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Thursday, February 3, 2011

Day 24: I Can Haz Committee Assignments?

Today is the 24th day of the 82nd regular session of the Texas Legislature. The House reconvenes at 10:00 am, the Senate at 1:30 pm.

Still no House Committee assignments. The Speaker of the Texas House is responsible for appointing the members of House committees and their chairs. Committees hold public hearings on bills and make recommendations to the entire House regarding whether a bill is a good idea. Without committee assignments the House is extremely limited in the work it can do.

Speaker Straus is certainly taking his time. In the last 10 years the average day of committee assignments in the House was the 13th day of the session (with the longest time being the 16th day (81st regular session) and the shortest the 7th day (79th regular session). It is now the 24th day of session and still no assignments. I'm told that Straus is meeting with individual members about their preferences and that is what is causing the delay.

Until he finally makes up his mind the entire session remains in limbo.

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