Hot List: Day 24 of the Legislature

The Lead:

Mostly a quiet day at the Capitol—save for some key Senate committee hearings (more on that in a moment). The Senate has adjourned till Monday. The House will be in session at 10 a.m., but without committee assignments, there isn’t much to see unless you’re a fan of honorary resolutions.

When will we get those House committee assignments? With so many freshmen in the House, assigning committees is probably a more difficult task than most other sessions. And with 150 House members and so many House members, it wasn’t easy to begin with. When the speaker announces the House committees, the session’s real work can begin.

Yesterday’s Headlines:

1. The Statesman‘s Kate Alexander reports that rising property taxes would likely eat up most of Gov. Rick Perry’s proposed tax cut. Oops.

2. Testimony in the school finance trial has concluded. Most school districts are suing the state. The outcome of the trial will likely lead to a reworking of public school funding. The Houston Chronicle has more.

3. Gov. Perry told reporters in Dallas that AG Greg Abbott would not challenge him in a GOP primary for governor in 2014. If Perry chooses to run again, the governor claims, Abbott wouldn’t enter the race. Damn. They’re ruining all the fun.

Line of the Day:

“Greg is a dear friend. He has said clearly that if I ran again he’s not going to be running against me…. We’ve had that conversation.” —Gov. Perry in interview on WFAA-TV in Dallas

What We’re Watching Today:

1. The Senate Finance Committee meets again today to hear testimony from the state’s health and human services agencies. HHSC chief Kyle Janek testified yesterday, and the Legislative Budget Board told the committee that anticipated savings from Medicaid were coming in lower than expected.

2. The Senate Education Committee gets rolling today—come on down, Chairman Dan Patrick. The committee will jump right into action. Its scheduled to discuss SB 135, a testing bill authored by Patrick.