Protesters demand Gov. Abbott focus more on flood relief in special session
The group gathered to hear speakers address a range of issues that will be brought up in the special session including: the slated redistricting of the state's congressional seats; transgender bathroom usage; and access to abortion pills. But the overarching demand they had was for lawmakers to 'focus on flooding' — a phrase the group chanted multiple times throughout the evening.
'[Abbott] is bringing folks back to the Capitol to ram through an agenda that attacks women's rights, that attacks LGBTQIA+ Texans, and attacks various communities of color that are still drying out from the storm,' Austin City Councilperson Zohaib Qadri said from the podium.
Gov. Greg Abbott last month called a special session, using his authority to bring lawmakers back to Austin to tackle conservative priorities that stalled earlier this year. In Texas, only the governor can call a such a session and set its agenda.
This was the first in a string of protests and gatherings organized against the special session this week. On Monday, a protest is scheduled at the Capitol building from noon to 2 p.m. centering disaster prevention. On Wednesday, organizers are holding a "pack the House' event where they encourage citizens to show up to watch House proceedings from the public gallery. Organizers also encouraged protestors to speak to their state representatives and make public comments at hearings during the special session.
Many in the group of about 100 at the protest focused on the redrawing of congressional districts. This key item on Abbott's agenda — added after pressure from the White House — that could boost the number of Republican-majority seats, potentially expanding the party's slim U.S. House edge after the 2026 elections.
The speaker juxtaposed the issues like redistricting with the state's response to the flash floods that swept through Central Texas earlier this month. Issues surrounding emergency preparedness and the flood relief are on the governor's docket for the special session, but speakers argued that the political issues are overshadowing the flood.
While the redistricting is legal, most of the speakers painted it as unfair and a selfish use of power. Pooja Sethi, former chair of the Travis County Democratic Party and candidate for the Texas House of Representatives, called the redistricting "dishonest," "rushed" and "cheating."
'Do not hijack the special session for your own personal gain,' said Pam King, vice president of the Black Austin Democrats PAC.
Amanda Jaroski, a reproductive rights advocate in Austin, called on lawmakers to 'focus their efforts on passing legislation that will aid and relieve people's devastating claims' from the Central Texas floods. She encouraged them not to prioritize restricting abortion medication, which is 'commonly used in life-saving critical maternal health care.'
Protestors showed to stand against the diverse array of issues. Lynne Lively, a regular attendee of Capitol protests, said she thought the redistricting was a power grab by Republicans. She said it was so unfair that a first-grader could understand it. Ayaann Moledina, the 16-year-old policy director for Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, showed up to criticize the special session's focus on eliminating the STAAR test, calling it a political move to avoid addressing school funding. Those who support the move say the assessment does little to actually improve student outcomes.
Other speakers included Nancy Thompson, founder of Mothers Against Greg Abbott; Javi Andrade, a Democratic congressional candidate for the 10th Congressional District; Kristin Hook, a former congressional candidate for the 21st Congressional District; and Sophia Mirto, president of Hands Off Central Texas, which is a coalition of people and organizations that "defend democracy and engage the civic power of the people."
Sunday's protest was organized by Sethi and Idona Griffith in conjunction with advocacy groups Indivisible Rosedale and Mother for Democracy.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: In Texas, protesters demand Abbott focus more on floods during session
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