89TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE - WEEK 5

This is the abridged version of the Friday Message.  If you want all the details, please click here.  (You're missing a lot if you don't click!)

THIS WEEK:

Committees At Last!  The long awaited House Committee assignments finally happened on Thursday.  There were really no surprises, as the pseudo-republican Burrows followers received the primo positions on influential committees, and Democrats were named chairs of 6 of the new "permanent standing sub-committees".  Democrat Joe Moody is once again Speaker Pro Tempe, Todd Hunter is chair of the influential Calendars Committee, and Ken King is Chair of State Affairs.  We have our work cut out for us, friends!

To read the Speaker's statement on all committees, click here.

TTP TUESDAY 2/10/25:  This week’s TTP Tuesday found our activists at the Capitol writing and delivering post cards to members of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, requesting passage of SJR1 and SJR5, which were being discussed in a hearing on Wednesday.  These constitutional amendments are part of a bail reform package of bills authored by Senator Huffman including SB9 and SB40. After the hearing on Wednesday, the Committee voted 6-0 to approve all 4 bills, and all are on the calendar for 2nd reading on 2/18. 

Thanks to the 9 activists who went to the Capitol this week and helped push this legislation toward passage in the Senate.  We agree with Senator Huffman!

IN THE SENATE:

In other action this week, Senate Local Government Committee, approved SB4, Bettencourt’s property tax relief bill (increases Homestead exemption by $40,000), and the bill was passed in the Senate on Thursday.  SB2, the Education Savings Account bill passed the Senate and has been received in the House. 

The Senate also passed a flurry of honorary/memorial resolutions.  (It’s not just the House that does this, the Senate does it too)  Finance Committee hearings continue nearly every day as everyone and their dog presents their requests for money in the 2025-26 budget.

PS:  Check out the scolding the finance committee gave to the Lottery Commission.  Well deserved and long overdue!

IN THE HOUSE

Probably the most important thing to report about this week’s House activity (besides finally getting committee assignments) is that it’s exactly like the last 3 weeks. Nothing done, and the 4th week in a row that they passed a resolution to adjourn for a 4 or 5 day recess.  Rinse and repeat.

• Number of committees formed: 0    As of Thursday - 30 standing committees & 12 new permanent sub committees.
• Number of bills referred: 0
• Number of hearings: 0
• Number of bills passed: 0
• Number of days discussing Beyonce: 2
• Number of  4 or 5 day adjournments: 4

On Wednesday, when Rep. Carl Tepper made the motion to adjourn for the long weekend, Rep Brian Harrison spoke against the motion (again!) and literally schooled Rep Tepper on legislative process and what the Texas Republican voters expect of the Republican majority in the Texas House of Representatives.  Watch this epic video as Rep Harrison shames Rep Tepper and House leadership for the delays.  It’s 8 minutes long, but well worth every second.  21 members voted against the long week end, but of course 127 members voted for it.

Our favorite Reps are working hard getting bills through legislative council, and getting them filed into the system, meeting with constituents, and working with each other on strategy.  A significant win happened on Tuesday, as members were asked to suspend rules to take up HR236, a memorial resolution for Cecile Richards, former President of Planned Parenthood.  Fifteen members objected to the motion, and the resolution was pulled from consideration.  That's a win for our side!  (We don't honor people who were intimately involved in killing babies)

I guess the last thing I have to report on week 4 is that there were snakes at the Capitol!  Not the 2 legged kind we deal with all the time, but the slithery, rattling kind.  It’s a bit bizarre, but they do this every session.  I don't know why.  Rep Shelley Luther was brave enough to hold one.  I just took photos.

        

 

NEXT WEEK:

Tuesday Feb 18^th is Texans for Vaccine Choice Freedom Rally 2025 (and 10^th Birthday Party). We will be working with them to promote their legislative priorities and participating in their rally at 1:00 pm on the south steps of the Capitol.  They are requesting rsvp’s, so please click on the rally link above to register.  True Texas Project fully supports TFVC’s efforts to promote medical liberty and protect privacy for all Texans.  Please join us for this special day that will include amazing speakers on medical freedom issues, legislative office visits, and a big ‘ole birthday celebration.  Congratulations to TFVC for 10 years of fighting medical tyranny!

