Gallegos health problem to keep him from Senate floor

State Senator Mario V. Gallegos announced this week that his doctor place him on a waiting list of a liver transplant. Pending the transplant, Gallegos is unable to travel far from Houston and so will be unable to be in the Texas Capitol this session.

“My physician has placed me on a waiting list to be a recipient for a liver transplant. He has long anticipated this possibility ever since I became sober almost a year ago. He and I have worked hard together to ensure that I would be in the best possible health, either to prevent the necessity for such a procedure, or to make sure that I would be a strong recipient for the organ in the event the procedure became necessary.
“My physician estimates that from the time I receive the transplant, I will need an additional 18 days of recovery time prior to resuming my duties in person in Austin. Obviously, I do not yet know when a compatible liver will become available, or how many other patients of similar liver compatibility are of higher priority than my medical need, so it is unknown at this point when the surgery might occur.
“Of paramount importance to me is that the interests of those in my Senate district are well-represented in my absence, and I have taken steps to make sure of it.
“First, I will be in constant communication with my legislative staff, and they will coordinate with other Senate offices to make sure any amendments I would have otherwise proposed in Senate committees to legislation affecting my constituents will instead be offered by other Senators on the appropriate committees. Once Lt. Governor Dewhurst makes his decisions regarding committee assignments, I will complete that process.
“Second, in the spirit of the “Luna Precedent” set by then-Senator Gregory Luna and honored by then-Lt. Governor Rick Perry, I have submitted a letter to Governor Dewhurst formally requesting that key legislation be delayed for suspension of the rules and Senate floor debate until my return. Unless my surgery occurs later in the session instead of earlier, the speed with which major legislation emerges from committee makes me hopeful that I will not have to make such a request on a specific piece of legislation. Governor Dewhurst and I have discussed the situation at length, and I deeply appreciate his support in the matter.”