Texas lawmakers sent some of the strongest abortion restrictions in the nation to Gov. Rick Perry's desk July 15, ending weeks of emotional protest and national debate over the issue.
Abortion rights claimed the spotlight as lawmakers spent the first month of their summer in Austin in two special sessions called to deal with transportation funding, abortion, redistricting and closing a loophole in the juvenile justice system.
In the first called session that began May 27, lawmakers managed to approve the state's interim redistricting maps before the session devolved into a standstill in its final hours over an anti-abortion bill that eventually died.
But the second session, which began July 1, has progressed much differently. Lawmakers have made significant progress on all of Perry's agenda items and are poised to pass most of those before the session, by law, must end on July 30.
Abortion restrictions
The ever-present throngs of thousands of demonstrators on both sides of the abortion debate did little to slow movement on the abortion bill during the second session.
After hours of testimony from thousands of witnesses in the House and Senate, both chambers passed legislation that bans abortions after 20 weeks and requires all abortions to be performed in ambulatory surgery centers.
Opponents say the measure risks the closure of nearly all the state's abortion clinics and erodes a woman's constitutional right to govern her own body. Supporters say it increases safety standards and protects unborn children.
Transportation funding roadblocks
The House and Senate still have not come to an agreement on how to fund Texas roads in the future, grappling over what transportation officials have called a funding crisis and how to find $4 billion per year in additional funding just to maintain current roadways.
Lawmakers could not come to a deal in the regular session and missed their chance in the first session when the abortion debate killed all other proposals.
Now with just a week to go before deadline, the House and Senate are moving forward—but on separate plans.
The Senate has passed a measure to amend the state's constitution and ask voters to approve the diversion of some oil and gas money, on an ongoing basis, from the rainy day fund to pay for roads.
The House is poised to pass a bill that would divert 5 cents from the 20 cent gas tax, which Texans pay at the gas pump, to roads. Money from the gas tax currently goes to education, and critics say that could hold up the legislation when it hits the House floor July 18.
Perry has not said whether he will call a third special session to deal with the issue if lawmakers cannot come to an agreement, though some lawmakers said they hope to have it resolved before the deadline.
"These are challenges that need to be addressed," said Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, chairman of the Senate Committee on Transportation. "And I'm thankful that Gov. Perry has asked us to address this now instead of two years from now, when it will be too late."
Juvenile justice
Lawmakers also sent to the governor a measure that closes a loophole in state law that left the justice system unable to sentence 17-year-olds convicted of capital murder.
Those teens are considered adults by the justice system and are tried as adults, but the U.S. Supreme Court has held that offenders younger than 18 may not be given the death penalty or life without parole—the only two punishments possible for adults convicted of capital offenses.
A bill sent to the governor July 15 created the punishment of life with the possibility of parole for those offenders, bringing Texas into compliance with court rulings.
Special session cost
At a cost of about $30,000 per day, a 30-day special session can cost taxpayers more than $1 million.
The price includes $150 per diem for each lawmaker for food and living expenses in Austin, though a handful choose not to take the pay when they are not in Austin for session work.
A special session can only be called by the governor and cannot last more than 30 days.
