Today the First Called Session of the 85th Texas Legislature begins in Austin. The Texas constitution requires a new legislature to meet every two years, this is the 85th in Texas history, to pass a budget and take care of other business. Those biennial meetings are limited to 140 days and each is the only “regular session” of a given legislature.
The governor of Texas is the official who can call any subsequent number of special sessions of a legislature. Because the governor calls the session by proclamation an extra-to-the-regular session is termed a “called session” with the one beginning today being the first called session of the 85th Texas Legislature.
Different from a regular, a called, or special, session has a maximum time clock of 30 days. If more needs to be done at the end of that period, the governor will have to call another which would then be the second called session and so on.
Very different from a regular legislative session is that the Texas governor sets the agenda in a called session. In such a session legislators can only consider items listed by the governor in the session call or added to that call before the 30 day window is up.
Rather than being termed a “called” or “special” session, it might be more meaningful to call such a governor’s session of the state’s legislative body. In the regular session Texas governors are largely ignored other than naming so-called “emergency” items which can be considered early. In a called session, like that beginning Tuesday, 18 August 2017, the governor sets the agenda and it is the political prestige of the governor that is most tested.
Texas’ 85th Legislature begins 1st called session today
Robert Pratt
Today the First Called Session of the 85th Texas Legislature begins in Austin. The Texas constitution requires a new legislature to meet every two years, this is the 85th in Texas history, to pass a budget and take care of other business. Those biennial meetings are limited to 140 days and each is the only “regular session” of a given legislature.
The governor of Texas is the official who can call any subsequent number of special sessions of a legislature. Because the governor calls the session by proclamation an extra-to-the-regular session is termed a “called session” with the one beginning today being the first called session of the 85th Texas Legislature.
Different from a regular, a called, or special, session has a maximum time clock of 30 days. If more needs to be done at the end of that period, the governor will have to call another which would then be the second called session and so on.
Very different from a regular legislative session is that the Texas governor sets the agenda in a called session. In such a session legislators can only consider items listed by the governor in the session call or added to that call before the 30 day window is up.
Rather than being termed a “called” or “special” session, it might be more meaningful to call such a governor’s session of the state’s legislative body. In the regular session Texas governors are largely ignored other than naming so-called “emergency” items which can be considered early. In a called session, like that beginning Tuesday, 18 August 2017, the governor sets the agenda and it is the political prestige of the governor that is most tested.
Here is Governor Greg Abbott’s call and related press information.
Tune to Pratt on Texas daily to get full coverage of the first called session of the 85th Texas Legislature.