Just hours after Senate Democrats were able to use parliamentary procedure and loud advocates to block passage of an abortion bill, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has announced he's calling lawmakers back to Austin for a second special session beginning July 1st.
On the agenda so far, abortion legislation that regulates the procedure and clinics, transportation funding and the creation of a life with parole sentence for juveniles convicted of capitol murder.
One big question for Senate Democrats: Will the chamber follow tradition and include the body's two-thirds rule in the extra 30-day session.
Senators traditionally file what's called a blocker bill that stands in the way of any other bills making it to the floor for a vote. It takes a two-thirds vote of the body to then suspend the rules and take up another bill out of order. This allows a minority coalition to stop legislation from coming to the floor.
At the beginning of the just completed special session, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said a blocker bill was not traditionally used in session's focused on redistricting. But that the two-thirds rule could still be used in any other special session.
