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From Skiprr's post in another thread:

House Calendars Committee

Chair: Brian Representative McCall, (512) 463-0594, (512) 474-7512 Fax

Vice Chair: Representative Eddie Lucio III, (512) 463-0606, (512) 463-0660 Fax

Members:

Norma Chavez, (512) 463-0622, (512) 478-6755 (Fax)

Garnet Coleman, (512) 463-0524, (512) 463-1260 Fax

Byron Cook, (512) 463-0730, (512) 463-2506 Fax

Brandon Creighton, (512) 463-0726, (512) 463-8428 Fax

Charlie Geren, (512) 463-0610, (512) 463-8310 Fax

Jim Keffer, (512) 463-0656, (512) 478-8805 Fax

Lois Kolkhorst, (512) 463-0600, (512) 463-5240 Fax

Edmund Kuempel, (512) 463-0602, (512) 480-0391 Fax

Jim McReynolds, (512) 463-0490, (512) 463-9059 Fax

Allan Ritter, (512) 463-0706, (512) 480-0744 Fax

Burt Solomons, (512) 463-0478, (512) 463-2089 Fax

Just called McCall's office, said I heard SB730 is still in Calendars Committee and we need to see it out to the House. The gal answering the phone said I need to be sure to call the other members of the committee, since, "they have a voice on this." I asked her if McCall was against the bill. She said, "he doesn't have a problem with it." Then she said be sure to call the rest of the comittee.

On to the rest of the committee...

elb

I called all the Senators on the Justice Committee to urge them to move SB 730 along so the rest of the senate can get it into law, and thanks Sen Hegar for co-sponsoring it (his aide seemed really happy I called with support). Most aides just took the message to pass along, but Senator Patrick's aide, without prompting, told me he supports it.

elb

It strikes me as bureacratically easier for the staffs of the senators and representatives (and thus more effective) if letters and emails and phone calls deal with one issue at at time, instead of a laundry list or even a double-barrel. It would let them sort and pigeonhole an individual communication without taking any extra steps to make sure "it counts over here as well." So I have limited my communications to one topic per contact. (Altho I think I will check into my rep's local office next week and go thru the list when face to face with the staff).

However, that is only a supposition. Mr. Cotton, or anyone else that has actually worked with our state legislature, do you know?

elb

I fired off a couple letters today to my rep (Kuempel) and senator (Wentworth). Rep Kuempel is a coauthor or cosponsor or whatever you call it, so I sent him an attaboy-keep-going. The legislature website shows SB370 as only having three senators signed up, Wentworth is not one of them, so I asked him to sign on and help move the bill forward.

I will follow up with phone calls tomorrow.

However, I still see no bills doing away with all or at least most of the can't-CHL-here areas. Seems to be only piecemeal; parking lot here, college campus there, defense to prosecution if the right 51% sign is displayed... progress, but well short of Gov Perry's statement. I was hoping there would be some momentum there.

More letters on other subjects to follow.