The Texas Legislature worked overtime on the final weekend of May, which also happens to be the final full weekend of the current legislative session.
There are deadlines before next weekend that will make it hard for senators and representatives to get any important public work done next weekend, but the week ahead is still crucial for wrapping up required work and finishing work already underway.
Among the most prominent bills that are passing in the state House and Senate is a ban on products containing THC (a chemical compound from hemp and marijuana, short for tetrahydrocannabinol, known to some as "the stuff that gets you high"). The bill was not widely emphasized early in this year's session, yet it's now on the minds of many, especially those in the hemp industry, which will be hit hard by the new law should the bill be signed by Governor Greg Abbott.
Another bill coming out of Austin would technically eliminate sanctuary cities in Texas. It would require every sheriff in Texas who's in charge of running a jail to make an agreement with federal Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). The agreement must stipulate that sheriffs will assist in identifying illegal immigrants and hold them for federal authorities in some cases. The bill also allows payments to sheriffs to help pay for their ICE-related efforts.
And the legislature could make Texas the second US state to ban social media for minors. House Bill 186 would ban anyone under 18 from signing up for and/or using social media platforms. House Bill 186 has already passed the state House and could be voted out of the Senate as soon as Monday or Tuesday, ready to go to Governor Abbott to become state law.