Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed two bills that address illegal street takeovers and racing on Wednesday.
Abbott joined Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn, and Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw in Fort Worth for a press conference.
As part of the Texas Governor’s Statewide Street Takeover Task Force, proposed earlier in the year, Abbott signed HB1442 and HB2899.
“Texas is a law and order state,” said Abbott. “As long as I am governor, we will back the blue, protect our citizens and ensure that law enforcement has the tools they need to secure our streets."
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House Bill 1442 is related to street takeovers and illegal racing and is designed to provide additional tools for law enforcement and prosecutors and will go into effect Sept. 1.
House Bill 2899 allows the immediate removal and impounding of vehicles involved in street racing, takeovers or other illicit activities impeding traffic and will go into effect immediately.
Waybourn praised Texas for leading the nation in this initiative.
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“ For the people out there pushing around those 2,500-pound missiles, those chuckleheads, we want to make it perfectly clear that we're coming after you,” said Waybourn. "the light will be on at the jailhouse and regardless of jail overcrowding we'll always have room for them because they are a clear danger to the community and they're not going to be tolerated not only in tarrant county but they're not going to be tolerated across the state."
Abbott promised another special session about his task force but did not give a date.
