AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas lawmakers scrutinized the state's emergency response after a top Republican said the panel had no intention of criticizing or assigning blame for the devastation caused by deadly July 4 floods that have killed at least 136 people.
The head of the Texas emergency management department offered elected officials solutions to mitigate a similar catastrophe, such as how to strengthen emergency communications. But some Democratic members cast doubt on the state agency's response and whether it was doing enough to boost flood infrastructure in rural towns.
“We can mitigate or eliminate the possibility this could happen in the future. That’s what’s powerful about the state of Texas, because we can do that,” Democratic state Rep. Joe Moody said. “And that’s not a blame game, that’s accountability.”
Local officials have faced scrutiny over why more warnings weren’t sent to residents in harm’s way along the Guadalupe River. Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has said assigning blame for the disaster is “the word choice of losers” and President Donald Trump called a reporter “evil” for asking a similar question.
“Our select committee will not armchair quarterback,” Republican Sen. Charles Perry said, and would instead seek to draw lessons on flood prevention and preparedness.
State and county emergency response officials are scheduled to testify, but no officials from Kerr County, the area most hard-hit by the floods. Perry, the committee chair, said this would avoid pulling them away from their work.
In addition to those deadly floods in the Texas Hill Country, the other major issue on the agenda for this summer's 30-day special session is a partisan redrawing of U.S. House maps, which aims to give Republicans more winnable seats in the 2026 elections.
The session is already off to a combative start. Democrats want to address flood relief and new flood warning systems before taking votes on new congressional maps sought by President Donald Trump. They have not ruled out a walkout in a bid to derail the redistricting, which they have slammed as a partisan power grab.
The head of Texas emergency management department, Nim Kidd, confirmed Wednesday that the number of deaths was 136, up from 135, after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said a missing woman's body had been found.
Two people remain missing, a man and a girl from Camp Mystic, according to Abbott. At one point, county officials said more than 170 people were unaccounted for, but ultimately found that most were safe.
Twenty-seven campers and counselors, most of them children, were killed at the all-girls Christian summer camp in Kerr County, which does not have a warning system along the river after several missed opportunities by state and local agencies to finance one.
Lawmakers have filed bills to improve early warning systems and emergency communications and to provide relief funding. Legislators are scheduled to visit Kerrville on July 31 to hear from residents.
Democrats have left open the possibility of filibusters or walking out in the coming weeks to block the proposed congressional map redraw. On Monday, most of the party's members in the House signed a letter to the speaker stating that they would not engage in any work before addressing flood relief.
But Democrats have few paths to resistance as the minority party in both chambers. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has threatened to arrest those who attempt to walk out, on top of the $500 daily fines lawmakers face for breaking a quorum.
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Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Nadia Lathan, The Associated Press
