NINTH DAY --- TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2025

The house met at 2:04 p.m. and was called to order by the speaker.

The roll of the house was called and a quorum was announced present (Record 15).

Present — Mr. Speaker(C); Alders; Allen; Anchía; Ashby; Barry; Bell, C.; Bell, K.; Bernal; Bhojani; Bonnen; Bowers; Bryant; Buckley; Bucy; Bumgarner; Button; Cain; Campos; Canales; Capriglione; Cole; Collier; Cook; Cortez; Craddick; Cunningham; Curry; Darby; Davis, A.; Davis, Y.; Dean; DeAyala; Dorazio; Dutton; Dyson; Fairly; Flores; Frank; Gámez; Garcia, J.; Garcia, L.; Garcia Hernandez; Gates; Gerdes; Geren; González, J.; González, M.; Goodwin; Guerra; Guillen; Harless; Harris; Harris Davila; Harrison; Hayes; Hefner; Hernandez; Hickland; Hinojosa; Holt; Hopper; Howard; Hull; Hunter; Isaac; Johnson; Jones, J.; Jones, V.; Kerwin; King; Kitzman; LaHood; Lalani; Lambert; Landgraf; Leach; Leo Wilson; Little; Longoria; Lopez, J.; Lopez, R.; Louderback; Lowe; Lozano; Lujan; Luther; Manuel; Martinez; Martinez Fischer; McLaughlin; McQueeney; Metcalf; Meyer; Meza; Money; Moody; Morales, C.; Morales, E.; Morales Shaw; Morgan; Muñoz; Noble; Olcott; Oliverson; Ordaz; Orr; Patterson; Paul; Perez, M.; Perez, V.; Phelan; Pierson; Plesa; Raymond; Reynolds; Richardson; Rodríguez Ramos; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Schatzline; Schofield; Schoolcraft; Shaheen; Shofner; Simmons; Slawson; Smithee; Spiller; Swanson; Talarico; Tinderholt; Toth; Troxclair; Turner; VanDeaver; Vasut; Villalobos; Virdell; Vo; Walle; Ward Johnson; Wharton; Wilson; Wu; Zwiener.

Absent, Excused — Gervin-Hawkins; Tepper.

Absent — Thompson.

The invocation was offered by Representative Villalobos as follows:

Dear heavenly Father, we come before you today with grateful hearts for the opportunity to serve the people of Texas. We ask for your wisdom and guidance as we make decisions that will impact the lives of many. Grant us the strength to act with integrity, the courage to stand for what is right, and the compassion to consider the needs of all of our constituents. Bless our state with prosperity, peace, and unity. Help us work together setting aside our differences to create a better future for all Texans. May our actions reflect your love, and may we always seek to honor you in our service. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

The chair recognized Representative Walle who led the house in the pledges of allegiance to the United States and Texas flags.

The following member was granted leave of absence for today because of illness:

Tepper on motion of Spiller.

The following member was granted leave of absence for today and the remainder of the week because of illness:

Gervin-Hawkins on motion of Bowers.

(Thompson now present)

A message from the senate was received at this time (see the addendum to the daily journal, Messages from the Senate, Message No. 1).

The chair laid before the house and submitted the following special message from the governor for inclusion in the journal:

TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EIGHTY-NINTH TEXAS LEGISLATURE, REGULAR SESSION:

I, GREG ABBOTT, Governor of the State of Texas, pursuant to Article IV, Section 9, of the Texas Constitution, do hereby submit the following message to the Senate and House of Representatives of the 89th Legislature, now convened:

Good evening to members of the Texas Senate and House, Speaker Burrows, state officials, members of the judiciary, First Lady Cecilia Abbott, and to my fellow Texans.

We love our state. It means something to be a Texan. No state offers the opportunity that Texas provides. Businesses like Arnold Oil Company have seized that opportunity. Tonight, I'm at their headquarters in Austin. It's an 85-year-old family business. They supply auto products, lubricants, power equipment, and much more. Jim Arnold says they supply anyone with a wrench in their hand. The Texas economy is thriving because of Arnold Oil and thousands of businesses like it.

