Republicans push to limit governor's emergency powers

State Democrats are ready to get to work after sweeping the midterm elections. But some GOP state leaders want to restrict the governor-elect's power before she even sets foot in office. Fox 4's Dan Godwin, live in Dallas, to explain. Dan. Well, Shannon, a new era is beginning in Texas politics and the way the legislature functions in Austin. In Tuesday's election, the Democrats received the number of votes they needed to gain control, and the majority in the Texas House, the Texas Senate, remains under Republican control. The governor-elect of Texas, Gina Hinojosa, will be sworn in January 19th. The next regular session of the Texas legislature set to begin a week before that date. But at least one Republican House member is calling on Governor Abbott and lawmakers to restrict some of the emergency powers that are granted to a governor. Representative Brian Harrison of Midlothian says the governor... Governor Abbott, that is, needs to call an immediate special legislative session to pass Harrison's bill to revoke some of the emergency powers that are in place right now. It's outrageous to me that Governor Abbott had these powers. It's outrageous to me that he exercised them from time to time. And I'm equally outraged that the governor-elect, Gina Hinojosa, she hasn't even been 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 claims Governor-elect Hinojosa would have the chance to modify existing laws or ignore them or create new laws and enforce them. Harrison's bill to limit the governor's emergency powers was first put forth in 2022 and would have applied to Governor Abbott, but it didn't advance. Harrison says the need for his bill is more urgent now since a Democrat will soon occupy the governor's mansion. How Governor Abbott will respond to this request. The request to convene a special legislative session is still not known. Reporting live near downtown Dallas, Dan Godwin on Good Day.