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  • Chisum Responds to "Worst"

    Representative Warren Chisum sent this letter to me following the publication of the Best and Worst Legislators article. Mr. Chisum was designated as one of the "Ten Worst." According to your Best & Worst Legislators article, it's bad to believe that marriage should be saved if at all possible. It's bad [...]
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    Posted: June 20, 2007, 5:32am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • SurveyUSA: Perry's Approval at 49%

    The SurveyUSA tracking poll for June reflects an abrupt turnaround in the fortunes of Rick Perry. The governor's approval/disapproval rating soared from 41/54 to 49/46. Is this just a statistical anomaly? Perhaps not. In the closing days of the legislative session, Perry was very active, vetoing the first transportation bill [...]
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    Posted: June 20, 2007, 4:46am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • A Change in Policy

    The decision of how a blog treats comments has proved to be a difficult one. I never dreamed, when we started the blog, how difficult it would be. Evan Smith and I have had long conversations about this subject. He has generally leaned toward giving readers the right to say [...]
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    Posted: June 19, 2007, 2:22pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Assessing the Vetoes

    I'm going to evaluate the governor's vetoes. If you prefer your information unfiltered, the list of bills vetoed together with Perry's veto messages are available on the governor's Web site. I must add the caveat that what a bill does is not always apparent, at least to me, and I [...]
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    Posted: June 16, 2007, 9:07am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Did Perry Use Vetoes to Get Even?

    I'm sure that all of Rick Perry's 49 vetoes were based upon substantive arguments and not personalities. Really and truly. But ... we all know that darkness and suspicion can sway the heart and infect the mind. Just in case some misguided souls might think that the governor would use [...]
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    Posted: June 15, 2007, 10:42pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Honorable and Dishonorable Mention ... and Others

    A correspondent took us to task for not elaborating on the members who were listed under "Dishonorable Mention." The blog affords the opportunity to comment on them and on other members. Let's start with: Honorable Mention Rob Eissler was a breath--make that a windstorm--of fresh air compared to his predecessor as chairman [...]
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    Posted: June 15, 2007, 6:48am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • The Best and Worst Legislators of 2007

    For the next 24 hours, you can read the full story. After that, pick up a copy of our July issue, which will be on newsstands next week. THE BEST Rafael Anchia, Democrat, Dallas Sen. John Carona, Republican, Dallas Byron Cook, Republican, Corsicana Sen. Bob Deuell, Republican, Mesquite Scott Hochberg, Democrat, Houston Lois Kolkhorst, Republican, Brenham Jerry Madden, [...]
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    Posted: June 14, 2007, 11:11am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Best and Worst Will Be Revealed Tomorrow

    The worst thing about doing the Best and Worst story (aside from a special session while the story is on the newsstands) is that we have a press conference to announce the list. Evan Smith will do the the actual announcement. Time and place: 9 a.m., the Omni downtown. [...]
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    Posted: June 13, 2007, 3:11pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Senator Williams on SB 792

    The author of the transportation bill sent an e-mail with two corrections to the interview I posted yesterday on the effect of the bill. Here are his comments: In response to your question about how the moratorium effects the proposed managed lane projects in the San Antonio area, the post on [...]
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    Posted: June 13, 2007, 2:59pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Unspinning SB 792

    [The conclusion to this post has been updated] What follows is the result of a discussion I had with a knowledgeable person who was involved in the debate over transportation and toll roads and who prefers not to be further identified at the present time. After the discussion, I received two [...]
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    Posted: June 12, 2007, 6:58am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Waiting for the Vetoes

    Let's wait another week, until the 17th, the deadline for vetoing bills. Even the usual "well informed sources" haven't heard much. There is a lot of speculation that Perry will come close to breaking his own record of 83 vetoes, as a way of making the point that lawmakers should [...]
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    Posted: June 10, 2007, 4:39pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Waiting for the Vetoes

    I have been checking the governor's web site for a list of the bills vetoed. Nothing yet. Watch for cuts in the Health and Human Services budget. Another thing to keep an eye on: Will Perry sign the transportation bill, which lawmakers say he promised to do? And will he [...]
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    Posted: June 10, 2007, 11:32am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Talton May Challenge Lampson

    politico.com, a recent Internet startup, is reporting that Robert Talton is seriously considering a race against Democrat Nick Lampson in the 22nd congressional district, which is Tom DeLay's old seat. One person who wouldn't miss Talton is Tom Craddick, who had to rule on approximately 2 jillion points of order [...]
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    Posted: June 07, 2007, 10:16pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Watts Goes Up Must Come Down

    We have heard a lot of brave talk from Texas Democrats about how vulnerable John Cornyn is, but some of the major national political Web sites have a different take on the 08 Senate race. It's not promising for the Democrats. With $3.8 million in the bank as of April, [...]
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    Posted: June 07, 2007, 3:41am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Watts Up?

