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AUSTIN—Gov. Rick Perry, who had earlier suggested call-

ing a March 2009 special session of the 81st Legislature,

moved the date up to July 1. Austin-watchers opine that the

earlier date will clear the governor’s calendar so he can focus

on his re-election bid.

Perry Panglosses Over the Past

Gov. Perry, in announcing this “special,” put a happy face

on the regular session’s performance.

“The 81st legislative session was one of the most success-

ful in recent memory, providing a tax cut to 40,000 small

businesses and increasing financial aid for college students

by more than 40 percent, all without touching our state’s

Rainy Day Fund,” Gov. Perry said. “After speaking with legislators, I am calling a special session to extend the operation of five critical agencies and help reduce gridlock by continuing to provide options for financing our state’s highways.”

What’s On the Plate

Perry set the agenda for this session.

;; ;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;;;;;;; ;;; ;;;;;;;;; ;; ;;;; ;;;;; ;;;;;;;; ;;;; were subject to sunset review by the 81st Legislature that would otherwise be abolished without legislative action, and to change the review schedule for certain state agencies to balance the Sunset Advisory Commission’s workload.

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In This Issue

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CORPUS CHRISTI—Gov. Rick Perry ceremonially signed House Bill HB 4409, which enacts necessary reforms to the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) that will ultimately reduce the burden of catastrophic storms on the state and eventually establish TWIA as an insurer of last resort. The governor declared provisions of the bill emergency items for the 81st Legislative Session.

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Special Focus:

Risk Management

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Reducing the “Tough” Factor

“This legislation addresses a number of issues that have made it tough for insurance companies to remain engaged along the Texas coast, making it difficult for citizens to get the windstorm coverage they need and exerting upward pressure on continued on page 4

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; 8

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