GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPENING DAY OF THE 89TH SESSION OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE (if you are not going to the Capitol on Jan 14, please scroll to the end of this message for Save The Date information) For those of you planning to travel to the Capitol on Jan 14th for opening day of session, here are some details you will need to know. Basics of What To Expect: Opening day of the legislature is a fun, but chaotic day, full of celebrations, receptions, congratulations, and hugs for our favorite people. And this year we are blessed to have LOTS of favorite people! I’m estimating thousands of grassroots activists will be there, doing what we’re doing, along with the opposition. The agenda is loose, and the only official things happen starting at noon. There is a free kickoff event with Ted Nugent, open to the public at 9:30, in the street at 919 Congress Avenue (outside on the corner). Some reps are hosting receptions in their offices during the morning. Be prepared for lots of walking. Just getting from parking garages to the Capitol building is about equal to 3 city blocks. Inside the building, there are elevators, but with thousands of activists and guests attending, it will be difficult to get an elevator. Stairs for one flight in the main building are equal to two flights of normal building stairs because of the tall ceilings. So, when you go from 1st floor to 3rd floor, it’s like climbing 4 flights of stairs! In the Extension, the stairs are more normal. In the House or Senate gallery, you are not allowed food, drink, signs, or loud talking. Please be respectful of the proceedings and follow the rules. Photography is allowed as long as it’s not flash. Gallery rules require that you be seated. No standing in the back. And don’t lean over the railings – the Sergeant at Arms will scold you! When gallery seats fill up, the Sergeant at Arms will form a line outside the gallery and then only allow more people in, as others leave. Food & Beverages are available in the Capitol Grille located on level 1 of the Extension near the Seal Court. Both hot and cold items are available as well as grab and go items, snacks, and a variety of beverages. They have really good coffee too! You can also bring a sack lunch, and eat in the hallways on the benches, or outside on the grounds if the weather is nice. The Capitol Gift Shop is on Extension level 1, next to the Capitol Grille. If you’re into that sort of thing, they have a variety of T shirts, memorabilia, bottled water, and light snacks. Meet Up: We will meet up on Tuesday in the Rotunda. We will plan to meet there at 10 am. I’ll have assignments for the day, including a position paper on why the House members should support Rep Cook for Speaker, and copies of our Legislative priorities which you will distribute to your own House representatives and/or Senators. Security: You’re allowed to take anything you want into the Capitol (including firearms) but all bags and people must go through the scanner at security. Remember that whatever you carry in, you have to carry it around with you all day long. I like to pack light. If you’re prone to being cold, we suggest that you bring a sweater or jacket, because the Capitol rooms are often very cold. If you have an LTC, you can skip security (even if you’re not carrying), and show your license on the left side of the entrance to be admitted without going through scanners. Access to the House Gallery: I’ve been told that the public will have access to the House gallery on a first come, first served basis. However – there are going to be thousands of us there that day, and many of the gallery seats will be reserved for guests of House Members. So, if you want to be in the gallery for the speaker vote, you’ll need to line up as early as possible. The proceedings will also be televised in the Auditorium on Extension level 1, and most Representatives will welcome people in their offices to view it on their office TVs. The House gallery is accessed on the 3rd floor of the original Capitol building, and doors will open at 10:30. Schedule: This is the schedule I’ve planned for the day. You are not required to follow it. You are welcome to do your own thing, or not. If you rode a bus or a carpool, your only obligation will be to get to the meet up place for the return trip at the agreed upon time at the end of the day.
- 10:00 – 10:15 AM Meet in the Rotunda with Fran Rhodes, TTP and Chris McNutt, TXGR. Receive materials/plans for the day
- 10:30 – 11:30 Visit House Reps to deliver position paper on Speaker race, and Legislative Priorities. Visit Senators to deliver Legislative Priorities. OR… if you want to be in the gallery, go line up for entrance (the gallery doors open at 10:30).
- 11:30 – 12:00 Lunch (on your own, unless you are on the TTP/TXGR Bus from Beaumont/Katy. Bus tickets include lunch & riders will be provided with lunch instructions)
- Noon - ??? House gavels in at Noon. Speaker vote should happen shortly after. You can watch the proceedings in the House gallery (3rd floor) if you can get in, or watch the televised version in the Auditorium on E1, or in House Reps’ offices.
- After House adjourns - Continue visits to Representatives and Senators to distribute Lege Priorities. This is also a good time to meet your Representative’s and Senator’s staff, and get their contact information for future reference.
- 3:00 – 5:00 Meet up to go home at the agreed upon time/place with whomever you rode to Austin.
What to Wear: Normally, we ask people to dress business casual when visiting the Capitol. But on special days like this, we sometimes wear messaging shirts. If you have a “Ban Democrat Chairs” shirt, please wear that. Otherwise, wear RED TTP shirts, or anything RED. Comfortable shoes are a must because there’s a lot of walking involved. As mentioned before, a jacket or sweater is nice for people who easily get cold. Parking: Preferred parking spot is the Capitol Visitors’ Center Garage located at 12th street between San Jacinto & Trinity. There is also an entrance off of 13th street. That garage will fill up quickly on a busy day, so my back up parking is the Bullock Museum, located on 18th Street between Colorado and Congress. The Visitor’s garage is free the first 2 hours, then by the hour, with a maximum of $12 for the day. The Bullock is $15 whether you are there for 1 hour or all day. For other parking options near the Capitol, check this handy map reference. BEFORE YOU GO: Try to look up the name and office room number for your House Rep and Senator. You can do this on the TLO at capitol.texas.gov. From the pull-down menu, click on either House or Senate, then members, then see the list of members. Click on the member’s name, and it will give you the office number. Don’t know who your representatives are? Look them up at this link. I look forward to seeing so many of you there on Jan 14th! It makes my heart happy when y’all get fired up about stuff and show up to make your voices heard. Feel free to share this message with others. We welcome participation from everyone. CAN YOU HELP ON JAN 14? I need experienced Capitol people to help out on the 14th with the inexperienced. We will have a lot of first timers with us that day. If you plan to be there on the 14th, know your way around the Capitol, and are willing to help others, please reply to this email and let me know. Thanks! SAVE THE DATE! Mark your calendars for these other important legislative dates in the next few weeks: Tuesday, Jan 21: TTP Tuesdays at the Capitol Tuesday, Jan 28: NO TTP Tuesdays Tuesday Feb 4: TTP Tuesdays at the Capitol PLUS Bus from Dallas/Waco Tuesday Feb 11: TTP Tuesdays at the Capitol – including mini-training on Lege process Tuesday Feb 18: TTP Tuesdays at the Capitol – WITH TFVC rally and 10th anniversary celebration Monday Mar 3: TRUE TEXAN DAY AT THE CAPITOL Tuesday Mar 4: NO TTP Tuesdays (since we just did our day on Monday) Tuesday Mar 11: BIG TXGR engagement day, PLUS Bus from Frisco/Waxahachie **TXGR is adding additional bus departures from several other locations for March 11. Details coming Tuesday Mar 18: TTP Tuesdays at the Capitol – including mini-training on using the TLO Tuesday Mar 25: TRUE TEXAS KIDS AT THE CAPITOL Details and more information will be included in the Fran’s Friday Messages every Friday during session, along with updates and action items for that week. Stay Engaged! Fran Rhodes, President |
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