischief or smuggling."
A couple other announcements Abbott made there:
- formation of Governor's Task Force on Border and Homeland Security, which will meet every two weeks
- "invoking an interstate compact power" w/ Arizona on border security, hoping other states join
.@GovAbbott, asked at Fort Worth presser about @DanPatrick's call for a special session: "That’s pretty goofy because everybody knows there’s only one person with the authority to call a special session, and that’s the governor." #txlege
Abbott: “If anybody tries to force this, it’s not gonna be like ... in the past where we’ll have 40 items. ... The only thing I will be putting on there are things I want [passed]. ... We’re gonna go 1 item at a time. ... Not until they pass that item, we move on to another item"
Abbott: "If anybody tries to hold hostage this...session to force a special...that person will be putting their members...potentially into a special...4 another 2 yrs until the next reg session bc I’m gonna make sure we get things passed, not just open up some debating society."
At Capitol presser, @DanPatrick increases pressure on @GovAbbott to act on electricity repricing. Patrick notes Abbott has "extraordinary powers" under emergency declaration and he could take swift action on repricing if he wanted to. #txlege
.@DanPatrick asks @GovAbbott to "order, under the emergency orders you have, the PUC chair to tell ERCOT to correct that price" #txlege
If @GovAbbott doesn't do that, he can order the PUC chair to tell ERCOT that prices are under investigation, which would extend Friday deadline, @DanPatrick says. #txlege
Do you agree with the House or Senate approach to repricing? "I've already made multiple comments about that, and I'll just leave those comments. You can pull them up," @GovAbbott said. #txlege
Why'd you ask for D'Andrea's resignation? Abbott: "We want to make sure that we are going to show the vision to our fellow Texans that we are charting a new and fresh course for the [PUC], and the action that I made is one of many steps that will be taken to achieve those goals."
"You know it, brother. Hey, everything's bigger in Texas, man — and you can see the size of me"
Rodimer: "I'm running because we need to fight to keep our constitutional-friendly states."
"We need fighters in Texas, and and that's what I'm coming here for. I'm moving back to Texas. I have six children and I want them to be raised in a constitutional-friendly state." #TX06
News — @GovAbbott: "Effective next Wednesday, all businesses of any type are allowed to open 100%."
"Also, I am ending the statewide mask mandate." #txlege
Abbott: “If businesses want to limit capacity or implement add'l safety protocols, they have the right to do so. It is their business, & they get to choose to operate their biz the way they want to. At this time, though, ppl & biz don’t need the state telling them how to operate"
Abbott, nodding to concerns from local officials: "If COVID hospitalizations in any of the 22 hospital regions in TX rise above 15% of the hospital bed capacity in that region for 7 str8 days, then a co. judge in that region may use COVID mitigation strategies in their county"