http://www.texastribune.org/texas-taxes/2011-budget-shortfall/house-and-senate-adjourn-special-session-tuesday/Update (6 p.m.):
House Republican leader Rep. Larry Taylor, of Friendswood, said it's highly likely that Gov. Rick Perry will put the controversial bill banning sanctuary cities on the agenda for the special legislative session that is expected to start tomorrow. And in a letter to Perry outlining the priorities he'd like address during the special legislative session, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst included the sanctuary cities bill and a slew of other priorities:
SB 8 – Relating to improving the quality and efficiency of health care;
SB 23 – Relating to the administration of reforms, efficiency, cost-saving, fraud prevention, and funding measures for certain health and human services and health benefits programs;
HB 5 – Relating to establishing an Interstate Health Care Compact;
HB 12 – Relating to the enforcement of state and federal laws governing immigration by certain governmental entities;
HB 272 – Relating to the operation of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association and to the resolution of certain disputes concerning claims made to that association;
SB 12/HB400 – Relating to the flexibility of the Board of Trustees of a school district in the management and operation of public schools in the district and the flexibility for public schools to administer primary and secondary education efficiently;
HB 1937 – Relating to prosecution and punishment for the offense of official oppression by the intrusive touching of persons seeking access to public buildings and transportation; and
HB 900/SB 308 – Relating to the composition of the congressional districts for the State of Texas.
In the letter, Dewhurst also said that because Democratic senators have shown an "unwillingness to find consensus on these important legislative items," he sees no other alternative except to operate under a simple majority rule instead of using the two-thirds rule that has allowed the minority party to block some measures it opposes.
"Democrats have made a bad strategic move," Taylor said. "Negotiating will be a lot harder for them."