Legislators on the Loose

Lawmakers busy in slow rule-making week

By Richard Whittaker, 9:50AM, Mon. Jan. 26, 2009

Photo by Richard Whittaker

With the House meeting for about a micro-second on Thursday while the rules were worked on, and Senate closed for business until today, what have legislators been up to?

Local state Reps. Dawnna Dukes, Donna Howard and Diana Maldonado attended the inauguration of President Barack Obama (as one wag at the Travis County Democratic Party's Farewell to Bush bash at Antone's on Tuesday put it, "Donna, Dawnna and Diana went to D.C. Say that five times fast.) Reps. Elliott Naishtat and Valinda Bolton made it to Antone's, along with Democratic House Caucus Chair Jim Dunnam, D-Waco. He had to: His band, the Bad Precedents, were part of the entertainment.

It was a busy time for Rep. Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs. He spent lunchtime on Wednesday with Bolton and Rep. Eddie Rodriguez at the Real Estate Council of Austin's monthly shindig. Later he joined Reps. Edmund Kuempel, Doug Miller and Bill Callegari, along with Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's launch of their new water documentary (coming to PBS on Feb. 12.)

The biggest gathering so far has probably been the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Seventh Annual Policy Orientation, and the speeches by possible 2010 gubernatorial opponents Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Gov. Rick Perry. Beware reading too much into the list of attendees: A free lunch is, even on legislator pay, a free lunch (Announced attendees are listed after the jump.)

For Dewhurst's speech:
Dan Branch, R-Dallas
Bill Callegari, R-Houston
Angie Chen Button, R-Dallas
Byron Cook, R-Corsicana
Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe
John Davies, R-Clear Lake
Allen Fletcher, R-Houston
Linda Harper Brown, R-Dallas
Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola
Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio
Ken Legler, R-Pasadena
Rob Orr, R-Burleson
Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Dallas

For Perry's speech:
Jimmy Don Aycock, R-Killeen
Leo Berman, R-Taylor
Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston
Angie Chen Button, R-Dallas
Bill Callegari, R-Houston
Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe
Myra Crownover, R-Denton
Alan Fletcher, R-Houston
Dan Flynn, R-Canton
Linda Harper Brown, R-Dallas
Charlie Howard, R-Sugar Land
Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola
Phil King, R-Weatherford
Ken Legler, R-Pasadena
Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria
Debbie Riddle, R-Houston

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