Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants Texans to know that the Texas Senate is making history. Patrick says the chamber's passage of 18 bills in the first seven days of the current special session represents a record pace for either chamber of the Legislature, in either a regular or special session.
In the House, bills are not passing at break-neck speed, and Speaker Joe Straus remains unenthusiastic about the governor's special session agenda, which has been embraced by Patrick.
Jim Henson, who directs the Texas Politics Project, and teaches in the Department of Government at the University of Texas-Austin, says Patrick and the Senate, which took Thursday off, want to call attention to the number of bills they've passed, and to their commitment to deeply conservative legislation. On the House side, lawmakers say they won't be pressured into passing bills they consider to be extreme.
Written by Shelly Brisbin.
