Here is the first Capitol update of the 84th Legislative Session.
This past week marked the beginning of the 84th Legislature. Thank you for the honor and privilege of representing House District 57 in our State Capitol.
In keeping with tradition, the first vote cast was to elect the Speaker of the House. This was a historic day with the first record vote being taken in 40 years for the Office of the Speaker. In a landslide, Speaker Joe Straus defeated his opponent by a vote of 127-19. The results speak for themselves. For the past three sessions, Speaker Straus has presided over the House in a fair manner that has produced conservative results and historic achievements for our great state. Most importantly for you, Speaker Straus has shown confidence in me by appointing me to two of the most important committees for East Texas last session — the Appropriations and Natural Resources Committees. He has always allowed me to fight for the issues near and dear to our rural district and encouraged me to vote my district with no threat of retribution or intimidation. I look forward to working alongside him this session to make the Lone Star State shine even brighter.
Also this past week, the House passed our rules. These rules are critical to the process as they dictate how the House conducts business on a day-to-day basis. These rules also lay out our committee structure and floor procedures as well as ensure debate is orderly and fair.
I also want to highlight another historic event. On January 20, 2015, both Governor-elect Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor-elect Dan Patrick will be sworn in to their respective offices. It has been more than twelve years since we have had a new Governor or Lieutenant Governor elected to office. I look forward to working with both of these leaders to ensure Texas continues to prosper.
Lastly, I want to thank each of you that came to visit our Capitol office this past week. Please feel free to call us at 512-463-0508 if we can ever be of assistance. Please also remember that our door is always open.
