- The vast majority of early legislative work, including meetings with constituents and collaborating with other lawmakers on policy issues, happens off the House floor
- The Texas Constitution limits what the lawmakers can do on the floor early in session
- Republican legislators, including Terri Leo Wilson, Shelby Slawson, and Hillary Hickland, have pushed back against accusations that the Texas House has not been working
Some commentators, often citing inflammatory speeches made by State Representative Brian Harrison, have accused lawmakers of taking long vacations at this point in the legislative session and, therefore, not doing any work. Is this really the case?
Since the legislative session began on January 14, the Texas Senate has originated resolutions that grant the legislature permission to adjourn for more than three days. These resolutions have passed unanimously in the Senate, and the Texas House has concurred with minimal opposition.
Due to the structural differences between the Texas House and Texas Senate, it takes longer for the House to organize than the Senate. Committees in both chambers have begun meeting and conducting business.
Several members of the Texas House have pushed back against accusations that they have been “on vacation,” highlighting the fact that the vast majority of the work the legislature does at this point during the legislative session does not take place on the House floor. This work takes place in the form of meetings with constituents, reviewing and researching legislation, and collaborating with other lawmakers on policy issues.
“My office is hard at work meeting with stakeholders and legislators daily to gather support for my legislation. Just because we are not on the floor does not mean we are not working. All of these resolutions dismissing floor time are Senate Concurrent Resolutions. Just because your county commissioners are not sitting in court, does that mean they are not working?” said State Representative Terri Leo Wilson
“I share the frustration many feel with the slow pace of the process, but we are obligated to work within the bounds of the Texas Constitution and House Rules. I am all for holding the House accountable for the right reasons, but I was elected to pass conservative legislation. That means time spent writing, amending, and meeting with legislators to get my bills passed. That doesn’t happen in a vacuum on the floor.”
State Representative Shelby Slawson echoed similar sentiments in an e-mail newsletter sent to her constituents.
“Despite not being on the floor, I am writing this newsletter to you Friday midday from your capitol office, where I’ve already had a long meeting with five members of the Governor’s staff about the budget for their office in preparation for our appropriations subcommittee hearing Monday morning.
When I do leave the capital later today to drive home to district, it will be with a huge binder of bills to review this weekend, notably: House Bills 2, 3, 4, 6, and 100, the House’s suite of education bills that were filed yesterday. I am eager to prepare notes on those for our next newsletter to you, as I know these are very important to our district as well.
The development and ripening of legislation is an intense process where bills move from concept to draft, through member-to-member collaboration and coalition building, committee hearings, and then—for ideas that clear the prior thresholds—to the floor,” wrote Slawson.
In response to a tweet from Harrison accusing the Texas House of not working, State Representative Hillary Hickland responded, “I’m here! Stop by:)” along with a photograph of her working on legislation in her Capitol office. Hickland’s tweet and photo were posted on a Friday afternoon when the House was not in session on the floor.
Leo Wilson, Slawson, and Hickland each supported David Cook for Speaker against Dustin Burrows on both ballots.
Schedules of upcoming committee meetings in the Texas House can be viewed here. A schedule of committee meetings in the Texas Senate can be viewed here.
