Governor Vetoes 50 Bills as Special Session Nears

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Thursday afternoon that he has had vetoed 50 bills passed by the 85^th Legislature. 

Abbott called many of the bills unnecessary, too costly or too burdensome.  One such bill, SB744, dealt with municipal tree ordinances.  The Governor said the bill didn’t go far enough, “Cities telling landowners what they can and cannot do with the trees in their own back yard is an assault on private property rights.  This bill was well-intentioned, but by the end of the legislative process in actually ended up doing more to protect cities than it did to protect the rights of property owners.”

Abbott went on to say he believes the legislature can do better for private property owners in the upcoming special session. 

The governor vetoed a wide range of legislation including measures concerning mail in ballots in small counties, a parent’s right to view the body of a deceased child before an autopsy is performed, and the disposal of pesticides.