As I said, campaign season begins today

Stayed up to watch the gavel fall on this most insane legislative session, then hit the sack and tried to forget there are still several weeks for the governor to veto things. Not that he'll veto anything of importance - he'll just deny the salamander official status in a metaphorical version of sticking his tongue out at Dennis Bonnen.

I still say that the dead birds on Congress Avenue set the tone for the entire legislative session.

Electoral politics are so much more fun. There's a definite end game and the rules are pretty cut and dried.

We know of one definite open seat, Anna Mowery's HD 97 (the southwest portion of Tarrant County).

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Last gasps

They've got quorum, so the end of session proceeds apace.

Dunnam's already grasping at straws, trying to get Craddick's office to pull down the press release concerning last night's shenanigans. He claims it violates the House rules about website etiquette.

Really? You're worried about etiquette on the website, when anyone can bring up the video archives and check out some actual vitriol between members?

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High Drama and Shenanigans over the weekend

I was in the gallery on Friday night, saw when Craddick gavelled the House into recess, and stayed for everything that happened after. Went back up on Saturday morning and watched through most of Craddick's attempt to conduct the business of the House, and when Turner got up there, decided it was better to go about the day and come back if things got insane again.

We've apparently made the New York Times, and we made Fox News.

I'm one of those Republicans who think this would be better played if it waited until 2009 (I honestly believe it was Rep. Jim Keffer's intent when he first filed for speaker), but I think we all agree that this "absolute power" thing is bull.

This can't be playing well for Craddick outside of Austin. Some people here think that he'll just regain momentum, but given that this is by no means a completely partisan split (though for the Democrats, you know this about 2011 redistricting), I don't see Craddick's influence making a huge difference in some districts. If he supports liberal Democratic challengers against Dunnam, Coleman, et.al., those Dems would be tainted right away. If he supports Republican challengers to Hill, Pitts, and McCall, he'll face backlash (Keffer may be more vulnerable).

They go into session again in eight minutes. I doubt they'll have quorum after last night.

Sine die, ladies and gents. Starting tomorrow, it's campaign season for our legislators once again.

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Rep. Todd Smith files speaker race resolution

And Kronberg's site is running pretty slow.

The insurgency isn't dead. It's just laying low in the thicket. I'm still hearing Saturday from sources at the Capitol.

Meanwhile, I've been getting a good chuckle over Rep. Myra Crownover's last stand on the smoking ban last night. I heard she was still there in the Senate after the gavel fell and the senators were leaving. That's perserverence for you; quite admirable, even if she was doing it in the name of squashing private property rights).

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Calm between storms

Though things did get a little heated last night (Coleman and Berman, anyone?), it's been relatively quiet today. One small hiccup came during Local and Consent, when Rep. Robert Talton killed a bill by Rep. Patrick Rose, and Rose questioned Talton's manhood to reporters.

It's going to be difficult to choose between today's Longhorn baseball game (vs Kansas State at 1pm for those of you who bleed burnt orange) and the will they or won't they soap opera in the Texas House.

(given that I was right to choose John Wayne over Rep. Burt Solomons last night, I wonder if I should bother hedging my bets)

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Tomorrow, tomorrow, we'll vacate tomorrow....

That's the buzz, anyway. Either it'll be tomorrow during third readings, or it will be Saturday after the budget conferees report.

I can't listen to endless debate without the occasional break, so I'm watching El Dorado on TCM. I nominate John Wayne for speaker.

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Is there anyone else who wants to run for speaker this session???

Rumor is that it's about to happen.

Members have been called back from dinner, and not long ago, Rep. Patrick Rose and Rep. Eddie Lucio III (both "Craddick Ds") have publicly withdrawn their support of Speaker Craddick.

That was a pretty big shocker, actually - Rose has been doggedly loyal since his first election. It's not so much that he defected, it's that he did so publicly and with all of this going on. If you still needed proof that Craddick is losing his hold on the House, Rose's defection combined with the Craddick lieutenants who filed for speaker are blinking neon signs.

Speaking of Craddick lieutenants, candidate for speaker Rep. Fred Hill told reporters that he believes a motion to vacate will happen this week.

I've got the television on and a big Diet Coke....time to settle in for the long haul.

