Bill Text: TX SR696 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing Bill Meier on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the longest filibuster in the Texas Senate.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-05-02 - Reported enrolled [SR696 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SR696-Enrolled.html
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| WHEREAS, May 2, 2017, marks the 40th anniversary of the | ||
| longest filibuster in history, which took place on the floor of | ||
| the Texas Senate; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The filibuster is a time-honored tradition dating | ||
| to ancient Rome that allows a legislator to seek to halt or delay | ||
| the passage of legislation by prolonged discussion; the Texas | ||
| Senate requires that a senator remain standing at his or her desk | ||
| during the duration of a filibuster, that no breaks be taken, and | ||
| that the entirety of the discussion be directly related to the | ||
| bill under consideration; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Senator Bill Meier, who represented Tarrant | ||
| County, took the floor of the Senate at 3:20 p.m. on May 2, 1977, | ||
| and did not relinquish it until 10:20 a.m. on May 4; for 43 hours, | ||
| he spoke in opposition to a Senate bill that addressed the | ||
| state's Open Records Act as it related to worker's compensation | ||
| issues; and | ||
| WHEREAS, He relied on many of the tried-and-true tools of | ||
| the filibusterer's art, including comfortable shoes, hard | ||
| candies, lemon slices, water, and the use of a device, better | ||
| left unexplained, called an astronaut bag; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Despite his stamina, his eloquence, and the riveting | ||
| excitement inherent in reading aloud hundreds of legal cases, he was | ||
| unable to convince his fellow senators of the righteousness of his | ||
| cause, and the bill passed by a vote of 23-7; and | ||
| WHEREAS, His 43-hour marathon continues to be the longest | ||
| filibuster by an American politician in a state legislature or in | ||
| Congress; it was recognized by the Guinness Book of World | ||
| Records, which no longer lists filibusters in its records, most | ||
| likely because of the improbability of this record ever being | ||
| eclipsed; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Today, Bill Meier serves with distinction as the | ||
| Place 2 Justice on the Second Court of Appeals in North Texas; his | ||
| record-setting filibuster is an integral part of the storied | ||
| history of the Texas Senate, and it is truly fitting that this | ||
| extraordinary feat be celebrated; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th | ||
| Legislature, hereby commemorate the 40th anniversary of the | ||
| longest filibuster in history and recognize, but do not yield the | ||
| floor to, Justice Bill Meier for his role in this historic event; | ||
| and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for | ||
| Justice Meier in honor of this momentous anniversary. | ||
| Hancock | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| President of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that the | ||
| above Resolution was adopted by | ||
| the Senate on May 2, 2017. | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Member, Texas Senate | ||
