AUSTIN () Texas lawmakers will meet for the first time Wednesday to begin reviewing the response to catastrophic floods that killed at least 135 people over the Fourth of July weekend and sparked criticism over the lack of warnings issued to residents along the Guadalupe River.
The devastation in the state’s Hill Country region and a partisan redrawing of congressional maps, aimed at giving Republicans more winnable seats in the 2026 elections, are significant issues in the 30-day special session, which is already off to a combative start.
Democrats have said flood relief and early warning systems must be addressed before they will consider any votes on redistricting sought by President Donald Trump. They have not ruled out a walkout in an effort to derail the redistricting effort, which they have criticized as a partisan power grab.
Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has threatened arrests and $500-a-day fines for lawmakers who attempt to break quorum.
The bipartisan select committee is tasked with reviewing four key issues:
- Flood warning systems
- Emergency communications
- Relief funding for Hill Country communities
- Natural disaster preparation and recovery
State and county emergency officials are scheduled to testify before the committee, but no officials from Kerr County, the area most affected by the floods, are expected to appear.
Texans demand accountability after floods
After floodwaters rose in Kerr County, 27 campers and staff, most of them children, died at Camp Mystic an all-girls Christian summer camp that lacked a formal warning system along the river despite multiple opportunities to implement one.
Three people remain missing from the floods. At one point, more than 170 people were unaccounted for.
Lawmakers are scheduled to visit the hard-hit city of Kerrville on July 31 to hear directly from residents. Some locals have said Wednesday’s session is a critical test of whether Gov. Greg Abbott and the legislature will follow through on promises to act.
“If the only warning system is a cellphone alert, what happens if you don’t have them? Or the service is weak or nonexistent?” said Chas Moore, organizing director at Austin Justice Coalition.
“This wasn’t just a climate disaster. This was a preventable and politically charged crisis,” said Cassidy DiPaola, of the Make Polluters Pay campaign.
Democrats focused on Texas flooding as redistricting battle looms
While lawmakers from both parties support action on flood recovery, the redistricting battle looms.
On Monday, the majority of House Democrats signed a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, pledging to abstain from any legislative work unrelated to the floods, the Associated Press reported.
The stage is now set for a high-stakes session that could shape not only how Texas handles future natural disasters but also how it conducts its next election.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
