Texas state Rep. Brian Harrison is urging Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session of the Legislature to curb the governor's emergency powers before Democrat Gina Hinojosa takes office. The push follows Hinojosa's victory over Abbott in Tuesday's governor's race, a result that would make her the first Latina to hold the state's highest office.
Harrison argues that the incoming governor could use emergency authority to act quickly on policy priorities, and he wants lawmakers to rein that power in first. He cites Government Code 433.002, which governs the governor's emergency directives, and notes that under Texas law those powers are subject to legislative termination. Harrison previously filed a bill, HB911, in 2022 aimed at restricting the same authority, and he is now pressing for action on that goal before the transfer of power. The timing gives lawmakers a narrow window, since Hinojosa is scheduled to be sworn in in January 2027 and any change would need to be in place before she can invoke the powers.
The urgency stems in part from Hinojosa's campaign positions. Reports indicate she pledged to take emergency actions on gas taxes and electricity rates, two cost-of-living issues that carry weight with voters across the state. Harrison's proposal would close off that option before she can use it, moving the debate from the campaign trail to the Capitol. Supporters of the idea would likely argue that emergency declarations should not be a shortcut around the Legislature, while critics would see it as an effort to constrain an incoming administration before it has governed at all.
The effort comes amid a broader shake-up in Texas politics. Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race on the same ballot, a result that has added to the sense of change in a state long dominated by the GOP. Some Republican state senators have said they will resist Democratic-led policy goals, signaling that the coming legislative session could be contentious regardless of how the emergency-powers question is resolved. Former President Donald Trump blamed Abbott's loss on the governor being a «RINO,» a term used by critics for Republicans seen as insufficiently conservative, a charge that places the defeat inside the ongoing intra-party debate over the party's direction.
Abbott has pledged to assist Hinojosa's transition team, a gesture that stands in contrast to the sharpness of the campaign and the partisan maneuvering now underway. Sen. Ted Cruz noted that Texas has not had a Democratic governor since 1994, underscoring how rare the outcome is in a state where Republicans have held statewide offices for decades. That historical context helps explain why the transition has drawn attention well beyond the state.
Neither Abbott's office nor Hinojosa's office responded to requests for comment. It remains unclear whether Abbott will call the special session Harrison is requesting, and how lawmakers would approach any limits on gubernatorial emergency authority. The answer will shape how much room the next governor has to act on energy costs and tax policy from the first days of her term.