JOE STRAUS: House will come to order. Members, please register. Have all registered? The quorum is present. The House and gallery will please rise for the invocation. The Chair recognizes Representative Howard to introduce our -- to give our invocation.
REPRESENTATIVE DONNA HOWARD: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Members, we begin each day of session with an invocation. Typically thought of as a prayer, invocation literally means to invite in, as in asking for guidance, support or inspiration. The emotions that we bring with us today, this first day of a special session, are very different than the excitement and anticipation we felt on the first day of the regular session. We're tired, frustrated and maybe even a little bit cranky; which is more reason to set aside a time to look to whatever source we choose and invite in the guidance needed to help us bring our best to the task at hand. We are so fortunate to live in this time and in this place. The framers of our country's constitution wisely ensured that no one should be excluded from first amendment protection, that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. So recognizing that, no matter what our individual beliefs might be, and that we represent all Texans with their many and diverse beliefs, I ask that we use today's invocation to do the same thing that we require students across our state to do at the beginning of a school day: Observe a minute of silence, during which they may reflect, pray, meditate or engage in any other silent activity that is not likely to interfere with or distress another.
(Moment of silence.) Thank you, members.
JOE STRAUS: Chair recognizes Representative Burman to lead us in the pledge.
REPRESENTATIVE LEO BERMAN: Mr. Speaker, members, honored guests, will you please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance to both flags?
(Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag.)
(Pledge of Allegiance to the Texas flag.)
JOE STRAUS: Please excuse Representative Frullo, on the motion of Representative Perry. Excuse Representative Gonzalez because of illness, on the motion of Representative Zerwas. Please, excuse Representative Driver because of important business in the district, on the motion of Representative Landtroop. Is there objection? Chair hears none. So ordered. Representative Howard moves the reading and referral of bills to the end of the calendar. Is there objection? Chair hears none. So ordered. Members, proclamation from the Governor.
CLERK: All who be present shall come. I, as the governor of the state of Texas, by the authority invested in me by Article 3, Section 5, and Article 4, Section 8 of the Texas Constitution do hereby call an extraordinary session of the 82nd Legislature to convene in the City of Austin; commencing at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 31st, 2011, for the following purposes: To consider legislation relating to fiscal matters necessary for the implementation of House Bill 1, as passed by the 82nd Legislature Regular Session; including measures that will allow school districts to operate more efficiently. To consider legislation relating to health care cost containments, access to services through managed care and the creation of economic and structural incentives to improve the quality of medicaid services. The Secretary of State will take notice of this action and will notify members of the Legislature of my action. In testimony hereof, I hereby hereto sign my name and officially cause the seal of the state to be affixed in the City of Austin in the State of Texas, on the 30th day of May, 2011. Rick Perry. Governor of Texas.
JOE STRAUS: Members, we're working to coordinate with the Senate the items that are in the call from the governor. Our hope is that by tomorrow we will have a good idea of what the work schedule is. I know everyone is tired and wants to have a break and reconnect with our communities and our families. It will be more apparent tomorrow what the schedule will look like. But it is hope that you could have a weekend at home, and maybe a long weekend at home. Members -- Mr. Hochberg, for what purpose?
REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT HOCHBERG: Parliament ary inquiry.
JOE STRAUS: State your inquiry.
REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT HOCHBERG: Mr. Speake r, since this is a special session I know different rules are in effect. Is there a different rule on -- Well, let me ask you this: How much notice would you anticipate we would have for any committee that might need meetings, since people are going to be going back and forth from here to home on a little different schedule? Would we expect to have --
JOE STRAUS: Mr. Hochberg, I believe it's Rule 4, Section 11, which is a 24 hour posting rule.
REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT HOCHBERG: So we can --
JOE STRAUS: -- for public hearing.
REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT HOCHBERG: So we can anticipate we wouldn't have any public hearings that would be on a shorter than that, if committees were going to meet at all later on this week?
JOE STRAUS: For public hearing?
REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT HOCHBERG: Right. But we could, of course, always suspend or always post a public meeting or a work session --
JOE STRAUS: That's right.
REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT HOCHBERG: -- on a shorter schedule? Since there has -- I think there has been only one House Bill filed at this point that shows up on T list. I guess what I'm trying to get at is would you anticipate that anything that gets filed and referred tomorrow would be heard tomorrow, or would we have -- Do we need to be here tomorrow to attend a committee hearing, if we might be on a particular committee, or would we have 24 hours notice typically that that was going to happen?
JOE STRAUS: Mr. Hochberg, it is the Chair's intention to announce a work schedule tomorrow that should address that question.
REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT HOCHBERG: Okay. But that could include meetings tomorrow, then?
JOE STRAUS: Representative Hochberg, it is possible for committees to meet tomorrow, but it's up to the chairman of the committee since the bills are filed.
REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT HOCHBERG: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
REPRESENTATIVE SYLVESTER TURNER: Parliame ntary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.
JOE STRAUS: State your inquiry.
REPRESENTATIVE SYLVESTER TURNER: Yes, do you have a sense of which committees will be taking up these bills, just in case the rest of us --
JOE STRAUS: Mr. Turner, as Mr. Hochberg indicated, at this point there has only been one bill filed, and we are working with the Senate to coordinate the bill referrals and filings.
REPRESENTATIVE SYLVESTER TURNER: So the bill --
JOE STRAUS: At this time, I can't answer that question.
REPRESENTATIVE SYLVESTER TURNER: Okay. You don't know which committees will -- any of the bills will be going to at this time?
JOE STRAUS: I don't know at this time. Mr. Villarreal, for what purpose?
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE VILLARREAL: To ask a question. And sorry if this has already been covered. Given that the Senate has filed, it appears, all the big bills; is it appropriate to assume that the Senate is going to start the process and we will catch their bills?
JOE STRAUS: Mr. Villarreal, we are working with the Senate to coordinate which body will be working on which bills first, and no final determination has been made.
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE VILLARREAL: Okay. Thank you.
JOE STRAUS: Are there any other announcements? If not, Representative Hunter moves that the House stand adjourned, first pending the reading and referral of bills and resolutions, until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. House stands adjourned.
(The House stands adjourned.)
