Cade-Rothwell Lodge No. 1151

News

10/9/07 - New Item

9/2/07 - New Item

Message from the Worshipful Master -

8/3/07

Cade-Rothwell has taken the building and property off the real estate market to allow the lodges in District 30C to consider consolidating in to one building, such as Cade-Rothwell.

7/11/07

Subject: Message from the Grand Lodge of Texas Internet Committee

Brethren, Worshipful Robert J. Glasgow, Grand Pursuivant, made the following report about the ad valorem bill in the 2007 Texas legislature:

       “I regret to inform you that our property tax exemption legislation in the Texas legislature was not passed, an innocent victim of the legislative ‘backlog’ in the House.
       Senate Bill 1296, the bill to grant mandatory tax relief to all Masonic properties in the State of Texas was introduced in the Senate by Senator Jeff Wentworth.  It was referred to the Senate Finance Committee for a committee hearing.  The bill was unopposed in the Senate Finance Committee and passed unanimously.  The bill was placed on the Local Calendar in the Senate and passed without opposition in early May.  Senator Wentworth did an outstanding job passing this bill in the Senate.
       When SB 1296 was referred to the House, it was sponsored in the House by Representative Warren Chisum.  The bill was referred to the House Ways & Means Committee.  Representative Hughes places an amendment on the bill to grant the same property tax relief to Knights of Columbus.  Although Texas Masons had no objection to
this amendment, it required the bill to go through the House Calendar Committee and be heard on the House floor for second and third readings, and then back to the Senate for concurrence in the House amendment.  SB 1290 passed the House Ways & Means Committee and it was referred to the Calendars Committee to be placed on the House calendar.  SB 1290 was placed on the House General State Calendar for consideration by the House.
       The last day to hear Senate bill in the House was 12:00 midnight, May 22, 2007.  Due the controversies that arose in the House during the last week two weeks of the session, there was a tremendous backlog of Senate bills on the house calendar.  SB 1296
was not reached for consideration by the House prior to the May 22, 2007 deadline, along with more than 100 other Senate bills.
       The loss of SB 1296 was a bitter loss for all Masons in Texas.  It was doubly bitter because the bill was totally uncontested, and would have become law had there not be extenuating circumstances in the House during the last two weeks of the legislative session that had nothing to do with SB 1296.
      Please be aware that we had our heroes in the Legislature.  Senator Wentworth, San Antonio Lodge No. 1079, passed the bill for us in the Senate.  Representative Warren Chisum, Top O’Texas Lodge No. 1381, was our House sponsor. Brothers David Counts, Pete Laney, Ben Yudesis, and Kevin Cooper spend their time and energies on behalf of this legislation.  Please thank these brethren for their outstanding efforts on our behalf.
       We certainly have not given up on our efforts to exempt Masonic properties from the ad valorem tax rolls.  If there is a Special Session of the legislature, we will reintroduce this legislation.  If there is no Special Session, we will reintroduce this legislation in 2009.  We feel sure that our efforts will be successful sometime in the near future.”

      Working to keep Texas Masons informed,

Fraternally yours,

Tommy D. Guest
Grand Secretary