Last Week to Hear House Bills May 18, 2015

I spent much of this weekend recovering from last week’s marathon sessions. We were on the House floor until 10:00 pm Monday through Wednesday only to finish with a midnight session on Thursday. The reason for the breakneck pace? Any House bills that were not voted to 3rd reading by midnight on Thursday were officially dead (which unfortunately included 2 of my more coveted bills of the session).

With exactly 2 weeks to go until the end of session, there have been many good bills that have passed the House. However, virtually all of the significant bills are not certain to pass as they must 1) pass the senate, 2) go to conference committee of the House and Senate (if the bills were different in either chamber) and 3) be signed by the Governor. The bottom line is that there is much to do in the final 2 weeks of session to ensure a good ending.

The final 14 days of session will no doubt have many twists and turns. Most eyes will be focused on which tax cuts will eventually be agreed upon between the House and Senate. My guess is that a reasonably robust franchise tax reduction is most likely as it is the only cut that was a priority of the House, Senate and the Governor’s office. I am especially paying attention as failure to reach an agreement will likely mean a Special Session.

While I have not been in the district to enjoy the consistent rains, I have been blessed to watch the level of the lakes climb every day. (You can track lake levels on your computer or phone at waterdatafortexas.org). The lessons that we have all learned and the measures put in place will no doubt serve us for many years to come.

We would love to hear from you with your thoughts on any bills coming up on the floor.

It is an honor to serve as your State Representative.May God bless you and your family,