AUSTIN – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued the following statement today upon the Texas Senate’s passage of Senate Bill 19, Banning Campaign Fundraising During Special Sessions, by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston:

“For decades, Texas law has prohibited the Governor, Lt. Governor, and legislators from raising campaign funds during regular legislative sessions. Yesterday, the Senate passed SB 19 to ban campaign fundraising during special sessions to align with the law that already applies to regular sessions. This bill will prevent Democrats from breaking quorum in the future, since these ‘vacations’ are very hard to maintain without donor funds. Additionally, this bill will cut down on the number of special sessions we have, as well as their length, and encourage legislators to remain present and on task, saving taxpayers money.”

Senate Bill 19, by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, prohibits campaign fundraising during special legislative sessions by the Governor, Lt. Governor, Speaker of the Texas House, and members of the legislature.