Locked Down: Texas Rushes Bill to Stop Bail for Violent Criminals

It's not very often we see emergency bills get signed here in Texas, but that's exactly what's happening today.

Governor Greg Abbott has called an emergency meeting to sign several bills into law that were authored by Amarillo Rep. John Smithee wrapped around the criminal justice system.

Which Bills Are Being Signed Into Law Today

There are four different bills that will be signed into law at 2 pm today, June 3, 2025. Each one is wrapped around the criminal justice system and inmates in some capacity.

SJR 5, SB 9, SB 40, and HB 75 will all take effect immediately with the signatures. Yes, I know you may not have a clue what those bills are. Allow me to explain them.

What Is SJR 5

This bill is an interesting one as it deals directly with bail and whether or not someone is granted the opportunity for it.

SJR 5 would deny bail to anyone accused of a violent felony offense. The reasoning behind it would it would reduce the risk of offenders committing new crimes while they're out on release and waiting for their trial to begin.

What Is SB 9

SB 9 is yet another bill that is focused mainly on bail for people who've been arrested.

This one overhauls the Texas pretrial release system by limiting bail for high-risk defendants. The intention of this bill is to prevent repeat offenses while out on bail as well as increase accountability in bail decisions.

Read More: 7 Crazy Texas Laws You Probably Didn't Know

What Is SB 40

This one has actually been a bit of a hot topic not only with law makers, but with the public in general.

SB 40 would prohibit the use of any public funds to pay for the defendant's bail bond. The argument around it is that people don't want their tax dollars going towards freeing someone who committed a crime, and in general doesn't seem like a good use of public funds.

What Is HB 75

This one is targeted more towards unelected magistrates and what they need to do in order to release someone from custody.

HB 75 will require those unelected magistrates to justify in writing as to why they feel an arrested individual should be released from custody. The hope is that it'll lower the number of defendants that are released on their own recognizance and placed back into society when they shouldn't be.

What Does Amarillo Rep. Smithee Have To Say About This

When Smithee authored these bills, he had keeping the safety of the public in mind. When asked how he felt about Gov. Abbott granting the emergency signing, he stated:

"I commend Governor Abbott for making bail reform an emergency issue to signal the importance of addressing this crisis in our criminal justice system. It has truly been a privilege to shepherd this package of meaningful proposals along with Senator Joan Huffman. The credit, however, goes to victims and their families who have fought tirelessly so that others may be spared from future tragedies."