Texas is the most powerful economy in America. Ranked as the best state for doing business for 20 years, Texas is number one for the most new jobs, number one for economic development, and number one as the best state to start a new business. Texas is the blueprint for America's future. We rank No. 1 for technology and innovation and No. 1 for semiconductors that power the things you use every day.

We created a Space Commission to boost space exploration in Texas, from NASA, to SpaceX, to Blue Origin, and beyond. And we added new business courts that swiftly deal with complex business litigation. Business is booming so much that we now have our own stock exchange, the Texas Stock Exchange. It will make Texas the financial capital of America.

Clearly, God has blessed Texas, and the state of our state has never been better. But we know that more must be done to ensure that prosperity reaches every Texas family and every Texas business. That's why I created the Small Business Freedom Council to require all state agencies to slash rules, fees, and regulations. It's why we will keep state spending below constitutional limits and why we must cut your taxes.

We know that many Texans face an affordability crisis. Last session, we slashed your property taxes. But for many Texans, those cuts were wiped out by local taxing authorities that hiked your property taxes even more. That must end this session.

I want at least $10 billion in new property tax relief. But that will only work if local authorities cannot use loopholes to jack up your property taxes like Harris County did. They increased property taxes more than 10 percent last year. Loopholes that increase your property taxes must be banned. No taxing entity should be able to raise your property taxes without a two-thirds approval by voters. No approval, no new taxes. I am making property tax relief an emergency item that must be passed.

We must also make housing more affordable. To do that, we need to make it easier to build, slash regulations, and speed up permitting. And to make your current home more affordable, we should offer a one-year tax exemption on home improvements, like heating and air conditioning.

Helping families also means improving health care for Texans. That includes expanding access and funding for mental health care, especially in rural Texas. It means helping our seniors and Texans with disabilities by providing pay increases for their caregivers. And it means increasing maternal care in every corner of the state.

Another issue that affects every family and every business is water. Some of our water supplies are drying up. Many communities have leaking and broken water lines. Agriculture producers in the Rio Grande Valley and West Texas do not have enough water to grow their crops.

Last session, we invested $1 billion in water projects and infrastructure. This session, we will Texas-size that investment. Working with Senator Perry and Representative Cody Harris, we will put Texas on a path to have plenty of water for the next 50 years. We will make the largest investment in water in the history of Texas. We will tap into new water supplies and repair pipes to save billions of gallons of water each year. This generational investment in water is so important I am declaring it an emergency item.

Our rapidly growing state also needs an increasing supply of electric power. We now provide more power than ever before. In the last four years, we increased power by 35 percent. As a result, Texas ranks number one for electric power generation, with more than California and New York combined. And we're not done yet. Last session, I signed a law to add 10,000 megawatts of power to the grid. That's enough to power more than two million homes. We must add more power this session to better fortify our grid. It's also time for Texas to lead a nuclear power renaissance in the United States.

Texas is number one in so many ways, like jobs, Tier One research universities, cattle and cotton, oil and gas, and we're home to the largest medical center in the world. The list goes on. It is now time that we set our sights on another number one. Texas should be number one in educating our children. There are three pillars to reach that goal. All of which must be achieved. The first pillar is empowered parents. Parents are a child's first teacher. Schools must work for parents, not the other way around. Schools must respond to parents' concerns, and parents should be empowered to choose the school that's best for their child.

The second pillar is exemplary teachers. We must fund and train the best teachers. That starts with giving our teachers a pay raise this session. To increase teachers' average salary to an all-time high, I am declaring teacher pay an emergency item. Additionally, we must reward the best teachers by putting them on a path to earn a six-figure salary. More than 25,000 teachers are already on that path. We must expand that merit program to every school district. And to keep great teachers, we must restore discipline in our schools. It is common sense to give teachers the authority to remove disruptive students from their classrooms. Very simply, our schools must be safe. Safe for students, teachers, staff, and parents. We should invest $500 million more to better secure our schools.

The third pillar is exceptional academics. Public education funding is at an all-time high. Funding per student is at an all-time high. But improving education requires more than just spending money. It requires high-level instruction and better curriculum. Schools must focus on the fundamentals––reading, writing, math, science, and of course, our country's founding documents. We want to ensure every child is prepared for college or a good-paying career.

