Sunday Filibuster: Choose Life Plate in Grave Danger-Sen. Carona Threatens Filibuster to kill HB 300 over Tax Issue

12:05 a.m.-House chooses not to extend time, without voting to approve conference committee report on HB 300, bill and Choose Life License Plate is apparently dead.  Since House has not approved the final version of HB 300, the Senate will have no reason to take up  HB 300 and Sen. Carona will have no opportunity or need to filibuster.  So, the bad LOCAL OPTION GAS TAX AND FEES SHOULD BE DEAD!!

12:03 a.m.  WOW! In rare move, House takes record vote to adjourn, as some members want to extend time to complete work.  House votes to adjourn.

11:57 p.m. -Senate adjourns without reaching HB 300.  Opportunity appears to exist for Carona filibuster for tomorrow.

11:42 p.m. -CORRECTION: Due to a suspenion of the rules by the Senate yesterday to push back the Saturday night deadline to tonight at midnight, for completion of conference committee reports, we could see Sen. Carona take up his filibuster tomorrow, ir HB 300 does not come up tonight, he could still have time to do it tomorrow.

11:15 p.m. =Rep. Pickett has challenged Sen. Carona to show he has the votes on HB 300, to block it, or let go of his threat to filibuster.   Pickett is sure the numbers are there in the House to fully reject the bad amendments he wants, and Carona is still determined to filibuster or call a point of order on HB 300.  I hope he is not planning on using the Choose Life License Plate as a basis for calling a point of order on HB 3oo.

Due to a suspenion of the rules by the Senate yesterday to push back the Saturday night deadline to tonight at midnight, for completion of conference committee reports, we could see Sen. Carona take up his filibuster tomorrow, AS WELL..

So, Sen. Carona has now stated that he will filibuster the bill when it comes up for discussion today. Basically he will talk as long as he has to (until midnight tonight), without ceasing, until time runs out to pass the bill, which causes the bill to “die” and not get passed.  See Sen. Carona’s letter here.  CARONA.FILIBUSTER[1]

By the way, Sen. Carona VOTED “FOR” THE CHILDREN’S HATE CRIMES BILL, HB 824, IN COMMITTEE.  He first voted against the bill in committee, and the bill died, because it didn’t have enough votes to pass.  He then immediately changed his vote and asked for the bill to be brought back up for a vote, and he then voted “FOR” this hate crimes bill.  His vote switch gave the bill the vote it needed to pass out of committee.  We then had to work very quickly to talk to other Senate Members to block this bill, so it did not become law, as it had already been passed by the House.

Call Lt. Gov Dewhurst and ask him to save the Choose Life License Plate.  512-463-0001

Call Sen Carona and ask him to withdraw his filibuster and save the Choose Life License Plate.  512- 463-0116