AUSTIN — The Texas Legislature finally adjourned a month ago but something unusual happened in Austin more recently. On Aug. 22, after House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Pitts announced he would not seek re-election, his former House colleague Carlos Uresti — now a senator — publicly urged him to reconsider his decision.
“I understand Jim’s desire to step away from the Legislature after 20 years of sterling service,” Uresti, D-San Antonio, said in a statement. “But his wisdom and leadership will be needed more than ever in the next session.