However, schools must not push woke agendas on our kids. Schools are for education, not indoctrination. We must ban DEI in grades K-12. No boys in girls' sports. The State of Texas recognizes only two genders––male and female. Any educator who tells students that boys can be girls should be fired on the spot.

Vital to education is expanding career training. Many of the most in-demand jobs are careers like welders, plumbers, and electricians. To prepare students for these careers, high schools must provide more career training programs so students can go from graduation directly into a good-paying job. Raya Rabold, who is here tonight, is a great example of this. She took welding at Jarrell High School. After more training at Texas State Technical College, her welding work was featured in the Yellowstone TV show. She's now working to become a welding inspector that earns as much as $85,000 a year. And she's only 18 years old. Careers like this are part of the better job and bigger paycheck opportunities that we provide in Texas. That's why I am making life-changing career training an emergency item. I will work with Senator Schwertner and Representatives Keith Bell and Gary Gates on this much-needed legislation.

Raya chose the path that was best for her. We want every student at every level to have that same opportunity. That's why we must pass school choice this session. Government-mandated schools cannot meet the unique needs of every student. But Texas can provide families with choices to meet those needs. The majority of Texans support school choice. More than 30 states already have a form of school choice. We will continue to fully fund public schools and raise teacher pay, while also giving parents the choice they deserve.

The fact is, Education Savings Accounts have already succeeded in Texas. In 2020, I created a pilot program for special education students. In 2021, a bipartisan supermajority of the legislature expanded that program. It provides $1,500 grants for tutors and other support services that help students thrive. One success of that program is with us tonight. Jeremiah Kimmel is a student with autism from Bell County. That program helped Jeremiah improve at school and in his daily life. His grandmother said it's huge that she could have a say in the education that was right for Jeremiah. Like Raya and Jeremiah, every child deserves the education that's best for them. It's time to expand that same opportunity to every Texas family. Thanks to Senator Creighton and Representative Buckley for their leadership. Tonight, I am declaring school choice an emergency item that must be passed.

For Texans who want to go to college, we must ensure that it's more affordable and more accessible. Our public universities must also be more accountable. College professors have increasingly pushed woke agendas. They have too much influence over who is hired to educate our kids. We need legislation that prohibits professors from having any say over employment decisions.

We must also expand the ban on DEI in our public universities. We must purge it from every corner of our schools and return the focus to merit. I have ordered all state agencies to eliminate DEI. Now, we need a law that bans DEI from any entity that receives taxpayer dollars.

No one can benefit from a better education or a booming economy if they are not safe. To make our communities safer, we must eliminate parole for criminals convicted of child trafficking. We must deny bail to criminals charged with capital murder and other heinous violent crimes. Illegal immigrants who are arrested should be considered a flight risk, denied bail, and turned over to ICE.

Activist judges have too much discretion to let repeat offenders out on bail, only to see them harm more Texans. Many innocent Texans, including Harris County Deputy Constable Omar Ursin, have been murdered by criminals let out on bail from a prior murder charge. Deputy Ursin's widow, Whitney, is with us tonight. All of Texas grieves with you. Lawmakers must choose––support the safety of the citizens they represent or the criminals who kill them. Thanks to Senator Huffman and Representative Spiller, this legislation will save lives. That is why I am making bail reform an emergency item.

Another safety issue that must be addressed is squatters. Private property rights are a cornerstone of our values and legal system. It is against the law to live or stay on somebody's property without their permission. We need stronger laws to immediately remove and prosecute squatters.

Another essential part of public safety is fighting fires. This session, we must ensure that our firefighters have the tools they need, like airtanker planes and more funding for local firefighters across our state. Joining us tonight are Texas firefighters who battled the Panhandle blazes––the largest fire in Texas history. We also have Texas firefighters who fought the catastrophic California fires. We thank them for their service and their bravery.

As the world becomes more complicated and dangerous, we must protect our state from hackers and hostile foreign actors. Just in the last two weeks, we have seen one of our cities, a hospital, and a major business all hit by serious cyberattacks. That's why I am announcing an emergency item to create the Texas Cyber Command. We will partner with the University of Texas at San Antonio on this effort. San Antonio is home to one of the world's largest concentrations of cybersecurity experts. We must harness those assets to protect against threats from China, Iran, Russia, and other foreign enemies. They could cripple our power, water, and communications with cyberattacks. We must use cutting-edge capabilities to secure our state. I thank Senator Parker and Representative Capriglione for their leadership on this issue.