Schedule for 2/18/25:

Meet up in the East Wing at 10:30 - Receive assignments to distribute position papers on TFVC medical freedom bills (look for the TTP Flag)

• 10:30 - 12:00 - Office visits to deliver papers
• 12:00 - 1:00 - Lunch & gather on the South lawn with TFVC friends, maybe bring a picnic lunch if weather is nice.
• 1:00 - 2:00 - TFVC Rally for Freedom 2025, south steps
• 2:00 - ??? - TFVC Birthday party in the Legislative Conference Center, E2.002 (cookies, lege briefing, panel discussions, blowing out the candles)

NOTE:  For our Tarrant County friends who often ride with me or Shelia Franklin, neither of us will be available to drive carpools on the 18^th.  We are attending a conference in Austin the rest of the week, so we’re staying over.  If someone else out there from Tarrant is willing to drive, please let me know.  There are usually a few folks looking for a ride.

What YOU can do if you can’t go to the Capitol

1)  Contact the 21 House members who voted against taking another long recess to say thank you for doing the right thing.  Let them know you’re praying for them.

Nays — Alders; Cain; Dorazio; Harrison; Hickland; Holt; Hopper; Kerwin; Little; Louderback; Lowe; Lozano; Luther; Money; Morgan; Olcott; Pierson; Richardson; Schatzline; Tinderholt; Toth.  (Virdell was absent, but I'm sure he would have voted NAY as well)

2)  If you live in the districts of one of the 127 members who voted FOR the long recess, let them know that you do NOT approve, and urge them to oppose future efforts to delay progress.  (We can almost guarantee that they’ll be coming home in 2026 primary season to say “we tried, but we ran of time!  So remember these early weeks when they voted to do practically nothing)

3)  Senator Campbell’s office has asked for our help with SB762, a bill regarding restrictions on what kind of flags can be displayed in public schools.  We think it’s a good bill and worth supporting.  So far it has no co-authors in the Senate, but has been referred to the Education K-16 Committee.  Representative Slawson has also filed a similar bill in the House, HB2456.  It is not identical to SB762, but similar.  Of course, it has not been assigned to a committee, since Speaker Burrows has not yet referred bills to committees.  Here’s what you can do right now

• A)  If you live in Senator Campbell’s district or Representative Slawson’s district:
• • • • Contact their staff and let them know you support the bills
      • Ask them to work together to combine their bills into one, which makes the bill stronger, and more likely to pass both Houses.
• B)  If you do not live in Campbell's or Slawson's districts, contact YOUR House Rep and Senator and ask them to co-author the bills.

4)  Pray for our House and Senate members and our TTP activists as they travel back and forth to Austin.

Remember, there’s always something you can do.  Start here.

Thanks everyone for whatever you do to ensure Texas Liberty!  I appreciate every single one of you.  Let me know if you have questions about all of this.  It's a lot!

Stay engaged!

Fran Rhodes, President.

[email protected]

GET REGISTERED!

Special True Texan Days:  Be sure to register for the True Texan Day at the Capitol and True Texas Kids at the Capitol. There’s no fee, but we need to know how many are coming so we can be prepared for you.  Here are the registration links.

SAVE THE DATES!

Tuesday Feb 18 - TTP Tuesdays at the Capitol – WITH TFVC rally & 10^th anniversary celebration

Monday Mar 3 - TRUE TEXAN DAY AT THE CAPITOL (rsvp required)

Tuesday Mar 4 - NO TTP Tuesdays (since we just did our day on Monday)

Tuesday Mar 11 - BIG TXGR engagement day, PLUS Buses from Frisco/Waxahachie; Kerrville/Fredericksburg; Corpus Christi/San Antonio

Tuesday Mar 18 - TTP Tuesdays at the Capitol – including mini-training on using the TLO

Tuesday Mar 25 - TRUE TEXAS KIDS AT THE CAPITOL (rsvp required)

Tuesday April 1 – TTP Tuesdays at the Capitol PLUS Bus from Grapevine/Burleson

Tuesday Apr 8 - TTP Tuesdays at the Capitol

Tuesday Apr 15 - TTP Tuesdays at the Capitol

Tuesday Apr 22 - TTP Tuesdays at the Capitol

Bus Registrations can be found on the TTP Website

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