    Is Mikal Watts the best challenger the Democrats can put forward against John Cornyn in 2008? Watts has announced the creation of an exploratory committee, which usually means that all the exploring is over with and the candidate intends to run. The case for Watts is that he has made [...]
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    Posted: June 06, 2007, 12:20am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • General Sanchez Says Stalemate is Best Hope in Iraq

    This story appeared in the San Antonio Express-News on May 25. I completely missed it. This is what happens in May of odd-numbered years. You say the world is going to hell? Don't bother me with trivialities. Just tell me whether a budget compromise has been reached, and whether Craddick [...]
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    Posted: June 05, 2007, 6:36am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Hoping for Hillary

    I had a conversation with a Craddick staffer during one of those stand at ease moments in the final days (never was standing at ease so uneasy) during which he said that the speaker believed the Republicans could pick up as many as eight House seats in 08 if Hillary [...]
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    Posted: June 02, 2007, 8:16am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • On the Issue of Readers' Right to Comment

    One of the issues inherent in writing a blog is the extent to which readers' comments should be subject to censorship. My initial impulse was to publish everything. I make my living under the First Amendment, and I am reluctant to place any restraints on speech. Furthermore, the culture of [...]
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    Posted: June 01, 2007, 8:57am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Bartlett to Leave White House

    The Associated Press is reporting that Dan Bartlett, counselor to the president, is resigning after being with George W. Bush for fourteen years. He will seek a career outside of government. This is the point in a presidency -- just over a year and a half left -- when aides [...]
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    Posted: June 01, 2007, 8:46am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Contest! Prizes! Family Fun!

    Patricia Kilday Hart and I are now working on the Ten Best and Ten Worst story for the 80th Legislature. We are offering a one-year subscription to TEXAS MONTHLY for the correspondent who can come closest to predicting our choices. Anyone caught hacking into the magazine's web site, as a [...]
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    Posted: May 31, 2007, 9:27pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Twists and Turner

    Did your antennae go up when Sylvester Turner filed for Speaker? Mine did. There's no way for Sylvester to win. Republicans can't vote for a Democrat for speaker. The best Turner can hope for is to hold the Craddick Ds (who may not be as solid as they were before [...]
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    Posted: May 31, 2007, 11:26pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Something Special Is in the Air

    The death of S.B. 482 raises the possibility of a special session. Electricity by itself may not be enough reason for the governor to bring the Legislature back, but the absence of a rate cut as we enter the 2008 election cycle may motivate Governor Perry to call the lawmakers [...]
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    Posted: May 29, 2007, 12:12am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Thank You

    Since everyone on the floor was thanking their staffs and anybody else they can think of, I want to thank the readers of this blog, the correspondents who posted their comments, and the members of the 80th Legislature, who graciously made sure that no day went by without their giving [...]
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    Posted: May 29, 2007, 12:02am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • High Drama to the End

    Anyone who stayed up to the last bill in the last hour on the last day was rewarded with some high drama--and I hope they weren't hijinks. Dunnam had a valid point of order on the electricity bill, which missed the runway in trying to land safely in the conference [...]
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    Posted: May 29, 2007, 11:44pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Reflections on the Revolution in the House of Representatives

    First my colleague, Patti Hart takes out after me for my post earlier today about the Haggerty walkout last night, and then my friend Glenn Smith does the same, in Burnt Orange Report: Texas Monthly's Paul Burka is suddenly quoting Coleridge and Thomas Wolfe, so perhaps he won't mind me comparing [...]
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    Posted: May 28, 2007, 4:41pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • A Response to My Colleague

    Patti, You're the greatest colleague a writer could wish for, but I think you've been watching the Senate too long. They don't fight in public. They don't try to skewer each with the rules. All they do is tell each other how wonderful they are. You can't possibly know the difference [...]
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    Posted: May 28, 2007, 4:03pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Ardmore: Another view

    With all due respect to my esteemed colleague, I rise to offer another point of view on last night's House drama. I can't agree with Mr. Burka's comparison of last night's walkout to Arlene's calendar-killing motion. The stakes are entirely different, as is the back-story of provocation. Craddick wants a [...]
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    Posted: May 28, 2007, 12:43pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • One Ardmore Time

