BrainB - I honestly didn't take what you said personally. Was just clarifying and providing context.
The rules require that all amendments be filed in advance, so there are no surprises in the process. Long-gone are the days of "late filed" and "hand written" amendments, though I do remember those days. Case in point, the CS in question was filed on 3/13, so everyone in the process knew it was coming (From LobbyTools):
Bill Text and Filed Amendments
H 0779 Filed on 02/10/17
Amendment 10000 PCS Criminal Justice Sub Filed on 03/13/17
H 0779C1 Filed on 03/15/17 Adopted
The bigger worry, IMHO, is that the companion bill, SB646 was Temporarily Postponed ("TP'd", as in "It is on the calendar, but we're going to pass over it") on 3/7 in a committee that the bill sponsor chairs. Generally a bill is only TP'd when the sponsor does not have the votes to pass the bill. The GOP has a slim 5-4 majority in that committee, so all it takes is for one R to flip, and the bill dies. Steube is smarter than to let his bill die on a vote, because that procedurally kills it for the Session, including prohibiting the language from being amended to another bill. Having said that, it is also politically perilous to flip on the chair's own bill, because it will absolutely affect whether any of your bills make it to the calendar in that committee in future meetings. If you have no bills going to through that committee, then you don't have much to lose. Also, the chair controls the calendar in his committee, so he can put his own bill back up at any subsequent meeting. For someone who is not a chair, being TP'd is often the kiss of death for the Session (sort of a "You had your chance, sorry you couldn't line up the votes, we have limited bandwidth, so better luck next year," kind of mentality).
Let me mention LobbyTools and similar tracking systems, and say they are invaluable. It allows me to sign up for statute/key word alerts (letting me know of any bill filed that amends or references a statute chapter I'm tracking or includes a key word I'm watching), track bills, sends me notices of amendments filed on bills I'm tracking or that include statute or key word references, allows me to insert comments about bills for other members of my team to see, or to insert private comments, sends me committee agendas, download committee packets, allows me to fill out an "appearance card" online if I intend to testify on a bill in committee, and sends me news articles relevant to key words or statutes on my list, and so on. Powerful tools. Almost everyone in the process uses some sort of tool like this. I haven't used it, but understand that the free tracking system provided by the state is actually pretty robust with features (some of my members use it).