Gov. Greg Abbott will give his State of the State address at 7 p.m. Central time Monday. You can watch it live here, courtesy of our partners at KXAN-TV in Austin.
The State of the State speech is Abbott’s time to lay out his priorities for the 2021 legislative session. Issues he designates as “emergency items” during the speech will allow lawmakers to pass bills related to those subjects earlier, lifting the usual constitutional limitation that prevents the Legislature from passing bills within the first 60 days of the session.
The speech is traditionally given in the Capitol before members of the House and the Senate, but this year, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Abbott will deliver the address without the presence of lawmakers from a small business in Central Texas. In a press release, the governor’s office said he “will update Texans on the state’s response to COVID-19, highlight exceptional Texans from across the state, and outline his priorities for the 87th Legislature.”
“We are at a pivotal moment in our state’s history, and this televised address is an occasion for every Texan to celebrate our state’s exceptionalism and recognize our shared goal for an even better Texas,” Abbott said.