    Or maybe my headline should have been, Goodnight Arlene. The walkout in the House last night wasn't a protest; it was a temper tantrum. It was so juvenile, a thoughtless, willful act that did nothing to hurt Tom Craddick, just the strollers' own colleagues who had worked feverishly to beat [...]
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    Posted: May 28, 2007, 7:47am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Tom Craddick: 2/27/07: I am not a statewide officeholder

    In light of Tom Craddick's assertion over the last couple of days that he is a statewide officeholder and should be treated as such when members seek to defrock him, a commenter mentions an interview the Speaker did with our editor, Evan Smith, on the public television show TEXAS MONTHLY [...]
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    Posted: May 27, 2007, 6:51pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Today

    The insurgents will surely try to keep the pressure on today. The resolution to go outside the bounds of the two budget bills is a plump target, and so is the budget itself. I don't think that an attack on either will be successful. The Craddick Ds tend to be [...]
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    Posted: May 27, 2007, 2:22pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • An Analysis of the Speaker's Argument Concerning the Process by which He Can Be Removed

    I received an e-mail this morning containing a scholarly analysis of the speaker's argument that he can only be removed from office under the provision of the Texas Constitution authorizing the House to expel any of its members by a two-thirds vote. The author is known to me as an expert, [...]
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    Posted: May 27, 2007, 1:19pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Craddick's Ruling on Refusal to Recognize -- and a Response

    I received this message today from Alexis DeLee. It is the rationale for Speaker Craddick's ruling on Friday night that various provisions of the Texas Constitution overrides the rules of the House of Representatives and prevents the House from taking action to remove the speaker from office during a legislative [...]
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    Posted: May 26, 2007, 9:03pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Banana Republic of Texas

    I don't want to get hysterical about what happened in the House Friday night. It was not the end of democracy as we know it. It was not a coup d'etat. It was just the end of any pretense that Tom Craddick is influenced by a normal sense of right [...]
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    Posted: May 26, 2007, 6:57pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • With Apologies to Coleridge

    Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath, nor motion (to vacate the chair) As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean (is there nothing there?) Where does the insurgency stand? I don't see how anyone in either camp can be confident of victory. Unless there has been some late movement [...]
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    Posted: May 25, 2007, 1:32pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Don't Messer with Texas' Speaker

    I assume that most readers know by now that Speaker Craddick and his consiglieri Bill Messer are the defendants in a lawsuit filed by Amazon Tours, Inc. of Dallas. The dispute involves the defendants' request for a refund for a fishing trip that never took place. Thanks to the Quorum [...]
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    Posted: May 25, 2007, 6:53am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Taking the Rurals for a Ride

    The battle over the transportation bill is hot hot hot. For the last two years, the opposition to the Trans Texas Corridor has been led by rural Texas -- in particular, by Lois Kolkhorst, who has championed a two-year moratorium on comprehensive development agreements, the financing tool used by Tx-DOT [...]
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    Posted: May 23, 2007, 7:30am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Reader Predicts Total War

    I have removed this post from the blog. It consisted of a letter "reporting" a phone conversation among major Republican donors in which they agreed to raise $10 million to use against members who had failed to support Speaker Craddick. I normally post submissions from readers in the comments section [...]
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    Posted: May 23, 2007, 6:20am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Cancer (Bill) Prognosis

    On cooler reflection, the bills setting up a $3 billion, 10-year commitment for cancer research still face significant challenges. While the Senate today gave approval to a constitutional amendment and enabling legislation, an amendment tacked on by Troy Fraser will require the House to concur with 100 votes. I'm told [...]
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    Posted: May 23, 2007, 11:34pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • The Senate Gets to Play

    If Craddick is indeed using $160 million in higher ed funding above the Senate and House bills for political purposes, he may find a roadblock in his way: the Senate. There is no chance that the Senate is going to let the House have $160 million to play with. They [...]
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    Posted: May 22, 2007, 7:59pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Is Pitts the Guy?

