Credit: 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

This article appears in January 23 • 2009.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.