thanks - I'd always seen the "public hearing" status before! I'll fax Straus.Charles L. Cotton wrote:The committee met this morning and it was voted favorably. Now to Calendars.artx wrote:I noticed the status now says:
H Scheduled for formal meeting on . . . 05/13/2011
What is a 'formal meeting' ?
Chas.
I did receive this message from the speaker today:
Dear (artx):
Thank you for writing to express your support for legislation that would allow Texans to carry concealed handguns on college campuses. I value the opinions of all Texans, especially concerning important issues of individual liberty.
Several members of the 82nd Legislature have filed bills on this topic, including House Bill 750 by Representative Joe Driver and Senate Bill 354 by Senator Jeff Wentworth. HB 750 was passed by the House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety and then sent to the House Committee on Calendars to be considered for debate by the full House. The deadline for House bills to be scheduled for debate on the floor was May 10, 2011. HB 750 was not placed on a calendar prior to that deadline, so it will not receive further consideration during the 82nd Legislative Session.
SB 354 was included as an amendment to another bill, SB 1581 by Senator Steve Ogden, which passed the Senate on May 9, 2011. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Appropriations and is scheduled for consideration in a formal meeting on May 13, 2011.
As Speaker, it is my duty to preside over the other 149 members of the Texas House of Representatives so I rarely vote and do not personally carry legislation; however, I will keep your comments in mind should SB 1581 come before the full House.
I encourage you to track the progress of SB 1581 by visiting Texas Legislature Online at http://www.capitol.state.tx.us" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or by calling the Texas Bill Status Hotline at 1-877-824-7038. The website includes My TLO, a helpful tool that allows you to track the status of particular bills by creating custom watch lists. You can also receive alerts when significant actions are taken on the bills in which you have an interest.
Again, thank you for writing. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance on this or any other issue.
Sincerely,
Joe Straus
Speaker