February 14, 2021      10:26 AM

Unprecedented winter weather across the state adds to delays at the Texas Legislature

Tuesday meetings of Appropriations and Finance are cancelled, floor proceedings still on for Tuesday but safety first: The House will gavel in day to day until a quorum can safely be present

Already dealing with slower operations because of the pandemic, the unprecedented winter weather across the state is adding to the delays at the Texas Legislature.

On Saturday, Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster in all of Texas’ 254 counties. The Texas House’s presiding officer asked all members and staff to prioritize their safety over being present in Austin this week.

The Texas House Appropriations Committee hearing that had been slated for Tuesday has been canceled. The same is true for the Texas Senate Finance meeting on Tuesday. As of Sunday morning, those committees are still set to meet Wednesday and Thursday.

As for floor proceedings, Speaker Dade Phelan on Saturday reminded members that the constitution requires that they gavel in on Tuesday. However, "If a quorum is not present, the House will adjourn from day to day until a quorum is present."

Developing…

Copyright February 14, 2021, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved