The Texas Legislature has recently been moving rapidly to demonstrate that there is no expiration date on liberty, and that swiftness continues on May 5 in the Senate State Affairs Committee.
Late last month, the Texas House of Representatives passed House Joint Resolution (HJR) 98 -- the COS resolution with no expiration date -- by a decisive 86-57 vote.
While a companion COS resolution had been filed in the Texas Senate, the passage of HJR 98 in the House clears the way for it to be heard in committee on the Senate side of the capitol.
As such, the Senate State Affairs Committee will hear testimony regarding HJR 98 on May 5 at 10:00 a.m. ET/9:00 a.m. CT, and you can see it unfold on COS LIVE by clicking below:
Texas Sen. Brian Birdwell, who is the chief sponsor of the Senate's companion COS resolution and articulate spokesman for it, is a member of the State Affairs Committee.
In 2017, Texas became the eleventh state to pass a resolution calling upon Congress to convene an Article V convention to reduce the size, scope, and jurisdiction of the federal government. But that resolution is set to expire this year.
HJR 98, if passed by the Texas Senate, will not expire.
Continuing support for the COS resolution in Texas is a product of the tireless and dedicated work of the entire COS Texas team, which has not only maintained a significant presence in Austin for over a decade, but built upon the solid foundation that enabled passage of the initial resolution.
The team's recent testimony in front of the Texas House committee that moved the resolution to the floor was, in the words of Convention of States Action Senior Vice President for Legislative Rita Peters, "concise and impactful." We can expect more of the same on the Senate side.
Texas Rep. Cody Vasut, the primary sponsor of HJR 98, has been instrumental in boldly voicing his support for the resolution and making astute procedural moves in order to shepherd it smoothly through the legislature.
The below photo of Rep. Vasut with COS Texas Legislative Liaison John Van Compernolle's great grandson, Jax, brings into focus the why and the how of passing the COS resolution.
Watch the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee hearing on COS LIVE on May 5 at 10:00 a.m. ET/9:00 a.m. CT! You won't want to miss a minute of the action as Texas moves closer to eliminating the expiration date on liberty.
