Overview

• Governor Abbott on June 3 signed Senate Bills 9 and 40 into law in Houston and approved Senate Joint Resolution 5 for the November ballot.
• Senate Bill 9 prohibits magistrate judges from granting bail to suspects charged with murder, capital murder, aggravated kidnapping or aggravated sexual assault and allows prosecutors to appeal bail rulings to district court judges.
• Senate Bill 40 bars local governments from using taxpayer dollars to fund bail bonds, redirecting public money toward law enforcement and corrections.
• Senate Joint Resolution 5 would amend the Texas Constitution to permit judges to deny bail for certain violent crime suspects if clear and convincing evidence shows they pose a flight risk or danger to the community.
• Victims’ families and Crime Stoppers of Houston hailed the reforms, while civil rights groups warn they could extend pretrial detention, strain county jails and undermine due process rights.