State Rep. Brian Harrison, a Republican who represents House District 10, has asked Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session to strip the governor's office of its emergency powers. Harrison made the request in a post on X on Wednesday, Nov. 4, a day after Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Abbott. The post had been viewed more than 3.1 million times by early Thursday.
In the post, Harrison said Republicans lost the election but Democrats had not yet been sworn in. He said that without a change, Hinojosa would inherit powers he called those of a "DICTATOR."
Harrison pointed to House Bill 911, which he filed for the 2023 legislative session. According to his post, the bill would bar the governor from suspending or changing state laws, end emergency orders after 30 days unless the Legislature approves them, and stop the governor from reissuing expired or rejected orders. It would also require emergency orders to be narrowly tailored and allow fast-track court review. Harrison said he has pushed for these limits since 2022, when Abbott held the office.