- Governor Abbott has used his social media accounts in recent days to reiterate his support for bail reform legislation that will give judges additional options to deny bail to certain defendants
- The bail reform proposal would amend the Texas Constitution, which requires a 2/3 vote in the Texas House and Texas Senate
- Bail Reform faces an uncertain fate in the Texas House due to opposition from Democrats and could potentially lead to a special session
This week, Governor Greg Abbott has reiterated his support for bail reform measures that would give judges additional options to deny bail to defendants accused of violent crimes, human trafficking, and first-degree felony sexual offenses.
In a social media post on Monday, Abbott wrote, “Texans must have the opportunity to vote on a critical bail reform amendment to the Texas Constitution. A constitutional amendment would ensure dangerous criminals are not let back onto the streets to harm more Texans. We MUST reform our bail system.”
Abbott’s social media post also included a video clip of a recent media interview where Abbott discussed the need for bail reform.
“What we’re seeking to do is amend the Constitution. We want to change it so that dangerous criminals like murderers are not let back out on the street to commit other murders. There are hundreds of people in Texas who were killed by a murderer who had been previously arrested for murder, let out on bail, only to murder again. That must stop, and we must reform our bail system so that judges are not releasing these dangerous criminals back out onto the streets,” said Abbott.
Abbott’s social media has also featured videos of other proponents of bail reform explaining their support for the legislation.
Sophia Strother Lewis, who survived being raped and tortured by an illegal immigrant with a criminal history, said that bail reform was necessary to ensure that survivors of crime would continue to come forward.
“Survivors won’t continue to come forward if they feel that there is absolutely no protection for them in the process. Survivors won’t come forward if they feel like they’re going to be re-traumatized all over again,” said Lewis.
“Again, in this entire process, an illegal immigrant had more rights than me – even after being convicted of another crime.”
Abbott also featured Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon discussing how decisions made by judges in “big cities” can endanger communities across Texas.
“Oftentimes, the bad decisions that judges make in the big cities affect us here in our community. So when a judge in a big city makes a decision to grant somebody bond who is already on a bond or a repeat felon, those people don’t stay in the big cities. They come into our jurisdictions, and they create havoc, and they cause crime, and they create more victims in our communities,” said Ligon.
As an amendment to the Texas Constitution, the bail reform proposal supported by Abbott requires the support of at least two-thirds of both the Texas House and the Texas Senate. While SJR 5 – the bail reform Constitutional amendment – passed the Texas Senate by a vote of 28-2, it faces an uncertain future in the Texas House.
Democrats in the Texas House are currently blocking all proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution in retaliation for the House’s passage of school choice legislation that Democrats opposed. While the Texas House has a Republican majority of 88-62, at least 12 Democrats are needed to reach the 100-vote threshold to pass a Constitutional amendment.
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has indicated that bail reform is a must-pass issue for him and has threatened to take action that would require a special session if bail reform does not pass during the regular session.
“The Texas Senate will pass this bail reform package over and over again until the Texas House passes it. As I stated last week, I am prepared to ask Gov. Abbott to call a special session if the House fails to pass bail reform in the regular session,” said Patrick in a statement on February 19.
