Voted to Reconsider a Pro-Life Amendment that had been Adopted

HB 5: Amendment 15

On HB 5, also known as the "corporate welfare bill," Rep. Schaefer sought to slide in a pro-life curve to the bill with Amendment No. 15.

The amendment would prohibit an applicant from "compensating or otherwise providing a monetary benefit to an employee, general contractor, or subcontractor in connection with an additional job, construction job, or required job relating to an activity that would constitute a criminal offense under the laws of this state."

No one would benefit from what the bill offered if the beneficiary were party to a criminal offense in Texas.

Everyone agreed and it was adopted by voice vote and the bill was recorded as amended.

Then the Democrats panicked, because they realized that this penalized the act of helping someone fund an abortion.

So Republican Todd Hunter dutifully stood up and moved to reconsider the adoption of the amendment. By record vote #1053 (see below), many Republican Representatives voted to reconsider (unadopt) the amendment, which then made it vulnerable to a point of order. A Democrat offered up a point of order and Republican Speaker of the House, Phelan, agreed with the point of order and the amendment was killed.

RV#1053 Yeas 109 (R 52, D 57) Nays 24 (R 23, D 1) View in House Legislative Journal Yea - Allison; Anchía; Anderson; Ashby; Bailes; Bell, K.; Bernal; Bhojani; Bowers; Bryant; Buckley; Bucy; Bumgarner; Burns; Burrows; Button; Campos; Canales; Capriglione; Clardy; Cole; Collier; Cook; Cortez; Craddick; Cunningham; Darby; Davis; Dean; DeAyala; Dorazio; Dutton; Flores; Frank; Frazier; Gamez; Garcia; Geren; Gervin-Hawkins; Goldman; González, J.; González, M.; Goodwin; Guerra; Guillen; Harless; Harris, C. E.; Hernandez; Herrero; Hinojosa; Howard; Hunter; Johnson, J. D.; Johnson, J. E.; Jones, J.; Jones, V.; Kacal; King, K.; King, T.; Kitzman; Klick; Kuempel; Lalani; Lambert; Leach; Longoria; Lopez, R.; Lozano; Lujan; Manuel; Martinez; Meyer; Meza; Moody; Morales Shaw; Morales, E.; Morrison; Muñoz; Neave Criado; Noble; Oliverson; Ordaz; Ortega; Perez; Plesa; Price; Raney; Raymond; Reynolds; Rogers; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Shine; Smith; Smithee; Spiller; Stucky; Talarico; Tepper; Thierry; Thimesch; Thompson, S.; Troxclair; Turner; VanDeaver; Vo; Walle; Zwiener

Nay - Cain; Gates; Gerdes; Harris, C. J.; Harrison; Hefner; Holland; Isaac; Landgraf; Leo-Wilson; Metcalf; Patterson; Paul; Ramos; Schaefer; Schatzline; Shaheen; Slaton; Slawson; Swanson; Tinderholt; Toth; Vasut; Wilson

Please note: the following statements by legislators do not affect the vote count that was recorded. Ashby: "When Record No. 1053 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." J. Lopez: "When Record No. 1053 was taken, I was in the house but away from my desk. I would have voted yes." Jetton: "When Record No. 1053 was taken, I was in the house but away from my desk. I would have voted yes." Landgraf: "When Record No. 1053 was taken, I was shown voting no. I intended to vote yes." Leach: "When Record No. 1053 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." Ramos: "When Record No. 1053 was taken, I was shown voting no. I intended to vote yes."

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