We also must protect Texas from infiltration by foreign adversaries. That includes prohibiting noncitizens from serving in state and local government and prohibiting hostile foreign nations and their agents from buying Texas land.

We must safeguard our elections so that only United States citizens are able to register and cast a vote in Texas. I support Senator Hughes' election integrity bill to restore power to the attorney general to prosecute election violations.

Safer communities require secure borders. I launched Operation Lone Star with the legislature to combat President Biden's open border policies. Together, we built a border wall, installed buoys in the Rio Grande, and deployed the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety on the ground, in the water, and in the air. These brave soldiers and troopers have built border barriers, arrested and jailed illegal crossers, and seized enough fentanyl to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States, Canada, and Mexico combined. We are joined tonight by members of our Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety who served on the border. We thank them for their service.

Also, I declared an invasion at the border. I designated the Mexican drug cartels foreign terrorist organizations. And I took the border to Biden by busing more than 100,000 migrants to sanctuary cities like Washington, D.C., and New York City. None of these tactics would have been possible without funding from the legislature. Our efforts have reduced illegal crossings into Texas by more than 85 percent. In fact, Operation Lone Star has been so successful the Trump Administration is using it as a model to secure the border. Today, we have a president who will partner with Texas to deny illegal entry. To support that mission, I have ordered Texas state agencies to assist the Trump administration with arresting, jailing, and deporting illegal immigrants. We must also require cities and counties across the state to fully cooperate with these efforts.

One of the most dangerous threats is the violent Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua. They take over empty apartments and hotels. They traffic women, children, and drugs. I declared them a foreign terrorist organization. I directed the Department of Public Safety to dispatch strike teams to root out and destroy Tren de Aragua in Texas. Their violence has taken the lives of innocent Texans, like 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray. She was brutally raped and murdered by two illegal immigrants with ties to Tren de Aragua. Her mother, Alexis, is with us tonight. Cecilia and I are so sorry for your loss. Justice for Jocelyn demands action. I demand legislation imposing the death penalty on anyone convicted of murdering a child like Jocelyn.

Ultimately, our task this session is to be guardians of freedom. Freedom will persist for as long as we protect it. Freedom stokes self-determination to achieve things once thought impossible. Freedom is the power that turns ashes at the Alamo into victory at San Jacinto. Freedom is the force that propelled Texas to global economic dominance. Freedom is the spirit behind family businesses like Arnold Oil that endure for generations. Freedom is the inspiration that drives students like Raya and Jeremiah to choose the path that's best for them. More than anything, it is freedom that will make Texas stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever in the history of our great state. May God bless you all, and may God forever bless the great State of Texas.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/Greg Abbott

Governor

Austin, Texas

February 2, 2025

The chair laid before the house and had read the following special message from the governor:

TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EIGHTY-NINTH TEXAS LEGISLATURE, REGULAR SESSION:

I, GREG ABBOTT, Governor of the State of Texas, pursuant to Article III, Section 5, of the Texas Constitution and by this special message, do hereby submit the following emergency matters for immediate consideration to the Senate and House of Representatives of the 89th Legislature, now convened:

Legislation reforming the property tax system and providing relief for Texas property taxpayers.

Legislation providing a method of funding for new water supplies and water and wastewater infrastructure.

Legislation providing for a universal Education Savings Account program.

Legislation to provide salary increases for Texas teachers, including through merit-based compensation programs.

Legislation expanding career and technical education for Texas students.

Legislation creating the Texas Cyber Command.

Legislation reforming the bail system in Texas to end revolving door bail practices that put dangerous criminals back on the streets.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/Greg Abbott

Governor

Austin, Texas

February 2, 2025

The following resolution was laid before the house:

SCR 11, Granting the legislature permission to adjourn for more than three days during the period beginning on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, and ending on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.

