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Legislature To Wrap Up Special Session
The legislature continues to meet in a special session called by the governor to address school finance and property tax reform. The final day of the special session is July 20. Over the course of the special session, the governor has expanded the scope, or call, of the special session to include issues such as limiting eminent domain, tuition revenue bonds, telecommunications deregulation and renewable energy.
The legislature has answered the call with legislation addressing each topic. For example, both the House and the Senate have passed legislation limiting a local governmental entity's power of eminent domain, preventing them from using this power for primarily economic development projects. This issue came in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling which raised concerns about citizens' property rights in Texas and throughout the United States. The Supreme Court case Kelo v. The City of New London involved a 1998 case in which the City of New London, Connecticut condemned several private residences to allow for a redevelopment plan in conjunction with the construction of a major pharmaceutical research facility.
One of the many things that I enjoy about spending so much time in the Capitol is learning more about the rich history of our state and her government. One interesting story relates the adoption of "Texas, Our Texas" as the official state song. It was the interest of Pat Neff, who was governor of Texas from 1921 to 1925, for Texas to have a state song to properly symbolize the matchless history and the growth and glory of the state.
To this effort, Governor Neff offered a prize of $1,000 to a person who could write a song worthy of recognition as the state song and opened the offer to any person in the world. He then set up a committee of sixteen people to select the song from among the 286 that were submitted from people around the world. After two days of deliberation, the committee selected "Texas, Our Texas", written by W.J. Marsh and Gladys Yoakum Wright of Fort Worth.
The final adoption of the state song was intended to be done by the legislature during the next legislative session in 1925. However, rather than adopting the song, the legislature decided to pass a resolution which listed six songs worthy of consideration as the state anthem and to decide on the official song during the following legislative session. This would allow the citizens of Texas to consider the choices during the two years between session and express their thoughts as to which was the best. The song was finally officially adopted by the legislature in 1929.
One revision has been made to the state song since its adoption. In 1959, following Alaska statehood, the word "Largest" in the third line was changed by William J. Marsh to "Boldest."
I encourage you to contact me during the special session with your comments and suggestions or if I may be of assistance with any issues dealing with state agencies. You can reach me by writing to P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768-2910 or by e-mailing me at larry.phillips@house.state.tx.us.
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