Texas Republicans look to restrict governor's powers

Members of the newly elected state leadership are now outlining their plans after Texas went blue for the first time in decades. Hello, everybody. I'm Heather Hayes. I'm Steve Eager. It's nine o'clock. Earlier this evening, it became official. Democrats have also taken control of the statehouse. Today, Democrats have been taking a victory lap after last night's huge wins. The party taking the open U.S. Senate seat as well. Governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and more. It will be the first time Democrats control the statehouse since Republicans took over after the 2002 election. Republicans are keeping control of the Senate, setting up the possibility of some gridlock. Some state lawmakers are already looking to make changes before Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa takes office. Republican State Rep. Brian Harrison here, who represents Waxahachie and much of Ellis County, and who won last night, is calling for a special session. He wants the legislature to take away some emergency powers it had given the governor's office over the years. Fox 4's Amelia Jones reports on the fallout tonight. For the first time in more than three decades, a Texas Democrat will be in the governor's mansion after a historic blue wave Tuesday night. But less than 24 hours later, some Republicans are trying to strip and limit Democrats' power. From the school board to the House of Representatives, and now with your extraordinary faith and the trust of the people of Texas, to the governor's mansion. Tuesday night, Gina Hinojosa beat three-term incumbent Republican Greg Abbott, putting Democrats in the state's top job for the first time since 1995. She is making history as the first Latina to hold the position and the first Texas governor elected from the Rio Grande Valley. And I wanna say something to the powerful people who have gotten very comfortable running What's happening this state? They have delivered a mandate for change, and it is change they will But within hours, some Texas Republicans began their effort to push back on that change. Republican Texas House Representative Brian Harrison, who represents parts of Ellis County, is asking Governor Abbott to call an immediate special session to restrict some of the emergency powers granted to a Texas governor. It's outrageous to me that Governor Abbott had these powers. It's outrageous to me that he has exercised them from time to time. And I'm equally outraged that the governor-elect, Gina Hinojosa, she hasn't even been elect sworn in yet, but she is already pledging. To utilize these powers the first day she's elected into office in the state of Texas. Harrison did author a bill on this issue in 2022, but it did not move forward. Now he wants Republicans to take it up again while the party still has control. And if Governor Abbott wants to do one final good thing for the state of Texas, he will respond to this and he will immediately convene the Texas legislature to make sure that Gina Hinojosa does not inherit what are effectively all the powers of a dictator in the state of Texas. Democrat Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson called Harrison's statement irresponsible. I think Brian Harrison believes what he says. He thinks it's a calamity and you should do anything including illegitimate things to try to retain power. And I think that is a wrong approach to things. I also think that with such an overwhelming vote. Thank you. That would not be welcomed by the public. And I think it jeopardizes the Republican Party's reputation for a generation if they were to try to do that. And Republicans could target the power of other offices. The news outlet Quorum Report cited sources saying Texas Senate Republicans were meeting Wednesday to discuss reorganizing the chamber and stripping newly elected Lieutenant Governor Vicki Goodwin from legislative powers. While similar moves have happened in other states, some experts say it would benefit both parties to keep the powers in place. If you have a lieutenant governor who understands the norms and the folkways of the Senate and works with it, and you've got split control of the General Assembly, which you have with Democrats in the majority of the House. It kind of makes sense for everybody to keep the institutions in place, in part because you might want those powers later. Hinojosa will be sworn in on January 19th, 2027. The Texas legislative session starts the week before. Reporting in Austin, Amelia Jones, Fox 4 News.