Last Updated on June 1, 2021 – 9:00 AM CDT
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune: Read More
A visitor of the House gallery listens to legislators speak during a debate on an abortion bill being considered on the House floor on May 5, 2021.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
On Jan. 12, lawmakers convened in Austin for the 87th regular session of the state Legislature. It’s safe to say there hasn’t been a session quite like this one, which followed a bruising year that included a global pandemic, mass protests against police brutality, a momentous election season and an insurrection at the nation’s Capitol less than a week before lawmakers reported for work. From the COVID-19 testing tent outside the Capitol’s north entrance to the plexiglass barriers and heightened security everywhere, the Capitol complex — and how everyone involved in the legislative process does their jobs — was utterly transformed.
The Texas weather added another major item to lawmakers’ plates in mid-February when a massive winter storm brought the entire state to its knees, leaving millions without power, killing perhaps hundreds and exceeding the cost of even the state’s most devastating hurricanes.
Through it all, from those first days until the tumultuous last night before the House and Senate gaveled out sine die, Texas Tribune photographers were at the Capitol. Here is some of what they saw.
A group calling themselves the Texas Militia provided security for a small protest at the Capitol’s north entrance on Jan. 12, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
State troopers stand guard outside of the state Capitol’s north entrance on the opening day of the Legislative Session on Jan. 12, 2021.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
First: A group of armed protesters gathered for a demonstration at the Capitol’s north entrance on Jan. 12, 2021. Last: State troopers stand guard outside of the state Capitol’s north entrance on the opening day of the legislative session. Security was increased at the Capitol over fears of an attack similar to what happened at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar and Miguel Gutierrez Jr. for The Texas Tribune
Signs are posted on seats in the House gallery to ensure social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
Newly-elected House Speaker Dade Phelan speaks to the House of Representatives during opening ceremonies as the 2021 legislative session begins. Jan. 12, 2021.
Credit: Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto/Pool
From left: state Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano; Rep. Scott Sanford, R-McKinney; and Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin, meet as legislators greet each other on the House floor prior to the opening of the 2021 Legislature.
Credit: Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto/Pool
First: Newly elected House Speaker Dade Phelan spoke to the House of Representatives during opening ceremonies as the 87th legislative session began. Last: From left, state Reps. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano; Scott Sanford, R-McKinney; and Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin; greet each other on the House floor prior to the opening of the 2021 Legislature.
Credit: Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto/Pool
The floor of the House of Representatives from the gallery on Jan. 13, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
Maskless lawmakers speak to one another on the Senate floor prior to the session beginning on March 2, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
State Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, questions a proposed amendment to HB 10 on March 30, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
First: Maskless lawmakers spoke to one another on the Senate floor on March 2, 2021. Last: State Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, questioned a proposed amendment to House Bill 10 on March 30, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, speaks with a colleague on the house floor on Thursday, April 22,, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
The House Elections Committee met to hear public testimony on a number of proposed election reform bills related to election integrity on April 8, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
State Rep. E. Sam Harless, R-Spring, listens to Richard Peña Raymond, D-Laredo, as he presents House Bill 2166 to the House Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee at the state capitol on April 21, 2021.
Credit: Evan L’Roy/The Texas Tribune
First: State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, speaks with a colleague on the House floor on April 22. Next: The House Elections Committee met to hear public testimony on a number of proposed election reform bills related to election integrity on April 8. Last: State Rep. E. Sam Harless, R-Spring, listened to Rep. Richard Peña Raymond, D-Laredo, as he presented House Bill 2166 to the House Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee at the state Capitol on April 21.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar and Evan L’Roy for The Texas Tribune
Vanessa Guillen’s sisters Lupe Guillen, left, and Mayra Guillen speak at a press conference on April 20, 2021, regarding legislation that would designate Sept. 30, Guillen’s birthday, as “Vanessa Guillen Day.”
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, speak to an aid on the senate floor on April 12, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks at a press conference concerning the recently passed Election & Ballot Security Bill, also known as Senate Bill 7, at the Texas Capitol on April 7, 2021. “Senate Bill 7 is about voter security, not about voter suppression, and I’m tired of the lies and the nest of liars who continue to repeat them,” said Patrick.
