We are in the final days of the 84th Legislative Session.  The House of Representatives is governed by procedural rules that ensure an orderly and transparent end to each legislative session.  These rules have an important purpose: to make sure that suspect legislation is not slipped in at the end without debate or public notice. 

May 15th was the last day for debate on House bills, and next week will be the deadline for debate on Senate bills.  I can assure you that I am watching closely to make sure that bad amendments don't find a way onto good legislation in these final days.

The House has passed some important measures in the last week.  We passed S.B. 2065, the pastor protection bill, which I was proud to co-sponsor.  S.B. 2065 would make certain that churches and pastors are not required to perform marriages that violate their religious beliefs.  It also clarifies that they cannot be sued or prosecuted for not performing these ceremonies.  This bill is important to ensure that our pastors are not persecuted for standing up for their principles and their faith.

The House also passed several important pieces of pro-life legislation this week.  H.B. 3994 will strengthen protections for minors seeking abortions through the judicial bypass system.  The bill requires more proof that minors are sufficiently informed to have an abortion, whether the abortion is in the best interest of the minor, and whether asking for parental consent could endanger the minor.  We also passed H.B. 3374, which would ensure that patients have access to food, water and pain management in their final days.

The House also passed an important ethics reform in H.B. 681.  This bill would prohibit elected officials who are convicted of certain crimes from receiving their pension.  These crimes include bribery, perjury, embezzlement, extortion, and theft of public money.  This is a common sense reform that makes sure bad actors don't continue to receive money for their criminal activities. 

As the legislative session winds up, I want to encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I want to hear your opinion regarding the issues that are important to you. It is with your input that I am able to best represent you. My office number is 512-463-0556 or district9.paddie@house.state.tx.us.