Good morning,

With the 2021 legislative session on the horizon, many citizens are wondering if they will even be allowed to enter the Capitol.

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Brandon Waltens

Monday, November 16, 2020

Modify your email preferences [[link removed]].

It’s been over seven months since the doors to the Texas State Capitol were shut to the public in March, as part of the state’s response to the Chinese coronavirus.

But in just two months, the state legislature will return on January 12, 2021, and the doors to the pink building are still closed, with no announced plan of when or how they will reopen.

Some preparations have been made, though, as plexiglass walls and dividers have been installed in committee meeting rooms. Several interim hearings have even taken place, but only with invited video testimony or submitted written testimony.

An anonymous survey [[link removed]]of legislators conducted over the summer revealed a majority of lawmakers were in favor of restricting access to the Capitol during the upcoming legislative session.

According to the survey, which was administered by the Texas House Administration Committee, 87 percent of lawmakers favored mandatory temperature checks on entry, 83 percent favored requiring face masks, and more than 60 percent opposed permitting outside groups to reserve space for events.

Additionally, 80 percent supported suspending public tours, and 60 percent supported curtailing them altogether. A razor-thin majority favored allowing visitor groups in the House gallery during the session, but a strong majority believed recognizing guests from the floor should be limited.

Of course, 76 percent favored keeping the members’ lounge open for business, serving food and drinks, with one anonymous respondent calling it “absolutely necessary.”

Just last week, State Rep. Dade Phelan (R–Beaumont), the current front-runner for Speaker of the House, announced [[link removed]] a "bipartisan workgroup to review and make recommendations on legislative operations during the COVID-19 pandemic."

The committee will be chaired by Republican State Rep. Tom Oliverson (Cypress), with Democrat State Rep. Senfronia Thompson (Houston) serving as vice chair.

Despite Republicans holding their 83-67 majority in the chamber, the committee consists of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats.

With the legislative session on the horizon, now is the time for citizens who want the Capitol opened up to the public to contact their state lawmakers.

Number of the Day

57

Days until the beginning of the 2021 Legislative Session.

[Source: Texas Legislative Calendar]

Today in History

On November 16, 1952, Lucy first held a football for Charlie Brown in the Peanuts comic strip.

Quote-Unquote

"The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them."

– Patrick Henry​

Your Federal & State Lawmakers

U.S. Senator

John Cornyn - R

(202) 224-2934

U.S. Senator

Ted Cruz - R

(202) 224-5922

Governor of Texas

Greg Abbott - R

(512) 463-2000

Lt. Governor

Dan Patrick - R

(512) 463-0001

U.S. House, District

Update your address so we can show your congressman [[link removed]] -



Texas Senate, District

Update your address so we can show your state senator [[link removed]] -



Texas House, District

Update your address so we can display your state rep [[link removed]] -



Something not right?

Make sure we have your address right [[link removed]]!

Manage / Update Your Email Preferences [[link removed]] Request A Speaker [[link removed]] Contribute [[link removed]] A product of Texas Scorecard

www.TexasScorecard.com

(888) 410-1836

PO Box 248, Leander, TX 78646

PO Box 700981, Dallas, TX 75370

PO Box 12862, Odessa TX 79768 Produced by Michael Quinn Sullivan and Brandon Waltens, the Texas Minute is a quick look at the news and info of the day we find interesting, and hope you do as well. It is delivered weekday mornings (though we'll take the occasional break for holidays and whatnot).

This message was originally sent to:

John xxxxxx |

If you ever stop receiving our emails, it might be because someone unintentionally removed you from the list. No worries; it is easy enough to reactivate your subscription immediately on our website.

[link removed]

Before you click the link below... If someone forwarded this email to you, clicking the link will end the subscription of [email protected]. Unsubscribe [link removed]