We are now starting week 7 of the 88th Session. The Senate has been busy, meeting in chamber, referring bills to Committees, in general, taking care of business. The House? Not so much.
On Tuesday the 14th, the House adopted a resolution to allow themselves to be adjourned for more than 3 days as provided by House rules. This time they have adjourned for 6 days! They met on Wednesday the 15th, but won't be back until Tuesday the 21st.
Since the start of session on Jan 10th, the House has met 13 times in 46 days, and basically done nothing. Last week Committee assignments were released, but no bills have been referred to committees at this time.
Last night, Governor Abbott delivered his State of the State address and listed his emergency items for this session. Issues on the Governor's emergency list can be taken up in the House and Senate before the 60 day filing deadline that governs non emergency items. Gov. Abbott's emergency items are:
- Cutting Property Taxes
- End COVID Restrictions
- Education Freedom (School Choice)
- School Safety
- Ending Revolving-door Bail
- Doing More to Secure the Border
- Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis
The rules of the legislature allow both chambers to take up legislation prior to the 60 day filing deadline if the issue is on the Governor's emergency list. Several of these items fit into the RPT and TTP legislative priorities, so we need to get moving!
Rep. Tinderholt pointed out on Tuesday, that previous legislatures have suspended the rules to take up legislation prior to the 60 day filing deadline, but he was told by Speaker Phelan to "take his seat."
Click here to see the video of that exchange in a Texas Scorecard article. It's a doozy!
ACTION FOR EVERYONE:
Let's flood the speaker's phone lines with calls to GET TO WORK! Get bills assigned to Committees; get Committees organized and holding hearings; get bills to the floor for debate and vote. The House is famous for running out the clock, so we need to pressure them to get things started.
Call Speaker Phelan's Office: (512) 463-1000
Write him a letter or post card: PO Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768
AT THE CAPITOL - Join us if you can!
Tuesday, Feb. 21:
Let's meet up in the Rotunda at 10. There is a House Appropriations Committee meeting on Tuesday, and Tracy Shannon has asked for help in testifying against funding medical centers at universities that require a rotation on pediatric gender medicine and gender mutilation of children. This is in line with our priority to ban child gender modification. Please consider testifying in this committee. I will sign up to testify, and Tracy will also be there. We can give talking points, and advise anyone who needs help.
This week we will also focus on some of the Senate Committees who have had bills from from our priorities list referred to committees. I will have position papers on several bills and we'll deliver them to the offices of Committee members.
If you'd like to look them up ahead of time, the bills we'll be working on are SB166 on changing the penalty for voter fraud from misdemeanor back to felony; and SB175 which bans taxpayer funded lobbying. Both of these bills are referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee.
I'll bring lists of Committee members and their office numbers, and we'll divide them up to deliver position papers.
Feb 28: Matt and I will do another "mini" training from 10 to noon. This time the topic is Using the TLO. (That's the Texas Legislature On Line). Every activist needs to know how to us this on line tool that contains all things TX Lege!
Ag Commissioner Sid Miller has graciously offered us the use of his Conference room, so we'll meet there at 10. Commissioner Miller's office is in a different building just north of the Capitol at 1700 Colorado Street (Stephen F. Austin Building) on the corner of 17th and Colorado. In the afternoon, we'll have work for you to do, and hopefully we'll have some House bills assigned to committees by then.
Save the Date! March 28
Tuesday March 28 will be our "True Texan Day at the Capitol" for the 88th Session. We're planning a tour of the Capitol Building, a meeting with a State Wide Elected officer, a tour of the Supreme Court Building, and visits to legislators offices. We hope to have a really large group that day - representing True Texas Project and having fun. It's a great time to bring older kids along if they are home schooled, or can be excused from school for a field trip. Plans are still developing, so we might add some surprises. Whatever we do - I know you'll enjoy it and you'll learn something.
Our grassroots efforts are paying off! That's why we have 8 standing committees chaired by Democrats instead of 13. Keep up the good work. See you on the 21st!
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