SB 17 about to go to the Senate Floor - Amendments?

[rogersinsel]

I have two questions re: SB 17 as it relates to 30.06 & 30.07 sections of the bill. What provision if any would force the signage to remain separate? If not, should an amendment be added that would do so? Also, could the verbiage in 30.06 & 30.07 be amended from "or" to "and", thereby only making it an offense if you passed the sign and failed to depart.

[K5GU]

Charles, In senate debate, is there a cutoff point after which no new amendments can be submitted, so that there is enough time to review, debate, and accept or discard each amendment before the bill goes for a final vote?

A very good and valid question TAM. I was going to ask that very thing.

I wonder what other goofball amendments they're going to try to sneak in there....

I wonder the same Ruark. Does anyone know where we can read allllllllll the amendements?

I don't believe they're available until they're actually presented as an amendment. Right now they're being crafted by people or people say they have an amendment, but it hasn't actually been presented as a proposed amendment. I seem to remember a long process on the floor when amendments were being presented and voted on one-by-one from last session.

This link may be helpful in understanding the process. http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/pubslegref/gtli.pdf#page=7 Scroll down to the Senate Intent Calendar section (page 14), which is where SB 17 has now been placed.

[joe817]

Thank you K5GU, it was very helpful.

I've learned that both SB11 & SB17 have been put on the Senate calendar for Monday Feb. 23, 2015.



[edited for correct date]

[TexasCajun]

Thank you K5GU, it was very helpful.

I've learned that both SB11 & SB17 have been put on the Senate calendar for Monday Feb. 25, 2015.

Monday, the 23rd.

According to the bill alerts both bills are scheduled for the Senate floor with amendments. Anybody know what those amendments are?

[joe817]

Thank you K5GU, it was very helpful.

I've learned that both SB11 & SB17 have been put on the Senate calendar for Monday Feb. 25, 2015.

Monday, the 23rd.

According to the bill alerts both bills are scheduled for the Senate floor with amendments. Anybody know what those amendments are?

Arrrgggghhhh! You are correct Texas Cajun! I need to get my eyes checked. Thanks for pointing that out.

[v7a]

What exactly does "Placed on intent calendar" mean?

Doesn't that contradict/conflict with this:

Either way, the bills can’t be considered on the floor until the 60th day of the session—which falls on March 13—unless Gov. Greg Abbott declares the gun bills an emergency priority.

[Ruark]

Well, at this point, there are no amendments on file for SB 17, although apparently they'll be brought up.

https://legiscan.com/TX/drafts/SB17/2015" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[v7a]

So, given that it's the 23rd tomorrow ("Placed on intent calendar")... does anyone have any news on what exactly is in the cards?

[ELB]

What exactly does "Placed on intent calendar" mean?

Doesn't that contradict/conflict with this:

Either way, the bills can’t be considered on the floor until the 60th day of the session—which falls on March 13—unless Gov. Greg Abbott declares the gun bills an emergency priority.

I read through that link that KG5U provided, and I did not see anything the said a bill can't be considered on the floor until the 60th day. It did say that there is unlimited filing of bills until the 60th day; after that it requires 4/5ths vote unless it is a local bill, emergency appropriations, or emergency measure submitted by the Governor.

As to the Intent Calendar, what I got out of the same link is that normally bills are considered in the order that they are voted out by the various committees. If a Senator (or Rep) wants his bill considered earlier, rather than its normal order, he asks to have it placed on the intent calendar (gives notice) by 3:30pm. Each day an "Intent Calendar" is prepared for each following day and distributed by 6:30 the same day notice was given. The Senate must vote by 2/3s to consider any bill on the Intent Calendar and they can consider the ones they voted on in any order they choose. If a Senator's bill did not get considered, he must give notice every day until is considered... or he gives up, I guess. There is an odd (to me) little rule that says a bill in the Intent Calendar can't be considered the first day it is on there, so I guess the Senator has to give notice at least twice before it can be considered.

So I think the short version of that is the author wants the bill considered early. Since it can't be considered on its first day on the Intent Calendar, I guess the first day it could go to the floor would be 24 Feb.

ETA: and yes, amendments can be brought up from the floor and need only a simple majority to pass. Once all the amendments are dealt with, then the entire bill, with the passed amendments, is voted on.

[joe817]

I'd kind of like to know what happens tomorrow. In reading "How a Bill Becomes Law"(from Texas Legislature Online), it says on P.5:

"During a regular session, the senate rules further require the publication of an Intent Calendar listing the bills for which authors and sponsors will make motions to suspend the regular order of business for consideration by the full senate."

Continuing on: "Intent calendar. Senate rules require that bills and resolutions be listed on the regular order
of business and be considered on second reading in the order in which committee reports
on the measures are submitted to the senate.".........."The list, called the Intent Calendar, must
be made available to each senator and to the press not later than 6:30 p.m. on the day the
notice is filed. No bill or resolution may be considered on its first day on the Intent Calendar
before the 130th calendar day of the regular session, and a vote of two-thirds of the senators'
present is required before any of the measures listed on the Intent Calendar may be debated."

..."Although the Texas Constitution requires a bill to be read on three separate legislative days in each chamber before it can have the force of law, this constitutional rule may be suspended by a four-fifths vote of the members present from the chamber in which the bill is pending. In such cases, the bill is given an immediate third reading following the vote to pass the bill to engrossment or third reading. The senate routinely suspends the constitutional provision in order to give a bill an immediate third reading. After a bill has been read a third time, a vote is taken for final passage. When the bill is passed in the originating chamber, the bill is engrossed (all corrections and amendments are incorporated into it), and an exact and accurate copy of the engrossed bill is prepared and sent to the opposite chamber for consideration."

Note: I've edited out a lot of passages in trying to get an overview of the process. I hope you find it educational as I did. After all that said, I go back to my original question: I wonder what happens tomorrow and will it be televised? Reading through this stuff makes me feel like

[RHenriksen]

Thanks for researching & posting all that! I believe this is why the Senate (and House?) employ a parliamentarian (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/parliamentarian" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) to help the politicians keep all this stuff straight.

Like you, I'm very interested to follow whatever next steps occur today/tomorrow/etc.

[joe817]

It looks like the Senate Chamber proceedings regarding SB17 WILL be televised today, starting at 2:00PM.

http://www.senate.state.tx.us/bin/live.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This should be interesting, as I have no idea what to expect.

[mojo84]

It looks like the Senate Chamber proceedings regarding SB17 WILL be televised today, starting at 2:00PM.

http://www.senate.state.tx.us/bin/live.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This should be interesting, as I have no idea what to expect.

Expect a lot of grandstanding from the anti-gun/anti-liberty senators that want to scare everyone and kill the bill with amendments and hyperbole.

[K.Mooneyham]

It looks like the Senate Chamber proceedings regarding SB17 WILL be televised today, starting at 2:00PM.

http://www.senate.state.tx.us/bin/live.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This should be interesting, as I have no idea what to expect.

Expect a lot of grandstanding from the anti-gun/anti-liberty senators that want to scare everyone and kill the bill with amendments and hyperbole.

Yep, something like "If anyone in Texas open-carries, blood will run in the streets, especially that of police and children". Now, where have we heard that stuff before?

[chuck j]

I agree mojo84 , that began during testimony . Their nutty reasons/excuses only play to the ignorant , unknowing and misinformed .