ADRIAN MA, HOST:
Texas lawmakers start a special session this week. On their agenda - disaster relief and preparedness following floods earlier this month that killed more than 130 people. But the legislature is also considering other issues. At the urging of President Trump, Republican governor Greg Abbott wants lawmakers to redraw the state's congressional map, and this could favor the GOP in the 2026 midterm elections. For details, we're joined by Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom and member station KUT in Austin. Morning, Blaise.
BLAISE GAINEY, BYLINE: Yeah, thanks for having me.
MA: Blaise, this session was planned to deal with the regulation of hemp sales. Now the focus is the flood. So what do we know about what lawmakers will do?
GAINEY: Yeah, well, special session kicks off tomorrow. The first dramatic moment will likely come on July 31. That's when state lawmakers meet in Kerrville with community members, and that'll be their first time to hear from one another. People have pointed out that last session, the Texas Senate failed to advance a bill that could've provided money for alert systems. And now Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who runs the Senate, has promised that sirens will be up and along the Guadalupe River, where the most recent flooding was, by next summer. But there will be more proposals as the special session gets underway.
MA: I mean, floods are not a new issue in Texas. Has this been on the radar for the legislature before?
GAINEY: Yeah, it has. The state has been working on these issues, but the latest flood plan shows that more than $50 billion worth of plans are still pending. So it's not an easy fix, let's say. There will also be a lot of counties asking for help. Guadalupe is just one of the areas that is hit by floods pretty often. And after this recent tragedy, lawmakers know there's pressure to produce something. When I spoke with Republican Representative Drew Darby, who's on one of those committees forums that focus on the floods, he says he's known about the growing needs for years.
DREW DARBY: This disaster has reinforced the critical need to address this problem, and I hope that the legislature remains strong and vigilant and committed to fix this problem.
GAINEY: Now, one bill that's already been filed would increase flood safety standards at youth camps. It was Camp Mystic youth camp that was hit hardest. Thirty girls and counselors died. And when I talk to flood experts, they say that the U.S. is overall behind some countries that have more advanced flood warning and control systems. But those are mostly in China, for example. So we'll have to see what Texas does, if it looks in-state or overseas to make their upgrades.
MA: Let's turn to this redistricting issue because the timing here is kind of unusual, isn't it?
GAINEY: Yeah, definitely. I mean, typically, states redraw districts at the top of the decade once the population estimates from the census are released, but President Trump has urged Texas to redraw those congressional lines ahead of the midterm elections. He believes there's at least five more seats the U.S. - for the U.S. House here. The Justice Department has said that most of those come from what looks like constitutional gerrymandering right now in heavy democratic voting blocs around Houston. So we expect to see changes there.
MA: So what are Democrats saying about that?
GAINEY: Well, in Washington, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, who leads the Democrats in the House, says that Trump is trying to steal the midterm elections by rigging. And here in the state, Democrats have also been upset that Abbott will go along with Trump's plan to do this midterm redistricting. But there are other big bills that may take up some time during this 30-month session. So we'll see what they can get done.
MA: That's Blaise Gainey with The Texas Newsroom in Austin. Thanks so much for joining us, Blaise.
GAINEY: Not a problem. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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