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AUSTIN (NewsNation) — Texas lawmakers volition conscionable for the archetypal clip Wednesday to statesman reviewing the effect to catastrophic floods that killed astatine slightest 135 people implicit the Fourth of July play and sparked disapproval implicit the deficiency of warnings issued to residents on the Guadalupe River.
The devastation successful the state's Hill Country portion and a partisan redrawing of legislature maps, aimed astatine giving Republicans much winnable seats successful the 2026 elections, are important issues successful the 30-day peculiar session, which is already disconnected to a combative start.
Democrats person said flood alleviation and aboriginal informing systems indispensable beryllium addressed earlier they volition see immoderate votes connected redistricting sought by President Donald Trump. They person not ruled retired a walkout successful an effort to derail the redistricting effort, which they person criticized arsenic a partisan powerfulness grab.
Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has threatened arrests and $500-a-day fines for lawmakers who effort to interruption quorum.
The bipartisan prime committee is tasked with reviewing 4 cardinal issues:
- Flood informing systems
- Emergency communications
- Relief backing for Hill Country communities
- Natural catastrophe mentation and recovery
State and region exigency officials are scheduled to attest earlier the committee, but nary officials from Kerr County, the country astir affected by the floods, are expected to appear.
Texans demand accountability after floods
After floodwaters roseate successful Kerr County, 27 campers and staff, astir of them children, died astatine Camp Mystic — an all-girls Christian summertime campy that lacked a ceremonial informing strategy on the stream contempt multiple opportunities to instrumentality one.
Three people stay missing from the floods. At 1 point, more than 170 people were unaccounted for.
Lawmakers are scheduled to sojourn the hard-hit metropolis of Kerrville connected July 31 to perceive straight from residents. Some locals person said Wednesday's league is simply a captious trial of whether Gov. Greg Abbott and the legislature volition travel done connected promises to act.
"If the lone informing strategy is simply a cellphone alert, what happens if you don't person them? Or the work is anemic oregon nonexistent?" said Chas Moore, organizing manager astatine Austin Justice Coalition.
"This wasn't conscionable a clime disaster. This was a preventable and politically charged crisis," said Cassidy DiPaola, of the Make Polluters Pay campaign.
Democrats focused connected Texas flooding arsenic redistricting conflict looms
While lawmakers from some parties enactment enactment connected flood recovery, the redistricting conflict looms.
On Monday, the bulk of House Democrats signed a missive to Speaker Mike Johnson, pledging to abstain from immoderate legislative enactment unrelated to the floods, the Associated Press reported.
The signifier is present acceptable for a high-stakes league that could signifier not lone however Texas handles aboriginal earthy disasters but besides however it conducts its adjacent election.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
