KERR COUNTY, Texas – There has been disagreement in the Texas Legislature over the events that unfolded at Camp Mystic during the deadly Hill Country floods.
“I think what really happened is you dealt with a natural disaster that happened so fast, no one had a chance to respond to it,” said state Rep. Wesley Virdell.
Strong emotions and opinions have flared this week about whether Camp Mystic should be allowed to reopen this summer.
During the July 4 floods, 27 girls and Camp Mystic Director Dick Eastland died at the Guadalupe camp location.
The camp announced several months ago that it would reopen this summer at its other location, Cypress Lake, which is nearby but on higher ground, according to the camp.
Families of some victims reacted by filing lawsuits against the camp, alleging negligence and that a lack of planning led to their daughter’s deaths.
On Feb. 23, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick shared a letter he wrote to the state health department, urging them to deny Camp Mystic’s license to open this summer.
The letter reads in part, “I cannot stay silent on this issue. DSHS shares the obligation to protect families and campers. With many questions remaining unresolved, please do not renew a 2026 license for Camp Mystic until all legislative investigations are complete and any necessary corrective actions are taken.”
After that, Virdell posted his own tweet, saying in part, “While Dan Patrick and I do agree on most things, I strongly disagree with the Lt. Governor’s position on this. The camp is not reopening the same cabins that were in the flood … and Camp Mystic is the first camp to install the new flood warning systems way ahead of help from the government.”
When KSAT’s Courtney Friedman asked Virdell what he hopes will happen next, he said, “I’m hoping DSHS does not grant Lt. Gov. Patrick’s request to deny the license. And to be clear, they’re meeting the license requirements. So there’s no reason for those licenses to not be issued to that camp. And I hope that the Lieutenant Governor will retract his statement.”
Patrick did not respond to KSAT’s request for comment.
Some families of victims have filed suits against the state health department, saying it should never have approved Camp Mystic’s evacuation plans before the flood happened.
Other families who support the camp are petitioning on social media and writing letters directly to the health department, asking them to grant the license to operate this summer.
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