The chair recognized Representative Harrison who addressed the house in opposition to the resolution, speaking as follows:

I rise in strong opposition to this resolution. Respectfully, what in the world are we doing even considering a resolution like this for another extended weekend? Texans would be shocked to learn that this house has accomplished exactly nothing in the past three weeks that we've been here, except for HR 4—also called the Democrat Empowerment Act of 2025.

How many of you—and this is a serious question—how many of you, in either party, campaigned over the last year saying, "Vote for me, and I'll go to the house and vote for long weekends"? My sincere guess is none of you said that. Despite what some of you may have been told, the hard truth is that we could have started working on day one, even before the governor designated emergency items. Absolutely nothing stopped the speaker from forming a select committee the day he was sworn in and referring bills on any of the countless priority policies that we need to tackle this session, such as putting our state on a path to eliminate property taxes, ending DEI in our public universities, or allowing students the opportunity to stop being trapped in failing schools.

It simply is not true, members, that we aren't capable of working for the first 60 days. In fact, countless times in our state's history, this body has suspended that prohibition to allow for expedient action. And today, we know this is still possible because the senate has passed a bill out of committee last week and will vote one off the floor tomorrow. To those of you who say we cannot move as fast as the senate, I would say I agree. But ladies and gentlemen, that is no excuse for not moving at all. And even if those who have been claiming that we haven't been allowed to work were right—and they're not—that claptrap can no longer be employed because, just this weekend, Governor Abbott gave us seven emergency items, which we could take action on today if we wanted to. They include important issues, such as property taxes, vocational training, and school choice.

Members, we are now wholly without excuse for continued inaction. And after witnessing the intentional dysfunction of this body for the past three years, let me be very clear—especially to the new members—exactly what is happening right now. The leadership of this body plans to kill many important pieces of legislation this session, but they do not want to be blamed for it. It is much easier to blame failure to act boldly on the clock running out than it is on themselves. And this is especially true now that the House Rules give the unprecedented power to the minority party to almost completely control the hearing schedule in every single committee if they so choose. If you don't believe me, let's look at what happened last session. I am holding last session's final second reading calendar in my hands. There are over 60 bills in here from the majority party that were killed intentionally by being placed so far down the calendar that there was literally no time to consider them. This is not an accident, and it was done by design and with malice by the Calendars Committee, whose chairman is now our speaker. Among these 60 bills that were killed intentionally by letting the clock run out last session were such critical priorities as limiting emergency executive powers of the governor, banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates for students, and reining in the regulatory state. The house could take action on these bills today, members, if house leadership wanted to. The fact is, they do not. Ladies and gentlemen, this is operation "run out the clock." And let me tell you something: Your voters know it. The millions of Texans we serve are not as stupid as some people and the media would have you believe.

Finally, to the members on my side of the aisle, whether it is your intent or not, any delay at all plays right into the minority party's hands. For those who are skeptical of my position, fine. But the burden of proof is not on those of us conservatives up here who oppose the motion to run out the clock with long weekends, but it is on those of you considering voting in the affirmative. And I would ask all of you to think long and hard about this. What exactly is the justification to vote yes for another long weekend? Every day the house doesn't act, priority legislation—like finally ending property taxes—risks failing. Members, a vote yes is a vote to make a mockery of the legislative process. We are doing a disservice to the hardworking and overtaxed Texans who look forward to us providing the bold leadership that they expect and that they deserve. We've been here three weeks, and we've accomplished nothing. Please let's not make it four. I strongly urge you, my colleagues, to join us and vote no.