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SHE'S BACK AND MY EARS ARE BLEEDING!!!

Oh, dear lord.

Would someone PLEASE get Beverly "arthor" Woolley away from the dais?!?!

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Who will stand up for the middle class? The Gentleman from Alpine, that's who!

Rep. Pete Gallego (D-Alpine) is making me all giddy. Responding to Rep. Woolley on a question about Gallego's Amendment 11 on SB 101 (which was sadly tabled):

"The very wealthy can afford to go to school. The very poor are going
to find grants. The people who are squeezed are the people in the
middle....that middle class family, Ms. Woolley, that I'm trying to help is
worth every bit of much help that I'm trying to give them."

We don't agree on everything, but Rep. Gallego is a champion on this issue. He talked about families with three kids, with one wage-earner and an $80,000/year income. Don't know about y'all, but I think that pretty much sums up the American middle class family. The people who make too much for grants, can't pay out of pocket, and are going into HUGE amounts of debt to pay for college educations. I'm not for there being a government-funded grant program, but I am for limits on tuition increases and I am for the re-regulation of tuition in this state.

In short - GO GALLEGO.

(amendment failed, but I heard Rep. Jodie Laubenberg voting no on the motion to table. Yay, Jodie!!)

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Wow, the water really *is* warm....

Guess I didn't say enough Hail Marys. Rep. Fred Hill (R-Richardson) has thrown his hat into the ring. He filed for this session and the 2009 (81st) session.

So as I understand it, we've got this line-up:

Candidates for this session: Brian McCall, Fred Hill, Jim Pitts
Candidates for next session: Fred Hill, Jim Keffer

One member got up to the back mic this morning and asked where the line to sign up for the speaker's race was.

One guess - The Cloak Room.

Meanwhile, Kronberg scared me with an email alert (I was at lunch, thinking nothing would happen while the House was going over the MANY amendments to the water bill, SB 3). Turns out it was just notification that the City of Arlington will host the 2011 Super Bowl.

Have I mentioned lately how glad I am not to be in north Texas anymore??

Oh, and, the House is debating top 10 percent. Oy vay.

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More than "missed opportunities"

Vince over at Capitol Annex is asking for suggestions on "missed opportunities" of the 80th Legislature.

Somehow I think we'd disagree on what these might be, but here's a few from the right:

HJR 2/HB 3533 by Rep. Carl Isett (R-Lubbock) - Taxpayer protection legislation. Would have put in place a new state spending limit.

HJR 53 by Rep. Ken Paxton (R-McKinney) - Also known as the TEL (Tax and Expenditure Limitation). State AND local spending/taxing limit that didn't need enabling legislation.

HB 1517 by Rep. Ken Paxton (R-McKinney) - A little sunshine never hurt nobody except Dracula. Would have required taxing entities to report on lobbying expenditures.

HB 1753 by Rep. Frank Corte (R-San Antonio) - Prohibiting taxing entities to pay dues to lobbying associations.

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Chinese riot against population control

I'm sorry, but did I read that headline correctly?

Yup, looks like it.

And I can't say I blame them:

According to villagers and witness accounts posted on the Internet, officials in several parts of Guangxi mobilized their largest effort in years to roll back population growth by instituting mandatory health checks for women and forcing pregnant women who did not have approval to give birth to abort fetuses.

Several people said officials also imposed fines starting at 500 yuan and ranging as high as 70,000 yuan, or $65 to $9,000, on families that had violated birth control measures any time since 1980. The new tax, called a "social child-raising fee," was collected even though the vast majority of violators had already paid fines in the past, the people said.

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Jump right in, the water's warm

Kronberg's reporting that Rep. Brian McCall has filed for speaker with the Ethics Commission.

Sources at the Capitol are saying that there is no consensus candidate yet, but a lot of people are hearing that Rep. Fred Hill may be the answer.

I don't know how many Hail Marys it takes to affect a speakers' race, but I will say as many as possible to prevent the likes of Fred Hill sitting in that chair.

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Rep. Byron Cook's Personal Privilege Speech

Better known as "it's happening, it's happening!!"

Rep. Byron Cook has just made a very impassioned speech calling for Rep. Tom Craddick to step down as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.

He even quoted Shakespeare's Henry V at the end.

