Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Texas House Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) today delivered the following remarks to House Members upon conclusion of the special session and adjournment Sine Die:
I want to thank each of you for your very hard work over what is now one hundred and seventy days. It took a little longer than any of us wanted but were finally closing very successful and productive although difficult legislative sessions.
Im proud that the House took the lead in making the tough choices required to pass a balanced budget with no new taxes while funding essential state services. We preserved funds to help balance what will also be a very difficult budget two years from now. We promoted our strong business climate. We promoted accountability and transparency in state government and in higher education and passed major sunset legislation. We passed all required redistricting maps which is something that is unheard of in recent legislative history.
These are just a few of the major accomplishments of the Texas House and of the Legislature as a whole. There are many many others. The people of Texas can be proud that you did your work in a responsible and responsive way representing the interests of those who sent us here.
While we are all looking forward to a few weeks away from here and a few weeks off the end of this legislative session also marks the beginning of preparations for the next one. Soon we will focus on interim charges. And in the coming weeks I will be asking each of you for your thoughts and suggestions on how we can have a productive interim and one that will allow us to hit the ground running when we convene for the 83rd Legislative Session in January 2013.
Members I am honored to serve as your Speaker. Please know that my door is open to each and every one of you. No matter what the future brings Texas has been well served by legislators who spent cautiously while working for better days in the future. I want to thank you again for working so hard this session and during the special session and for debating difficult issues with passion and with civility. Thank you all very much.
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Texas House Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) today delivered the following remarks to House Members upon conclusion of the special session and adjournment Sine Die:
I want to thank each of you for your very hard work over what is now one hundred and seventy days. It took a little longer than any of us wanted but were finally closing very successful and productive although difficult legislative sessions.
Im proud that the House took the lead in making the tough choices required to pass a balanced budget with no new taxes while funding essential state services. We preserved funds to help balance what will also be a very difficult budget two years from now. We promoted our strong business climate. We promoted accountability and transparency in state government and in higher education and passed major sunset legislation. We passed all required redistricting maps which is something that is unheard of in recent legislative history.
These are just a few of the major accomplishments of the Texas House and of the Legislature as a whole. There are many many others. The people of Texas can be proud that you did your work in a responsible and responsive way representing the interests of those who sent us here.
While we are all looking forward to a few weeks away from here and a few weeks off the end of this legislative session also marks the beginning of preparations for the next one. Soon we will focus on interim charges. And in the coming weeks I will be asking each of you for your thoughts and suggestions on how we can have a productive interim and one that will allow us to hit the ground running when we convene for the 83rd Legislative Session in January 2013.
Members I am honored to serve as your Speaker. Please know that my door is open to each and every one of you. No matter what the future brings Texas has been well served by legislators who spent cautiously while working for better days in the future. I want to thank you again for working so hard this session and during the special session and for debating difficult issues with passion and with civility. Thank you all very much.
