NEW TEXAS LEGISLATORS

Both in Washington and Austin, Texans have sent almost 50 new faces to represent them in both capitols.

On the Potomac, the new junior senator is John Cornyn, formerly Texas’ Attorney general and a member of the State Supreme Court.

New members of the Texas Congressional delegation (32 House members) are Republicans Jeb Hensarling, Dist. 5, Mike Burgess, Dist. 26 (replacing Dick Armey), John Carter, Dist. 31 and Democrat Chris Bell in District 25 (replacing Ken Bentsen). Hensarling is a former aide to Senator Phil Gramm; Burgess is a physician who defeated Dick Armey’s son in a bitter runoff; John Carter was a state district judge for 20 years and Chris Bell is a former Houston City councilman and unsuccessful mayoral candidate


STATE SENATE

Amongst the 31 member senate (19R, 12D) will be seven members who did not serve in the body during the last session.
Three have already been sworn in: Craig Estes who succeeded fellow Wichita Falls citizen Tom Haywood who died soon after last regular session. Estes won a special election and was reelected to a full term in November. Former Waco House member Kip Averitt was chosen in a special election to follow his old boss, David Sibley, who resigned from the Senate. Kyle Janek, a Houston physician, assumed the Senate district 17, held by Buster Brown for the last 21 years, after Brown’s early resignation. Other new Senate members will be former House members Kim Brimer of Fort Worth, Tommy Williams of the Woodlands and Juan Hinojosa of McAllen. All but Hinojosa are Republicans. Coming to the Senate without prior service will be Greenville physician Bob Deuell who knocked off David Cain in the general election.


TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

With 36 new members, the Texas House has experienced its largest session to session turnover since 1983. The Texas House will have its first GOP majority (88-62) since the Reconstruction Era.

New House members, by District, will be:

2—Dan Flynn, R-Van; 5—Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola (defeated Bob Glaze); 8—Byron Cook, R-Corsicana; 15—Rob Eissler, R-Woodlands; 19—Mike Hamilton, R-Mauriceville; 20—Dan Gattis, R-Georgetown; 24—Larry Taylor, R- Friendswood; 28—Glenn Hegar, R-Katy; 29—Glenda Dawson, R-Pearland (defeated House dean Tom Uher); 31—Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City (defeated incumbent Ignacio Salinas in primary); 35—Ms. Gabi Canales, D-Alice; 40—Aaron Pena, D-Edinburg; 45—Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs (defeated incumbent Rick Green); 47—Todd Baxter, R-Austin (beat incumbent Ann Kitchen in general); 50—Jack Stick, R-Austin; 51—Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin; 56—John Mabry, D-Waco (beat short term incumbent Holt Getterman in general); 70—Ken Paxton, R-Frisco; 72—Scott Campbell, R-San Angelo; 73—Mrs. Carter Casteel, R-New Braunfels; 75—Inocente Quintanilla, D-Tornillo (ousted Manny Najera in primary); 80—Timo Garza, D-Eagle Pass (edged Tracy King in primary runoff); 89—Jodie Laubenberg, R-Wiley; 91—Bob Griggs, R-North Richland Hills; 96—Bill Zedler, R-Arlington; 104—Robert Alonzo, D-Dallas (beat Domingo Garcia in primary); 105—Linda Harper Brown, R-Irving; 107—Bill Keffer, R-Dallas; 108—Dan Branch, R-Dallas; 117—Ken Mercer, R-San Antonio; 125—Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio (beat Art Reyna in primary); 128—Wayne Smith, R-Houston;130—Corbin Van Arsdale, R-Houston; 134—Martha Wong, R-Houston (beat Danburg in general); 138—Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston (beat Ken Yarbrough in general); 150—Debbie Riddle, R-Houston (succeeded the late Paul Hilbert in a special election and reelected in the general).

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House vote on proposed tort reform constitutional amendment CSHJR3

A record vote was requested.

Friday, March 28, 2003 HOUSE JOURNAL — 41st Day 1071
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The vote of the house was taken on the adoption of CSHJR 3 and the vote was announced yeas 102, nays 45.

A verification of the vote was requested and was granted.

The roll of those voting yea was again called and the verified vote resulted, as follows (Record 143): 102 Yeas, 45 Nays, 0 Present, not voting.

Yeas — Mr. Speaker(C); Allen; Baxter; Berman; Bohac; Bonnen; Branch; Brown, B.; Brown, F.; Callegari; Campbell; Capelo; Casteel; Chavez; Chisum; Christian; Cook, B.; Cook, R.; Corte; Crabb; Crownover; Davis, J.; Dawson; Delisi; Denny; Driver; Eissler; Elkins; Ellis; Farabee; Flores; Flynn; Garza; Gattis; Geren; Giddings; Goodman; Goolsby; Griggs; Grusendorf; Gutierrez; Haggerty; Hamilton; Hamric; Hardcastle; Harper-Brown; Hartnett; Heflin; Hegar; Hilderbran; Hill; Homer; Hope; Hopson; Howard; Hughes; Hunter; Hupp; Isett; Jones, D.; Jones, E.; Keel; Keffer, B.; Keffer, J.; King; Kolkhorst; Krusee; Kuempel; Laubenberg; Madden; Marchant; McCall; Mercer; Merritt; Miller; Morrison; Mowery; Nixon; Paxton; Phillips; Pitts; Reyna; Riddle; Ritter; Rose; Seaman; Smith, T.; Smith, W.; Smithee; Solomons; Stick; Swinford; Talton; Taylor; Truitt; Van Arsdale; Villarreal; West; Wohlgemuth; Wong; Woolley; Zedler.

Nays — Alonzo; Bailey; Burnam; Canales; Castro; Coleman; Davis, Y.; Deshotel; Dukes; Dunnam; Dutton; Eiland; Farrar; Gallego; Guillen; Hochberg; Hodge; Jones, J.; Laney; Lewis; Luna; Mabry; Martinez Fischer; McClendon; McReynolds; Menendez; Moreno, J.; Moreno, P.; Naishtat; Noriega; Oliveira; Olivo; Peña; Pickett; Puente; Quintanilla; Raymond; Rodriguez; Solis; Telford; Thompson; Turner; Uresti; Wilson; Wolens.

Absent, Excused — Wise.

Absent — Edwards.

By unanimous consent, the house dispensed with the verification of those voting nay.

The speaker stated that CSHJR 3 was adopted by the above vote.

CSHJR 3 - REASON FOR VOTE

People across the state need access to health care. Doctors across our state need protection from frivolous lawsuits. All of us need protection from poorly-run or unscrupulous insurance companies. However, HJR 3 does not guarantee a remedy for any of these ills. Further, it comes at a great price––a direct assault on the Texas Bill of Rights, a cornerstone of our Constitution and our history.

We are disappointed that the majority refused to accept the amendments offered by Representatives Turner, Mabry, Luna, and Eiland. These amendments would have vastly improved this legislation and ensured support from a broad spectrum of the house membership. Had any three of these four amendments had been accepted, we would have voted for HJR 3.

Gallego

Hochberg

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