SCR 11 was adopted by (Record 16): 123 Yeas, 18 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Yeas — Alders; Allen; Anchía; Ashby; Barry; Bell, C.; Bell, K.; Bernal; Bhojani; Bonnen; Bowers; Bryant; Buckley; Bucy; Bumgarner; Button; Campos; Canales; Capriglione; Cole; Collier; Cook; Cortez; Craddick; Cunningham; Curry; Darby; Davis, A.; Davis, Y.; Dean; DeAyala; Dutton; Dyson; Fairly; Flores; Frank; Gámez; Garcia, J.; Garcia, L.; Garcia Hernandez; Gates; Gerdes; Geren; González, J.; González, M.; Goodwin; Guerra; Guillen; Harless; Harris; Harris Davila; Hayes; Hefner; Hernandez; Howard; Hull; Hunter; Isaac; Johnson; Jones, J.; Jones, V.; King; Kitzman; LaHood; Lalani; Lambert; Landgraf; Leach; Leo Wilson; Lopez, J.; Lopez, R.; Lujan; Manuel; Martinez; Martinez Fischer; McLaughlin; McQueeney; Metcalf; Meyer; Meza; Moody; Morales, C.; Morales, E.; Morales Shaw; Muñoz; Noble; Ordaz; Orr; Patterson; Paul; Perez, M.; Perez, V.; Phelan; Plesa; Raymond; Reynolds; Rodríguez Ramos; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Schofield; Schoolcraft; Shaheen; Shofner; Simmons; Slawson; Smithee; Spiller; Swanson; Talarico; Thompson; Troxclair; Turner; VanDeaver; Vasut; Villalobos; Vo; Walle; Ward Johnson; Wharton; Wilson; Wu; Zwiener.

Nays — Cain; Harrison; Hickland; Holt; Hopper; Kerwin; Little; Lowe; Luther; Money; Morgan; Olcott; Pierson; Richardson; Schatzline; Tinderholt; Toth; Virdell.

Present, not voting — Mr. Speaker(C).

Absent, Excused — Gervin-Hawkins; Tepper.

Absent — Dorazio; Hinojosa; Longoria; Louderback; Lozano; Oliverson.

When Record No. 16 was taken, I was in the house but away from my desk. I would have voted no.

Dorazio

When Record No. 16 was taken, I was in the house but away from my desk. I would have voted no.

Louderback

Representative Leo Wilson submitted the following reason for vote to be printed in the journal:

Each of the record votes I cast to approve a Senate Concurrent Resolution for adjournment longer than three days was in response to a formal request from the Texas Senate, not the house. These breaks were requested so that committee work and legislative preparation could take place.

It is also important to understand that, under the Texas Constitution, the house is limited in what it can consider during the first 60 days of session unless four-fifths of the members vote to suspend the rules. We did not have the votes necessary to suspend the rules during those early weeks. In addition, the governor did not release his emergency legislative priorities until February 2, 2025, which further limited the legislation that could be taken up during that period.

It is important to set the record straight. Even when we approved these adjournments at the senate's request, house members, including myself, were hard at work.

The legislative process does not only happen on the house floor. During these early months, I spent many hours meeting with constituents, stakeholders, and advocates to develop and refine the legislation I intended to pass. It takes significant behind-the-scenes work to get a bill to the floor, and that work does not stop when the chamber is not in session.

Just because your county commissioner is not in court does not mean they are not working. In the same way, I spent countless hours in my office during what many called long weekends, doing the work that the people of Chambers and Galveston Counties elected me to do. Legislative service includes research, negotiation, and advocacy, much of which takes place outside of public view but is essential to passing effective policy.

Representative Raymond moved to suspend all necessary rules to take up and consider at this time HR 120.

The motion prevailed.

The following resolution was laid before the house:

HR 120, Recognizing the Washington's Birthday Celebration Association of Laredo.

HR 120 was adopted.

On motion of Representative Craddick, the names of all the members of the house were added to HR 120 as signers thereof.

The chair recognized Representative Raymond who introduced members of the Washington's Birthday Celebration Association of Laredo.

(Patterson in the chair)

Representative Raymond moved to suspend all necessary rules to take up and consider at this time HR 121.

The motion prevailed.

The following resolution was laid before the house:

HR 121, Recognizing February 4, 2025, as Laredo Day at the State Capitol.

HR 121 was adopted.

The chair recognized Representatives Raymond and McLaughlin who introduced a delegation from Laredo.

Representative King moved to suspend all necessary rules to take up and consider at this time HR 76.

The motion prevailed.

The following resolution was laid before the house:

HR 76, Recognizing February 4, 2025, as Andrews County Day at the State Capitol.

HR 76 was adopted.

The chair recognized Representative King who introduced a delegation from Andrews County.

Representative K. Bell moved to suspend all necessary rules to take up and consider at this time HR 133.

The motion prevailed.

