Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he will move to force an overtime session of the Legislature if lawmakers fail to ban THC or tighten Texas’ bail laws — two of his top priorities — before the current session ends in early June.
The power to order lawmakers back to Austin for a special session is reserved for Gov. Greg Abbott, who also gets to set the agenda for such overtime rounds. But in his role presiding over the Texas Senate, Patrick can block any bill from passing, giving him leverage to compel special sessions by killing must-pass legislation.
Patrick did exactly that in 2017, thwarting passage of a “sunset” bill that would have extended the life of several state agencies, including the Texas Medical Board, after the House declined to take up measures curbing property tax rates and requiring transgender people to use public restrooms based on “biological sex” rather than their gender identities…