Special Session & Gubernatorial Round-Up

by: Karl-Thomas Musselman

Mon Jun 29, 2009 at 07:43 PM CDT

• Speaker Straus says he wants a 3 day special session. The plan as reported by Mike Ward at the Statesman.

  On Wednesday, the Legislature will convene at 10 a.m. Those House bills will promptly be assigned to three House committees - Appropriations, State Affairs and Transportation- for the required public hearings.

  On Thursday, the House is expected to have its first calendar for consideration. Committees are expected to have approved the bills the previous day, if everything goes on schedule.

  On Friday, "if it is the will of the members to do so, we will conclude our business."



• Some lawmakers are calling on Gov. Perry to add CHIP to the special session. Somehow, I doubt that's going to happen.


• Republican Sen. Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio wants to change the rules of the Senate to give the legislature a better ability to override late session vetoes by the Governor.


• Quorum Report saw that current Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams former Secretary of State Roger Williams raised more than $400,000 at a Saturday fundraiser in Weatherford in his bid for Kay Bailey Hutchison's potentially open at some point US Senate seat.


• Gardner Selby reports that former Lubbock state senator and AT&T executive (and Democrat) John Montford is supporting Gov. Perry's primary campaign as a financial advisor. Guess that takes Montford out of the rumor-mill for running as a Democratic candidate for Governor.