Bill increasing penalties for those who assault utility workers heading to Abbott’s desk

As the legislative session heads to a close on Tuesday, more bills are being passed and heading to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. On Friday, one sent to Abbott will increase penalties for those who attack or harass utility workers.

It was filed after Houstonians attacked utility workers attempting to make repairs during a lengthy power outage after Hurricane Beryl struck last July, The Center Square reported. More than one million were left without power for over a week, prompting multiple legislative hearings and investigations into a range of preparedness and response failures, The Center Square reported.

After reports of violence against linemen were reported, including being shot at and having rocks thrown at them resulting in repairs being halted, Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick held a news conference to address concerns.

“There is no reason why anybody here should ever be threatening the life of anybody else,” Abbott said. “If you're angry about the lack of power, you're taking it out on the wrong person. If you're wanting to get the power back on, your actions that intimidate or threaten the linemen or whoever is trying to get the power back on, you're not speeding up the process of getting the power back on, you're slowing that process down.”

Patrick said a bill would be filed to impose penalties against those who attack utility workers.

Following through on that promise, the Texas legislature passed with bipartisan support SB 482, filed by state Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston. State Rep. Sam Harless, R-Houston, carried the bill in the House.

It passed the Texas Senate nearly unanimously last month and on Tuesday in the House by a vote of 130-16.

It amends state penal code to enhance the penalty for assault in which the perpetrator “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes bodily injury” to a utility worker from a Class A misdemeanor to a third-degree felony. It also enhances the penalty for harassment from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor.

Under current law, certain assaults are enhanced if they’re committed against individuals performing law enforcement duties or against hospital personnel. No enhancement applies to utility workers. The bill “creates a criminal offense, increases the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or changes the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision,” according to the bill analysis.

"If you lived in Houston during Hurricane Beryl, you would not believe what happened," Harless said when discussing the bill on the floor. "We had to send police out with our linemen to restore electricity because they were getting threatened. This bill should get a unanimous vote on this House floor because if it was your power, you would want it back as soon as possible."

Alvarado argued when presenting the bill that it should pass unanimously. Not all agreed with her, including House Republicans from the Houston area. Those recorded as voting no were Cain; Canales; Harrison; Hopper; Kerwin; Little; Lopez, R.; Lowe; Luther; Martinez Fischer; Olcott; Richardson; Schatzline; Tinderholt; Toth; Virdell.

Rep. Holt said her vote was recorded as a yes but said she “intended to vote no.” Reps. Lopez and Martinez Fischer said their votes were recorded as no’s but they intended to vote yes, according to the House record.

Abbott is expected to sign the bill into law.