SENATOR DAVID DEWHURST: Members, the Senate will come to order and the secretary will call the roll.

PATSY SPAW: Birdwell, Carona, Davis, Deuell, Duncan, Ellis, Eltife, Estes, Fraser, Gallegos, Harris, Hegar, Hinojosa, Huffman, Jackson, Lucio, Nelson, Nichols, Ogden, Patrick, Rodriguez, Seliger, Shapiro, Uresti, Van de Putte, Watson, Wentworth, West, Whitmire, Williams, Zaffirini.

SENATOR DAVID DEWHURST: Thank you, madam secretary. Members, a quorum is present. Would all those on the floor please rise and in the gallery please rise this afternoon for the invocation to be delivered by Reverend John Wright of First United Methodist Church here in Austin.

PASTOR: Let us pray. Oh God, you are the ruler of the king to the Earth, the judge of nations and governments, and for that reason, we call ourselves into your holy presence with reverence and due caution knowing that we must answer to a higher standard than party of legions or the ballot box. Holy one, you have called the women and men in this august chamber to such a great responsibility to be shepherds of the people of Texas, shepherds who can walk with the people and feel their pain and share their joys, who can dream their dreams and work with them to turn those dreams into reality, and into the hands of these shepherd leaders, oh, God, you have placed the vast and abundant resources of this great state with them to manage. So, we humbly ask you to grant them wisdom and courage, to make prudent and compassionate and generous decisions so that they may stand before you to give an account of their stewardship. You will not have cause to say to anyone of them what you once said to the shepherd rulers of Israel to the prophet Ezekiel you have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them. Oh, God, you know how men and women of good conscious and profound faith can honestly differ over the proper means to a common goal. So we ask you to unite these men and women beyond the push and pull of special interest in commitment to the goal of providing for the general welfare of the people of Texas to the best of their ability in the issues coming before this special session in all that they do, keep in their hearts the words of the prophet Micah that what you require, oh, Lord, is to do justice and to love mercy and compassion and to walk humbly with you as their God. All this I humbly pray in the name of the one true God who in all the great religious tradition is the defender of the poor and the champion of those at the margin of every society. Amen.

SENATOR DAVID DEWHURST: Thank you, Reverend Wright. Please be seated ladies and gentlemen, thank you. Members, the chair will hear excuses for absent members. Senator Whitmire moves to excuse Senator Carona on matters of important business. Is there objection from any member? Chair hears no objection, so ordered. Senator Whitmire to moves to dispense to the readings of yesterday's journal. Is there any objection? The chair hears none, so ordered. Members, if I could have your attention just for a second. I've been receiving a number of questions about our schedule over the next several days, and to the best of my ability and Julia Rathgeber and Blaine Brunson's, our look at the bills before us, what I see is that Senate Finance, Senate Education, Senate Redistricting committees are busy working on Senate Bills one and two and Senate Finance six -- one, two, and seven, which I believe seven's already passed out of Senate Finance. On the Senate Education six and eight, Redistricting four, today and tomorrow; and it's my hope to be able to hear them on the Senate floor late tomorrow afternoon and evening. I am going to ask that we come back into session about 3:30 tomorrow afternoon because there's a redistricting hearing tomorrow starting at I believe 9:00; and so, I'd like to come back into session tomorrow about 3:30 in the afternoon and work on passing those bills either tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow evening and any that we're not able to complete tomorrow, we'll consider in session on Saturday morning. You should have Sunday off, and well be back in session on Monday. Members, Senator Whitmire moves to excuse Senator (video malfunction) Is there objection from any member? Chair hears no objection, so ordered. Members, are there any announcements? Members, the President's desk clear. The chair recognizes the dean of the Senate for a highly privileged motion.

SENATOR JOHN WHITMIRE: Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Senate recess until 3:30 p.m. Friday, June 3rd, pending the reading and referral of bills, the receipt of messages, and the receipt of committee reports.

SENATOR RODNEY ELLIS: I just want to read a note from Senator Shapiro.

SENATOR DAVID DEWHURST: Thank you. The chair recognizes Senator Ellis for an announcement.

SENATOR RODNEY ELLIS: The Senate Committee on Education will convene at 1:50 in room E1028 bills posted for hearing are Senate Bill six and Senate Bill eight.

SENATOR DAVID DEWHURST: Thank you, Senator Ellis.

SENATOR JOHN WHITMIRE: Mr. President, I've been asked to announce that the Senate Finance Committee will reconvene 45 minutes upon recess of the Senate, about 2:00 o'clock.

SENATOR DAVID DEWHURST: Thank you, Senator Whitmire. Members, the -- Senator Whitmire moves that the Senate stand in recess until 3:30 tomorrow Friday, June 3rd, pending the reading and referral of bills, the receipt of messages, and receipt of committee reports. Is there any objection from any member? The chair hears no objection, so ordered.

(Adjourned.)