Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, in a letter to senators dated June 25, outlined his agenda for the special session, set to begin July 1. The plan, Dewhurst said, is to come into session at 10 a.m. the first day of the special and immediately refer bills to Senate Finance Committee "for the sake of efficiency."

Dewhurst said he and his staff, along with Sens. John Carona (R-Dallas) and Glenn Hegar (R-Katy), are preparing three bills to address the special session call.

"The Senate will then consider and pass the bills, and we will work with the Speaker and the House of Representatives to complete the business and promptly pass all the bills, hopefully, by the weekend," Dewhurst wrote.

The bills are as follows:

• SB 1 -- Proposition 12 bonds, Revolving Fund and appropriations direction. Consists of: the Senate engrossed version of SB 263 which would authorize the Texas Transportation Commission to issue $5 billion in debt for highway improvements; SB 1350, which would create the Texas Transportation Revolving Fund; and an amendment to Rider No. 60 to the budget bill (SB 1 in the 81st session) to issue general obligation bonds and create the Revolving Fund. (Note: The bill would take effect on the 91st day after the session adjourned if passed by a majority, as required under the Texas Constitution, but if a supermajority passes SB 1, it would take effect immediately).
• SB 2 -- Sunset Bill. Though currently being drafted, the intent is to, after a limited-scope review of each, extend the Sunset date for up to two years for the following agencies: Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation, Texas Department of Insurance, Office of Public Insurance Counsel, Texas Racing Commission, and the Texas Department of Transportation. Dewhurst indicated that health and human service organization sunset reviews would be delayed until 2013 while environmental agencies would likely be reviewed in 2011.
• SB 3 -- CDA extensions. Dewhurst said the bill would extend a specific list of about 10 comprehensive development agreement (CDA) projects for the next four years. (Note: the length of the special session may depend on just how specific this list is, given the controversial nature of CDAs).

Dewhurst expects to have copies of the submitted legislation available for Senators on June 29 or 30.

UPDATE (4:16 p.m.): Sen. Carona filed SB 1 today. "I think these concepts are well accepted and should move rapidly through the process," Carona, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said in a press release.

The text of SB 1 may be read at: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=811&Bill=SB1