Abbott: Flooding Death Toll Now At 135

C APITAL Highlights 

Gov. Greg Abbott said late last week that the statewide death toll from the catastrophic flooding in the Hill Country stands at 135, and the number of persons missing has dropped to three.

The July 4 flooding began when the storm stalled over what is known as “Flash Flood Alley,” The Dallas Morning News reported.

The death toll in the Kerrville area now stands at 116, including 27 children and counselors who were at Camp Mystic, an all-girls camp.

Abbott has declared a state disaster in 26 counties across Central Texas, the Hill Country and South Texas, which allows those areas to seek federal aid.

The legislative special session, which began on Monday, aims to create new laws that provide relief funding, enhance disaster preparedness and streamline government responses to disasters.

Abbott said he is seeking legislation “that will make preparation for these types of events better, make response to these types of events better to make sure that we leave this disaster in a way that puts Texas in a better position going forward than we were before this devastating storm hit our state.”

Residents in the six counties already eligible for aid via the Federal Emergency Management Agency have already filed more than 2,000 applications for assistance, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

18 Items on Special Session Agenda So Far 

Besides dealing with the aftermath of the July 4 flooding,Abbott has called for lawmakers to redraw congressional districts in response to a notification from the Justice Department that four seats now held by Democrats might violate the law, The News reported. While Republicans hope to gain seats at the expense of Democrats, some political experts say any alteration of the map could hurt GOP incumbents. The department raised concerns over the legality of four districts in Houston and the Dallas area that have non-white majority populations. Lawmakers also will consider regulating THC products derived from hemp after Abbott vetoed an outright ban on the products that passed during the regular session. He has also called on them to address abortion and “protecting women’s privacy in sex-segregated spaces.”

Only the governor can list agenda items for a special session, which lasts 30 days. There is no limit to the number of special sessions he can call between biennial regular sessions.