    Pitts, Hill, Dunnam, Gallego -- just pounding away at Chisum. About the higher ed money. Point of order. The Craddick forces (he's not in the chair, Woolley is; he's working the floor) run huge risks if the game the rulings tonight. This is real drama. I hear Pitts may be [...]
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    Posted: May 22, 2007, 7:50pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • The Moment Comes ... and Goes

    I really enjoyed writing the post below, to which the headline applies, and I'm rather fond of it, but I wrote it before Rose and Lucio withdrew their support from Craddick. I knew that Patrick was going to have to come home to the Ds eventually if he wanted to [...]
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    Posted: May 22, 2007, 2:26pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Cancer Bill Rolls Along

    Jane Nelson just won final passage of the Cancer Research bill -- which, upon approval by Texas voters, gives the state the authority to borrow up to $3 billion through the sale of bonds to finance cancer research over the next 10 years. The bill was strongly promoted by a host [...]
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    Posted: May 22, 2007, 1:27pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • A Family Affair

    A moment of silence, please, for SB 4, the charter school bill that offered facilities funding for charters, while also demanding fiscal and academic responsibility. Unless it finds a vehicle, the trip is over. Today has witnessed the death of a lot of bills, but this deserves attention for some [...]
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    Posted: May 21, 2007, 5:53pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • Where oh Where Has the Insurgency Gone?

    Eiland made an effort before lunch to put Craddick on the spot, asking whether there would be a break for dinner or whether he should order dinner to be brought in. Eiland wasn't interested in food. He was interested in how long Craddick intended to keep the members in session. [...]
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    Posted: May 21, 2007, 3:03pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • The Contenders

    Exclusive! Here is the list of those who would like to succeed Craddick as speaker (alphabetical order): B. Cook Hill Keffer McCall Pitts Talton and Allen, Alonzo, Anchia, Anderson, Aycock, Bailey, Berman, Bohac, Bolton, Bonnen, Branch, B. Brown, F. Brown, Burnam, Callegari, Castro, Chavez, Chisum, Christian, Cohen, Coleman, R. Cook, Corte, Crabb, Craddick, Creighton, Crownover, Darby, J. [...]
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    Posted: May 21, 2007, 9:47am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • What Happens Next

    Let's assume that the process of vacating the chair has been set in motion by a resolution. Then what? Rule 5, Section 36 says, "Questions of privilege shall have precedence over all other questions, except motions to adjourn." Therefore, the only way to slow down the proceedings is for a pro-Craddick [...]
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    Posted: May 21, 2007, 6:34am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Advice from Shakespeare

    If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly -- Macbeth, Act I, Scene 7 A move against Craddick seems inevitable now. Three things have occurred that have changed the nature of the insurgency. First, and most important, the effort to dethrone the speaker is now being [...]
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    Posted: May 21, 2007, 12:18am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Patrick Lite

    Even before Dan Patrick won his Senate seat, speculation around town was rampant that he would run for governor in 2010. I think it's wrong. He doesn't have the name identification or the money to make that race, and he would be up against a formidable array of political talent. [...]
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    Posted: May 20, 2007, 9:15am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • The Italian Stallion

    Give John Carona credit for resolving a conflict with style. Carona and Dan Patrick have sparred over the last few days, starting with words exchanged during Wednesday's Senate caucus. Thursday, Patrick knocked four Carona bills off of the Local and Consent calendar. For some reason, Carona took this personally. According [...]
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    Posted: May 18, 2007, 5:34pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • Motion Sickness

    I looked through the House rules yesterday in search of information pertaining to a motion to vacate the chair. I did not find it. This is because it does not exist. There is no such motion. End of story? Not exactly. My quest led me eventually to Hugh L. Brady, editor [...]
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    Posted: May 18, 2007, 5:11am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Same Pig. Uglier Lipstick

    On April 24, I posted an item about the bill to "reform" the Texas Residential Construction Commission, which exists to protect Bob Perry, David and Dick Weekley, and other well connected homebuilders from lawsuits that previously could have been brought by disgruntled buyers. Apparently one loophole was left open that [...]
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    Posted: May 17, 2007, 11:30pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Anti-Voucher Rider Stripped from Budget

    Last night the appropriations conference committee stripped out the anti-vouchers amendment that Joe Heflin added on the House floor. Near the end of the afternoon session today, Jim Dunnam raised the issue in a parliamentary inquiry, pointing out the overwhelming vote (128-9) that the rider received. Lois Kolkhorst, who chaired [...]
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    Posted: May 16, 2007, 5:33pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Senators to Confront the Dew

    The controversy over the Voter ID bill, which prompted lengthy caususes in the Texas Senate today, continues to escalate. I've just been told that three senators -- Leticia Van de Putte, Tommy Williams and Steve Ogden -- are being sent as emissaries from the entire Senate to communicate to Lieutenant [...]
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    Posted: May 16, 2007, 4:37pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • Patrick Assails 2/3 Rule