Credit: Evan L’Roy/The Texas Tribune
First: State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, speak to an aid on the Senate floor on April 12, 2021. Last: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks at a press conference concerning the Election & Ballot Security Bill, also known as Senate Bill 7, at the state Capitol on April 7.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar and Evan L’Roy for The Texas Tribune
A group of SLAB riders from Houston drove to the Texas Capitol in Austin to participate in a rally in support of the George Floyd Act, which seeks to reform policing in Texas, on April 3, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
A group of “SLAB Riders” from Houston drove to the Texas Capitol in Austin to participate in a rally in support of the George Floyd Act, which seeks to reform policing in Texas, on April 3, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
From left: Family members of George Floyd, sister Bridgett Floyd, daughter Gianna Floyd, and the mother of Floyd’s daughter, Roxie Washington, speak at a rally at the Texas Capitol in support of a sweeping police reform bill known as the George Floyd Act on April 3, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
First: A group of SLAB riders from Houston drove to the state Capitol in Austin to participate in a rally in support of the George Floyd Act, which seeks to reform policing in Texas, on April 3, 2021. Last: From left, George Floyd’s sister, Bridgett Floyd; his daughter, Gianna Floyd; and Gianna’s mother, Roxie Washington; spoke at a rally at the Texas Capitol in support of the George Floyd Act.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
Ada-Rhodes Short holds up a sign at an event held by Equality Texas at the Capitol on April 14, 2021.
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune
Gun rights advocates wait to testify at a Senate committee hearing regarding the permitless carry of handguns on April 29, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
Houston Resident Kellye Burke, a volunteer for the gun safety group Mom’s Demand Action, waits to testify at a Senate committee hearing on the permitless carry of handguns on April 29, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
First: Gun rights advocates waited to testify at a Senate committee hearing regarding the permitless carry of handguns on April 29, 2021. Last: Houston Resident Kellye Burke, a volunteer for the gun safety group Mom’s Demand Action, waited to testify at a Senate committee hearing on the permitless carry of handguns.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
Youth activists dropped more than 200,000 rose petals from the Capitol rotunda to protest what they described as “extremist voter suppression legislation” on April 8, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
Trish and her 12-year-old son at Canyon Lake on April 13, 2021. Trish earns too much to qualify for Medicaid in Texas but too little to afford her own health insurance. Her son does qualify for Medicaid. Lawmakers did not significantly expand Medicaid during the legislative session.
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune
Hundreds of people joined the “Texans Rally for Our Voting Rights” event to speak out against restrictive voting bills at the Texas Capitol in Austin on May 8, 2021.
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune
Hundreds of people joined the “Texans Rally for Our Voting Rights” event to speak out against restrictive voting bills at the Texas Capitol in Austin on May 8, 2021.
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune
Hundreds of people joined the “Texans Rally for Our Voting Rights” event to speak out against restrictive voting bills at the Texas Capitol in Austin on May 8, 2021.
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune
Hundreds of people joined the “Texans rally for our voting rights” event to speak out against restrictive voting bills at the Texas Capitol on May 8, 2021.
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune
Brendan Cavanagh waved an American flag while participating in a rally in opposition to Senate Bill 7, which would add more restrictions on voting in Texas, at the Capitol on April 8, 2021.
Credit: Evan L’Roy/The Texas Tribune
House Speaker Dade Phalen on the House floor on May 5, 2021.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
State Rep. Meyer Morgan, R-Dallas, on May 7, 2021.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
State Rep. Ana Hernandez, D-Houston, on the House floor on May 7, 2021.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
Lawmakers on the House floor during the 87th legislative session.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar and Miguel Gutierrez Jr. for The Texas Tribune
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick presides over Senate session at the state Capitol on May 17, 2021.
Credit: Evan L’Roy/The Texas Tribune
Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, celebrates the passage of a bill he sponsored on May 13, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune
People wait on the Senate floor during session at the state capitol on May 25, 2021.
Credit: Evan L’Roy/The Texas Tribune
A person watches from the Senate gallery during session at the state capitol on May 25, 2021.
Credit: Evan L’Roy/The Texas Tribune
People watched lawmakers work from the Senate floor and gallery on May 25, 2021.
Credit: Evan L’Roy/The Texas Tribune
Gov. Greg Abbott spoke with lawmakers on the House floor on May 23, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
Democratic lawmakers met during a break in the session on May 30, 2021.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
Democratic lawmakers met in the Speaker’s Committee Room during a break in the session on May 30, 2021.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
Democratic lawmakers met in the Speaker’s Committee Room during a break in the session on May 30, 2021.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
The state Capitol on May 30, 2021
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
State Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, handed out buttons to his colleagues that read ‘Protect the Vote’ as the House prepares to debate controversial election legislation on May 30, 2021.
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
The House floor on May 30, 2021.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
Various scenes from the Capitol during the 87th legislative session.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
State Rep. Jessica González, D-Dallas, speaks at a press conference at Mt. Zion Baptist Church near the state Capitol in Austin after Democrats broke quorum in opposition to Senate Bill 7, a sweeping GOP voting bill. May 30, 2021.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
House members praised House Speaker Dade Phelan on Sine Die. May 31, 2021.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
House members clap in honor of staff that helped during the 87th Legislative session on Sine Die. May 31, 2021.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
House members honored and celebrated other members and staff during the final day of the session on May 31, 2021.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
House Speaker Dade Phelan on the House floor on the session’s final day.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
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