Well the votes are counted, and the Legislature is gearing up for the start of the 87th Legislative Session on January 12th at High Noon.
We don’t know yet if the Legislature will meet in person, whether the Capitol will be open, or how the public will provide input, but we do know legislation is already being filed, and we do know that we -- the Sierra Club -- will be ready. Indeed, as of November 24th, some 900 bills had already been pre-filed. Some we like, some we don’t.
To help us - and some key partners - and our great volunteers get prepared, we will be hosting a two-hour zoom training meeting on December 12th, from 11 AM to 1 PM. Called “Getting Ready for 87th Legislative Session: Training and Discussion about How to Work for a Just, Clean and Thriving Texas” you can sign up here.
As we work out some of the details, we promise that you will learn about our (and others’) legislative priorities, learn about a very tight expected budget for the upcoming legislative session (the ONLY bill the legislature has to pass) and interact with fellow volunteers and partner organizations.
Some part “learning” and some part “doing,” this will be an interactive discussion about Texas’s unique legislative process, 140-days of drama, political theater and bills. While we don’t know all the details of how the Legislature will operate, we do know that the next Speaker of the House will be Dade Phelan, who has already lined up enough support among fellow representatives to guarantee his election in early January. Phelan was an important voice in securing legislation and funding for flood relief last session, but we will have to see how he acts as Speaker. Time will tell.
We also know that Dan Patrick will still be the Lt. Governor, heading up the Senate, appointing committees and leaders.
We also know that if we are to have any chance of stopping bad bills and passing good ones, we will need lots of volunteers and input, so let’s get started. Next week’s meeting is only the first in a series of discussions we hope to offer in the coming months. Let’s roll up our collective sleeves and fight for a just, clean and thriving Texas!