    Dan Patrick, who has been highly critical of Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst for upholding the Senate tradition known as the two-thirds rule, had a chance to say, in effect, "I told you so" today and did not pass up the opportunity. Here is the text of Patrick's statement: AUSTIN ? During this [...]
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    Posted: May 15, 2007, 5:11pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • It Takes Two to Tangle

    Just received from Alexis DeLee: STATEMENT FROM SPEAKER TOM CRADDICK (AUSTIN) - Speaker Tom Craddick released the following statement this afternoon on his intention to run for speaker in the 81st Legislature. "I have talked to Nadine and I fully intend to run for Speaker. The paperwork was already filed last February." [...]
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    Posted: May 15, 2007, 4:20pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Uresti Notified Brimer, Nelson, Spaw of Illness

    Carlos Uresti came down with a serious bout of the flu Monday, and left the Capitol after fellow senators noted how bad he looked shivering in the Senate lounge. In particular, Dr. Kyle Janek advised him to get to bed, amidst joking from others present: "What do you think is [...]
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    Posted: May 15, 2007, 4:04pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • IT'S OFFICIAL!

    Like I said, there isn't a speaker's race until somebody has filed papers. NOW there is a speaker's race. Here is the announcement: Austin, Texas, May 15, 2007---- State Representative Jim Keffer (R-Eastland) announced today that he has filed his candidacy paperwork for Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives for [...]
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    Posted: May 15, 2007, 2:24pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Dewhurst Violates Voter Integrity to Pass Voter Integrity Bill

    At the beginning of this week, I fully expected an emotional insurrection overthrowing the presiding officer of one chamber of the Legislature -- on the west side of the Capitol. But this morning, David Dewhurst's handling of the Voter ID bill created such havoc that if the Senate rules allowed [...]
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    Posted: May 15, 2007, 1:02pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • Things Fall Apart

    Yesterday was a bad day for the insurgency. It's one thing to have a floor strategy of parliamentary maneuvers designed to loosen Tom Craddick's hold on the speakership, and it's quite another to pull together a disparite group of disgruntled members into a united front capable of bringing him down. [...]
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    Posted: May 15, 2007, 5:40am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Not Over Yet

    Reports of Craddick's defeat may be premature. I'm hearing that the Resistance hasn't quite got its act together yet. They thought they had it in January, and there were flakes. They're still worried about flakes. As well they should be. If they shoot and miss, they're done. Don't write and say [...]
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    Posted: May 14, 2007, 12:36pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Is There a Speaker's Race?

    This is not a stupid question. What I am asking is, Is there a speaker's race within the meaning of Chapter 302 Texas Government Code, which regulates races for speakers? I called Randall "Buck" Wood, who wrote the speaker's statute for Common Cause in 1973. He said, "You're not the first [...]
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    Posted: May 14, 2007, 11:54am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Note to Readers

    I continue to receive smart, knowledgeable, inside-baseball comments from readers in response to my posts about the speakers race, going back to Friday, May 11. I can't post them all in the main portion of the blog, but you will miss a lot of the discussion, and a lot of [...]
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    Posted: May 14, 2007, 11:03am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Farsighted or Foolish?

    How smart is Craddick's strategy of enlisting the Republican Party machinery to put pressure on ten members whose support he regards as wobbly? First, it is an obvious admission of desperation, a Hail Mary. Second, it hoists him on the petard of his own promise not to strong-arm members into voting his [...]
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    Posted: May 14, 2007, 9:48am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • SPEAKER'S RACE IS FOR REAL; CRADDICK PLEADS TO GRASS ROOTS: SAVE MY JOB

    Here is hard evidence of a speaker's race. I received this e-mail this morning as a comment submitted to the blog in response to my post of yesterday, "87 Votes." Craddick's scared--here's an email his team sent out this weekend to Republican leaders: County Chairs and SREC Members There is reportedly a movement in [...]
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    Posted: May 14, 2007, 7:44am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • 87 Votes

    Duh ... My brain must have shorted out for me not to realize why people are saying Keffer has 87 votes for speaker: Because the vote on sustaining the ruling of the chair last Monday was 50 ayes, 87 nays. Well, you guys can believe that was a surrogate vote for [...]
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    Posted: May 13, 2007, 6:46pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • No Business Ties Between Craddick, Keffer

    Tom Craddick's spokesperson, Alexis DeLee, just called to tell me that speculation by members that there are business ties between the speaker and Jim Keffer are not true. "There are no business ties and there have never been any business ties," she said. [...]
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    Posted: May 13, 2007, 6:39pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • More on the Speakers Race, Which May or May Not Exist

