Journal of the House of Representatives of the Regular Session of the Seventy-Sixth Legislature of the State of Texas, Volume 1 Page: 14
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76th LEGISLATURE- REGULAR SESSION
work for us without grandstanding or seeking recognition for himself. We
are truly fortunate to have him lead this house, servants of Texas, into the
next century. We have found a good one, let's keep him.
The secretary of state recognized the Honorable Kip Averitt of McLennan
County, who seconded the nomination of the Honorable James E. "Pete"
Laney, speaking as follows:
Mr. Secretary, Governor Bush, honored guests and members:
In 1891, Speaker R. T. Milner opened the 22nd session of the Texas
House of Representatives in this very chamber, articulating a rule of reason
that still resounds over 100 years later. He said, "I believe with Jefferson,
the greatest advocate of popular government, that the will of the majority, in
all cases, should prevail. But, in the same sentence in which he laid down
this wise axiom, he declared that we should, at all times, bear in mind the
sacred principle that the will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the
minority possesses their equal right...."
Today, I am honored to rise on behalf of my friend, and our leader, Pete
Laney, for speaker, not only because he embodies these historic principles of
reason and fairness, but also for what he has done and what he will do for
all of Texas. As a former committee chairman, and now, as the speaker of
the Texas House, Pete Laney has contributed honor and integrity to this
chamber. Pete Laney keeps our Lone Star State shining. Consider just a few
examples: Under his able leadership, we have a house of representatives that
is more open and accessible to the people of Texas than at any point in our
state's history. When the very first Texas Legislature convened on February
16, 1846, the house took the same actions to swear-in and elect their officers
as we are doing here today. The very next day, one of the first resolutions
passed guaranteed public accessibility to the proceedings of this house. Our
speaker has continued and enhanced this Texas tradition. This session, for
the first time, the house's legislative proceedings will be broadcast not only
on television and radio, but on the Internet as well and let me take advantage
of this opportunity to say, "Hi Mom!"
As you can see, indeed, Texans and their elected representatives will be
brought even closer together.
Internally, the speaker has also made us proud by making the legislative
process more manageable and accessible for members. He has embraced rule
changes that allow all voices to be heard. You know, I've even heard a
rumor that he intends to extend this courtesy to freshmen members this
session-just as long as they don't spend too much time at the microphone.
Under the guidance of Speaker Laney, the house committee structure is
better than ever. Today, committees and chairmanships are appointed on the
basis of ability, and not along party lines. Pete believes that a strong
committee system is the foundation for building good legislation, and that
this process must include representatives with a variety of views.
Under the leadership of Speaker Laney the past several years, we've
passed far-reaching legislation that includes a major tax-reduction package,
significant education funding and reform, practical juvenile justice reform,
and other major efforts too numerous to mention. As you know, Pete has
played a major role in this and has always acted in the best interests of
Texas.14
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Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives. Journal of the House of Representatives of the Regular Session of the Seventy-Sixth Legislature of the State of Texas, Volume 1, legislative document, 1999; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth97442/m1/18/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.