DALLAS -As lawmakers scramble to pass thousands of bills during the legislative session’s final weeks, one House committee wields the power to decide which legislation will see the light of day on the floor and which will die an unceremonious death. Once a committee that considers bills on a certain topic advances legislation, the Calendars Committee must then schedule it for floor debate. And this week, with a key House deadline looming, committee members are at the height of their power. At the committee’s daily meetings, Chairman Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, rapidly lists off bills by their numbers, and committee members casts votes yes or no on whether to schedule the bill for a House vote.{read more}
