AUSTIN, Texas (KXXV) — At the Texas Capitol this week, lawmakers could take up two of the last major bills created in response to the deadly Fourth of July Hill Country floods.
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“They should have looked at where the campgrounds were in the 100-year flood plain and prevented that before it even happened,” said Jane Vaughn, who supports the disaster and flood response bills.
Senate Bill 2 and Senate Bill 5 — both focused on disaster preparedness and flood response — have cleared most hurdles and are now in conference committee, where House and Senate members are working out final differences.
“Simply put, to keep this from happening again, because that was absolutely detrimental and my heart goes out to the families who have lost their loved ones and the one young lady who still has not been found yet. This is absolutely heartbreaking,” Vaughn said.
With just over a week left in the second special session, parents and lawmakers are pushing to get the measures across the finish line.
“It's really quite sad that this has to be a law that comes into play, but this is one of those things where time is of the essence,” Vaughn said.
Over the holiday weekend, some camps along the Guadalupe River pushed back against another proposal, House and Senate Bill 1, which would require cabins to be moved out of floodplains — a cost camp leaders said could put them out of business.
Families affected by the floods have responded, saying cabins can be rebuilt, but their daughters cannot be brought back.
“I commend the families for stepping up and pressuring our lawmakers to get this done, and it would greatly behoove our lawmakers to get it done for these families because one child, one person is just too much in this,” Vaughn said.
