A whirlwind special session ended after midnight Wednesday, as several high-profile bills made it across the finish line and other key legislation failed.
One of the big issues during the second special session centered around the state's response to the deadly Central Texas flooding. The bills that passed include camp safety, installing outdoor warning sirens in Kerrville and other areas prone to flash flooding, and funding to help restore areas ravaged by the flood waters and prevent future disasters. Gov. Greg Abbott will sign the camp safety bill Friday morning.
Lawmakers also passed a bill to abolish the STAAR test and instead replace it with what's being called three shorter tests at the beginning, middle, and end of the year.
Supporters say the new tests will track student progress, provide fast results to teachers and parents, and limit over-testing. Opponents criticize the legislation, saying it will increase student testing and give the Texas Education Agency too much control over the process.
"No parent has asked for this," said Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin. "No parent wants this, and I guarantee you by the time parents figure out what we have done, they will be so angry. This is no-win. This is a terrible bill."
"We want to know at the beginning of the year where are our students in terms of their ranking on our state standards, which students need help, which ones are running away with it, and that's the benefit of through-year testing: That we get this immediate feedback. It's part of the process," Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, said.
The new tests will take effect in the 2027-28 school year.
Another bill heading to the governor is requiring people to use bathrooms and locker rooms in government buildings and schools that are the same as their birth gender.
New legislation will also not allow the sale and distribution of abortion medication. It will also allow individuals to sue others who manufacture and distribute the medication illegally.
What dominated the session was the newly approved Congressional maps that will likely give Republicans five new districts at the expense of Democrats. Governor Abbott signed the new maps into law, and now they will be fought over at the federal court in El Paso starting October 1.
Issues that didn't make it to the governor's desk include additional property tax relief.
Senate Bill 10 would have clamped down on cities and counties with more than 75,000 residents from collecting more property tax revenues without the public voting for it. An election would have been triggered if revenues collected increased by more than 2.5% That's lower than the current amount of 3.5%.
Enough Republicans teamed up with Democrats to oppose it, saying it won't lower property taxes enough and that it should include smaller cities and counties.
Among those who voted against the bill was Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington.
"It's super important to our constituents, but I think it should be equal and paired across the entire state equally, regardless of population," said Tinderholt. "So, for that reason, while I fully support property tax relief, my goal was to vote no on this and try to push it back to the Senate to try to get a lot of things at the House floor added back in."
Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Boerne, disagreed.
"This bill, while it is not perfect, it is a step in the right direction," she said. "You cannot stand up here and say that lowering the approved tax rate from three point five percent to two point five percent is not a step in the right direction of lower taxes."
Another high-profile bill that failed was the ban on all THC products.
While the Senate repeatedly passed legislation to do that, it went nowhere in the House during the second special session. Governor Abbott vetoed the bill after the regular legislative session ended, opposing an all-out ban favored by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Even though the governor put THC on the special session agenda, he, Patrick and Speaker Dustin Burrows couldn't reach a deal on a compromise bill. That includes legislation that would have banned THC products for those younger than 21.
One big question facing the governor is whether he will call a third special session. Some Republican lawmakers told CBS News Texas they wouldn't mind a third special session because they want to see more property tax relief and others want a ban on THC products for those younger than 21. Other legislators told CBS News Texas they've had enough special sessions and don't want another one.