Good morning, 

The legislative session is now less than one month away, and it’s still not clear whether the doors to the Capitol will be open to Texans.

Here is today’s Texas Minute

– Brandon Waltens 

Monday, December 14, 2020
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• In March of this year, at the beginning of the Chinese coronavirus hysteria, the Texas Capitol closed its doors to visitors as part of the “15 days to slow the spread” campaign. That decision was made by the State Preservation Board, of which  Gov. Greg Abbott,  Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and outgoing House Speaker Dennis Bonnen are governing members.
   
• 2020 is nearly coming to an end, and there is still no clear plan for when it will be reopened. Adding to the frustration, the expansive grounds of the Capitol that surround the building have also been closed to the public since June.
   
• With the legislative session on the horizon, leaders of the Republican Party of Texas are taking a stand.

• Over the summer, lawmakers in the Texas House were given an anonymous survey to voice their opinions on questions surrounding the upcoming legislative session. For example, lawmakers were asked: “Under what circumstances do you believe the Texas Capitol should be fully reopened to the public?”
     
• The minority opinion of legislators was to open the Capitol. Most sitting members of the Texas House supported mask requirements in the Capitol, temperature checks on entry, and restrictions on how many people can visit. Others said the Capitol should only be opened “when a vaccine becomes widely available.”
     
• And while lawmakers think they should restrict the abilities of the public, the same lawmakers think they should get special privileges.
   
• For example, 76 percent of House members favor keeping the secretive Members’ Lounge open. In fact, one legislator noted having the members’ lounge continuing to serve them food and beverages was “absolutely necessary.”

• But while some lawmakers are floating mandatory testing, prescheduled visits, and closing off the gallery to visitors, leaders in the Republican Party of Texas sent a very different message over the weekend.
   
• During the quarterly meeting of the State Republican Executive Committee in Georgetown, the body of party leaders—elected by the grassroots delegates to the Texas GOP’s convention—voted 58-3 to support a resolution demanding the capitol be reopened without restriction. 
   
• As of now, the names of the three who cast votes in opposition are not yet available. Of course, you can always ask your SREC member how they voted...

• The legislature is scheduled to return to Austin on January 12, 2021. Now is the time to contact your Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, as well as your state representative and state senator and tell them your thoughts.

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