The following resolution was laid before the house:

HR 133, Recognizing February 4, 2025, as Cedar Creek Lake Day at the State Capitol.

HR 133 was adopted.

(Speaker in the chair)

On motion of Representative Button, the names of all the members of the house were added to HR 133 as signers thereof.

The chair presented Dr. Roger Fowler of Tyler as the "Doctor for the Day."

The house welcomed Dr. Fowler and thanked them for their participation in the Physician of the Day Program sponsored by the Texas Academy of Family Physicians.

Representative Hopper moved to suspend all necessary rules to take up and consider at this time HR 169.

The motion prevailed.

The following resolution was laid before the house:

HR 169, Recognizing February 4, 2025, as Wise County Day at the State Capitol.

HR 169 was adopted.

Representative Darby moved to suspend all necessary rules to take up and consider at this time HR 127.

The motion prevailed.

The following resolution was laid before the house:

HR 127, Recognizing February 4, 2025, as Texas Energy Day at the State Capitol.

HR 127 was adopted.

On motion of Representative Gerdes, the names of all the members of the house were added to HR 127 as signers thereof.

Representative Schatzline moved to print remarks by Representative Harrison on SCR 11.

The motion prevailed.

Representative Martinez Fischer moved to suspend all necessary rules to take up and consider at this time HR 131.

The motion prevailed.

The following resolution was laid before the house:

HR 131, Recognizing February 4, 2025, as UTSA and UT Health San Antonio Day at the State Capitol.

HR 131 was adopted.

Representative Johnson moved to suspend all necessary rules to take up and consider at this time HR 143.

The motion prevailed.

The following resolution was laid before the house:

HR 143, Recognizing February 4, 2025, as Texas Association of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Day at the State Capitol.

HR 143 was adopted.

On motion of Representative Plesa, the names of all the members of the house were added to HR 143 as signers thereof.

Representative J. Garcia moved to suspend all necessary rules to take up and consider at this time HR 115.

The motion prevailed.

The following resolution was laid before the house:

HR 115, Recognizing January 30, 2025, as Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Day at the State Capitol and honoring the nonprofit Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren for its contributions to the State of Texas.

HR 115 was adopted.

On motion of Representative Romero, the names of all the members of the house were added to HR 115 as signers thereof.

Representative Simmons moved to suspend all necessary rules to take up and consider at this time HR 161.

The motion prevailed.

The following resolution was laid before the house:

HR 161, Congratulating Beyoncé for winning three Grammys at the 2025 Grammy Awards.

HR 161 was adopted. (Dean, Harless, Harrison, Holt, Hopper, Kerwin, Lowe, Olcott, Richardson, Schatzline, and Toth recorded voting no.)

On motion of Representative Bowers, the names of all the members of the house were added to HR 161 as signers thereof.

Representative Lowe submitted the following reason for vote to be printed in the journal:

In reference to the vote on HR 161, I have not, and will not, support a resolution to honor Beyoncé in the Texas House of Representatives. Beyoncé's public endorsement of Black Lives Matter, a Marxist terrorist group, makes it inappropriate to honor her in this way, as it could be seen as disrespectful to law enforcement professionals.

Representative C. Morales moved to suspend all necessary rules to take up and consider at this time HR 31.

The motion prevailed.

The following resolution was laid before the house:

HR 31, Recognizing February 4, 2025, as Houston East End Chamber of Commerce East End Day at the State Capitol.

HR 31 was adopted.

On motion of Representative M. Perez, the names of all the members of the house were added to HR 31 as signers thereof.

Representative Curry moved that the house adjourn until 10 a.m. tomorrow in memory of Mary Jolivette Carter of Waco.

The motion prevailed.

The house accordingly, at 3:22 p.m., adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow.

The following messages from the senate were today received by the house:

MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE

SENATE CHAMBER

Austin, Texas

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

The Honorable Speaker of the House

House Chamber

Austin, Texas

Mr. Speaker:

I am directed by the senate to inform the house that the senate has taken the following action:

THE SENATE HAS PASSED THE FOLLOWING MEASURES:

Granting the legislature permission to adjourn for more than three days during the period beginning on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, and ending on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.

Respectfully,

Patsy Spaw

Secretary of the Senate

January 29 - HCR 54