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother

ETA: Capitol Annex was liveblogging and has an excellent recap here.

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Jim Pitts jumps back in

Quorum Report and the Chron blog are reporting - Rep. Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie) has filed campaign paperwork with the Texas Ethics Commission "just in case" there's a successful motion to vacate the chair.

Shenanigans have ensued.

ETA: The Dallas Morning News' Karen Brooks suggests there is precedent.

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Good thing she's not Speaker

Rep. Beverly Woolley has been the Acting Speaker all afternoon.

If she says "author" as "arthor" one more time, I think someone should get Rep. Talton make a motion to remove her.

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Permanent Temporary Visa

Kris Koback in the NY Post about the immigration "reform" plan offered up by the White House and Senate this week.

Supporters of the bill call the Z visa "temporary" - neglecting to mention that it can be renewed indefinitely until the visa holder dies. Thus, we have the country's first permanent temporary visa. On top of that, it's a super-visa - allowing the holder to work, attend college or do just about anything else.

Are you a law-abiding alien who's interested in switching to this privileged status? Sorry. Only illegal aliens can qualify.

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7 Days and Counting

I've been watching the "Countdown to Sine die (sponsored by Sen. Kevin Eltife)" at HK's Quorum Report with the kind of fascination usually reserved for episodes of Lost. Sine die, for everyone who survived Texas public school, is Latin for "without another day."

Something tells me Speaker Craddick is watching with equal fascination.

In any case, the race to get legislation passed is fast approaching. If it ain't on the House calendar right now, a Senate bill is dead (and given how jam-packed the House calendar is, and given the Speaker's announcement that the House will recess for dinner tonight, who knows if it even matters at this point). If a House bill ain't on the Senate calendar by the end of Tuesday, it's likewise dead.

Seven days and counting. Looking forward to May 29.

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Big News Day

Big news story day!

First, Jerry Falwell passed away at the age of 73. My reaction when I heard this over the phone was "WHAT?!?" I only vaguely recall knowing he was ill. Prayers and condolences to his family (he leaves behind his wife Macel and three children). (an interesting list of blogger reax posted here - most of which is 100% expected, and nonetheless sad to see)

Second, and this only matters to Texas politicos, Rep. Jim Keffer (R-Eastland) filed paperwork to run for speaker. Craddick's pretty much not ruling out running again despite a challenge from Keffer to pledge a self-imposed term limit (and Keffer's thinking about introducing a resolution to term limit the speaker anyway). Paul Burka has the skinny and more.

This last bit of news is a couple of days old, but many congrats to Lathan Watts up in Lewisville for being the top vote-getter in the race for City Councilman, Place 3. The run-off is scheduled for June 9.

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Shenanigans in the Texas House

Previously posted elsewhere.

You know we're going the wrong way when a tax relief bill turns into a tax-and-spend nightmare, and that's exactly what happened today in the Texas House of Representatives.

Rep. Ken Paxton (R-McKinney) filed a bill (HB 2785) that would provide more property tax relief by cutting the tax rate by another 9 cents per $100 valuation. Basically, it would be a $135 decrease on a $150,000 home.

This bill came up for a vote early in today's floor session, and was immediately a target for the tax-and-spend crowd. Proof of their intent came when Rep. Garnet Coleman (D-Houston) stated that he believed government spends taxpayer money better than taxpayers. Rep. Jim Dunnam (D-Waco) offered an amendment required a teacher pay raise of $6000 per year before any tax relief could take effect. In other words, instead of $2.5 billion in tax relief, we would get $4.4 billion in new spending!

Rep. Paxton moved to table Rep. Dunnam's amendment, but the motion failed, 81-62. You can see how your representative voted by clicking here and scrolling down to "RV #1157." The bill ultimately passed, with that new spending attached.

Who was being represented today? It couldn't have been hardworking Texans, that's for sure. Taxpayers are once again playing second fiddle to big government proponents, who under the guise of helping us all have simply robbed Peter to pay Paul.

It's a sad day for taxpayers, and it's very clear that some legislators do not believe we need property tax relief. Good legislation was poisoned with the intent to spend more, and taxpayers are left holding the bill.

You can read more about what HB 2785 by Paxton would have done in this policy brief by TPPF's Byron Schlomach here.

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