By: Whitmire S.R. No. 7
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Under the provisions of Article III, Section 3,
of the Constitution of the State of Texas, the Senators elected
after each new apportionment shall be divided into two classes,
the seats of the Senators of the first class to be vacated at the
expiration of the first two years, and the seats of those of the
second class to be vacated at the expiration of four years; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Texas, 78th
Legislature, That the Senate shall draw lots as provided by this
resolution; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the drawing of lots shall be conducted as
follows:
(1) That the Lieutenant Governor appoint a committee of
five Senators to supervise, direct, and verify all matters
relating to the preparation of the slips and envelopes and the
drawing of the envelopes as provided by this resolution;
(2) That the Secretary of the Senate prepare 31 slips of
paper of uniform size and appearance; that the Secretary of the
Senate type on each of the slips of paper a number between "1" and
"31," both inclusive, the number "1" to be typed on the first slip
of paper, and the number "2" to be typed on the second slip of
paper, and so on until a different number has been typed on each
of the slips of paper; and that the committee verify the proper
preparation of the 31 slips of paper;
(3) That the Secretary of the Senate, under the
supervision of the committee in the presence of the Senate at an
open session of the Senate to be held at a time and on a day to be
determined by the President, place each of the slips of paper in a
separate capsule, each of the capsules to be of uniform size and
appearance; that the Secretary of the Senate then place each of
the capsules in a separate envelope and seal the envelope, each
of the envelopes to be of uniform size and appearance; and that
the 31 envelopes, each containing one of the capsules and slips
of paper, then be placed in some suitable receptacle;
(4) That at a time and on a day to be determined by the
President in open session of the Senate the drawing of the
envelopes be conducted under the supervision of the committee in
the following manner:
(A) The receptacle containing the sealed envelopes
shall be placed on a suitable table or desk at the front of the
Senate Chamber; and
(B) The Secretary of the Senate shall call the names
of the Senators in alphabetical order, and as the name of each
Senator is called, that Senator shall withdraw from the
receptacle one envelope, which shall then be immediately opened
and the number appearing on the slip of paper in the envelope
shall be written after that Senator's name on a suitable register
to be prepared by the Secretary of the Senate;
(5) That the 15 Senators drawing slips with any of the
even numbers "2" - "4" - "6" - "8" - "10" - "12" - "14" - "16" -
"18" - "20" - "22" - "24" - "26" - "28" - "30" shall be of the
first class and their term of office shall terminate at the
expiration of two years, or one-half of the four-year
constitutional term, and that the 16 Senators drawing slips with
any of the odd numbers "1" - "3" - "5" - "7" - "9" - "11" - "13" -
"15" - "17" - "19" - "21" - "23" - "25" - "27" - "29" - "31" shall
be of the second class, and their term of office shall terminate
at the expiration of four years; and
(6) That any Senator who is unable to attend the drawing
shall appoint and designate in writing some other Senator to draw
an envelope in the place of the absent Senator; in the event any
Member of the Senate is absent and has failed to appoint and
designate some Member of the Senate to act for the absent Senator
in the drawing, the Secretary of the Senate shall draw an
envelope for the absent Senator.
_______________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on January 14, 2003.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate