(Thursday, October 12, 2023)

The Senate met at 11:37 p.m. pursuant to adjournment and was called to order by the President.

The roll was called and the following Senators were present:  Alvarado, Bettencourt, Birdwell, Blanco, Campbell, Creighton, Eckhardt, Flores, Gutierrez, Hall, Hancock, Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, Johnson, King, Kolkhorst, LaMantia, Menéndez, Middleton, Miles, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks, Springer, West, Whitmire, Zaffirini.

The President announced that a quorum of the Senate was present.

Senator King offered the invocation as follows:

Father, it's just appropriate to stop for a minute at the end of a long day and the beginning of a short, we hope, legislative day. We thank You for what we have accomplished this last legislative day, and there was some really good things for Texas. We're really proud of that and grateful that You let us be a part of You getting these things done. There's been some threats that have been made for violence tomorrow, and we just pray that none of that would occur in our state or our country and that if anyone does attempt that, that they would quickly and completely be dealt with. We thank You for the privilege of serving here. We thank You for our families back home and pray that You would watch over them until we're back there, which we hope will be very soon. And we ask all these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

Senator Whitmire moved that the reading of the Journal of the proceedings of the previous day be dispensed with and the Journal be approved as printed.

The motion prevailed without objection.

The President announced that the introduction of bills and resolutions on first reading would be postponed until the end of today's session.

There was no objection.

The President at 11:40 p.m. announced the conclusion of morning call.

Senator Birdwell moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 11 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

SB 11, Relating to the creation of the criminal offense of improper entry from a foreign nation.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hall, Hancock, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks, Springer.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Hinojosa, Johnson, LaMantia, Menéndez, Miles, West, Whitmire, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Middleton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 7 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

SB 7, Relating to prohibiting a private employer from adopting or enforcing certain COVID-19 vaccine mandates; authorizing an administrative penalty.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hall, Hancock, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks, Springer.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Hinojosa, Johnson, LaMantia, Menéndez, Miles, West, Whitmire, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12. (Same as previous roll call)

The President laid before the Senate SB 1 by Senator Creighton at this time on its third reading and final passage:

SB 1, Relating to the establishment of an education savings account program.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 18, Nays 13.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hall, Hancock, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks, Springer.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Hinojosa, Johnson, LaMantia, Menéndez, Miles, Nichols, West, Whitmire, Zaffirini.

On motion of Senator Whitmire, the Senate at 12:00 a.m. recessed until 1:00 p.m. Monday, October 16, 2023.

SB 1, SB 2, SB 4, SB 7, SB 11

SR 10, SR 11, SR 12, SR 13, SR 14, SR 15, SR 16, SR 17, SR 18, SR 19, SR 20, SR 21