Texas on ‘comeback’ from pandemic

Austin, Texas – Republican Governor Greg Abbott said Texas is on a comeback from a pandemic that killed more than 36,000 people here – the third most in the US – and America’s largest red state Monday night in a tangle of votes over voting, police and immigration that is likely to increase political divisions in the coming months.

In his last State of the State address before going on the ballot for a third term in 2022, Abbott called for a ban on police budget cuts and ordered the GOP majority in the Texas Capitol to prioritize “ election integrity. ” without mentioning it. that there was no evidence of widespread fraud during the 2020 elections.

He also demanded more gun protection on the books at a time when the NRA is recently considering rerunning in Texas, and more anti-abortion laws in a state that already has some of the most restrictive measures in the country.

Democrats used their rebuttal to narrowly address Abbott’s handling of the pandemic and paint a more bleak picture than his optimistic assessments, saying that an uneven response continues to spread cases and leave cities powerless to contain outbreaks.

“Our comeback is already a reality,” said Abbott. Texans go back to work. Students return to school. Families restore routines. With more vaccinations and increased immunity every day, the norm is returning to Texas. “

Abbott, who has not ruled out a presidential run in 2024, first provided his State of the State for Texas primetime television – rather than for Capitol lawmakers, where COVID-19 concerns continue to limit rallies .

But that gave Abbott an even wider audience than usual to defend his pandemic response – which was being attacked by members of his own party – at a time when Texas, like most of the US, is finally seeing hospital admissions and cases falling after a have reached record. highs in recent weeks.

He praised front-line hospital workers for their resilience and stated that expanding broadband access was a priority in the wake of a pandemic that forced millions to work and go to school from home. There was no direct help for Texans working, but a demand for legislation that would protect businesses from pandemic-related lawsuits.

He also called on Texas to reenter border security several weeks after Biden’s presidency, after Texas won a court order that halted the new government’s plans to enact a 100-day moratorium on deportations.

Democrats, still dusting themselves off a demoralizing election cycle with their huge hopes shining up and down in Texas, didn’t even wait for Abbott’s speech before breaking out into a pandemic. Along the border, the city of Laredo is still struggling with one of the worst outbreaks in the country.

“As the governor tries to cover up the lives that have been lost and the severity of the crisis we are facing, Texans everywhere know that things are not right, and they are getting worse,” said Gilberto Hinojosa, Democratic Party chairman. Texas. “We must demand more from leaders or we will never reach a point where each of us has a fair chance to move forward.”

The state of the state is typical when governors set out their legislative priorities for the coming year. In Texas, lawmakers meet for just five months every two years, with lawmakers only given until the end of May to try to get Abbott’s priorities to his desk.

This Texas term is the first since mass shootings that shook the state before the pandemic, the most deadly of which was a gunman who reportedly confessed to targeting Mexicans when he opened fire on a Walmart, killing 23 people. Abbott formed a task force on domestic terrorism and extremism after the attack, but made no mention of the shooting during his speech Monday evening.

Abbott also did not enact or endorse any specific police reforms after George Floyd’s death last year sparked a global settlement over police brutality and racial prejudice. Abbott, who attended Floyd’s funeral in Houston, did not mention race, saying lawmakers “must provide the police with the tools and training they need to ensure the security their communities deserve.

You can watch a replay of Abbott’s speech and Democratic response below:

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