79R1079 JSA-D By: Pena H.J.R. No. 17 A JOINT RESOLUTION
proposing a constitutional amendment to require a house or committee of the legislature to take a record vote on certain legislative measures and actions.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 12, Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 12.
(a) Each House shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and publish the same.
(b) A vote taken by either House or by a committee of either House must be by record vote entered in the journal of the House or in the committee minutes, as appropriate, if the vote is on approval or disapproval of a bill, a measure proposing or ratifying a constitutional amendment, an amendment or substitute to such a bill or measure, the appointment or election of a legislative officer or other public official, or the confirmation of an appointment to public office; and the yeas and nays of the members of either House on any other question shall, at the desire of any three members present, be entered on the journals.
(c) Each House shall establish procedures to make each record vote required by Subsection (b) of this section available to the public through the Internet or a successor electronic communications system accessible by the general public by reference to the name or number of the bill, resolution, or other measure or, if applicable, by reference to the name of the person whose appointment, election, or confirmation is being considered. The procedures must require the record of the vote to be made accessible within a reasonable time after the vote is taken.
SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 8, 2005. The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the proposition: "The constitutional amendment to require that a record vote be taken by a house or committee of the legislature on any bill, constitutional amendment, amendment to a bill or constitutional amendment, election or appointment of a public official, or confirmation of an appointment to public office, and to provide for public access on the Internet to those record votes."
HJR 17 by Rep. Pena contains almost everything we asked. By taking the section below from HJR 13 by Rep. Branch, along with the portion enclosed and in bold writing, and adding it to HJR 17 we have exactly what we were seeking.
except that either house by rule may provide for exceptions to this requirement for a bill that( is a Local and Consent Bill and) applies only to one district or political subdivision of this state or one defined geographic territory within this state;
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Have I done that which I can do to the best of my ability?
HELL NO !! - but I'm trying.
Sputnik