    1. Several members saw Craddick and Keffer leave the chamber together on Friday, headed for the speaker's office. Do you think they were talking about the weather? Yes, it has been a rainy spring in West Texas. Isn't that nice. Midland sure does need the rain. Yep, Eastland too. Looks [...]
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    Posted: May 13, 2007, 5:06pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • More on the Keffer Rumors

    One of the things I really like about blogging is that it gives readers the chance to participate. Their comments expand the discussion. Some of these writers are obviously very well informed insiders. Sometimes I respond to their posts, and the discussion expands again. This has occurred in the comments [...]
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    Posted: May 12, 2007, 1:12pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • What Speaker's Race?

    I just received an e-mail from a credible Capitol source saying that Keffer has 87 votes for speaker. I don't believe it. I have made phone calls, one to a D, one to an R, both involved in speaker politics. They don't believe it. They would know. Here's my position: I'm [...]
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    Posted: May 11, 2007, 4:37pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Tribe Blasts Otto for Gaming Vote; Otto Responds

    The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe is not happy with their state representative, Jim Otto, whom they say promised he would vote for HB 10, the Indian gaming bill, but voted against it. Carlos Bullock, a member of the tribal council, sent me this release by regular mail. On Thursday night at 12:20 a.m. [...]
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    Posted: May 11, 2007, 12:05pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Flub-a-Chub

    As the clock ran out on the opportunity to pass House bills last night, a little drama took place as the Democrats tried to stall proceedings long enough to kill a bill by Phil King. The bill was insignificant; the author was not. King was the author of the voter [...]
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    Posted: May 11, 2007, 7:58am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • What Would He Say to Rick Perry?

    If you haven't seen the video from the Montana Republican caucus in which the majority leader rants about the Democratic governor, check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-VjgrMsNOw. Dunnam will be jealous. [...]
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    Posted: May 11, 2007, 7:52am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Heads I Win, Tails You Lose

    Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst seems quite pleased with the Senate passage of a bill he strongly supported, which makes it illegal for any municipality to enact an ordinance that could be used to regulate activities occurring beyond its borders. The bill would prevent Houston from adopting Mayor Bill White's plan to [...]
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    Posted: May 10, 2007, 7:47am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • How (NOT) To Pass A Bill

    Imagine you are the wife of a state senator, and you've been solo parenting two kids for the past four months in a town far from Austin. It's a busy, demanding lifestyle, but you manage to squeeze in a few minutes to drop by the local Starbucks to relax. Just [...]
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    Posted: May 09, 2007, 5:27pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • Christmas (or Special Session) in July

    In sharp contrast to this week's lively House floor debates, the Senate has been a complete snooze for the past two days. That's a sure sign that important negotiations are occurring somewhere, especially when key players are missing from the floor: Ogden, Williams, Carona. Could it be that secret transportation [...]
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    Posted: May 09, 2007, 3:09pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • Perry Criticizes Needle Exchange Bill

    His criticism of a proposed syringe exchange program came as part of his message to the Secretary of State taking issue with the bill that struck down his executive order mandating that sixth grade girls receive the HPV vaccine but allowing the bill to become law without his signature. Bob [...]
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    Posted: May 09, 2007, 6:25am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • House Erupts in Protest Over Craddick Ruling

    LIVE REPORT MONDAY NIGHT (and Tuesday a.m. post mortem) The House is about to vote on a challenge by Geren and Talton to appeal the ruling of Speaker Craddick that the placement of a local bill by Ryan Guillen on the Major State Calendar violated Rule 6 Section 7 #2. Major [...]
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    Posted: May 08, 2007, 11:35pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • No Accident

    Are you ready for a zany drama with gratuitous blood-letting, quirky characters and a murderous, secret cult? No, no, I'm not talking about the final 21 days of the 80th Legislature. My spouse and I made it to the movies this weekend armed with nothing more than a recommendation from [...]
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    Posted: May 07, 2007, 1:31pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • Senate to Universities: Be Careful What You Wish For

    University of Texas honchos almost got more than they bargained for today when the Texas Senate debated Florence Shapiro's SB 101, which caps "top ten percent" admissions at 50 percent of a university's freshman class. Floor Amendment Number 8 added a painful twist: universities choosing to take advantage of the [...]
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    Posted: May 04, 2007, 6:50pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • The Long Hot Summer

    One of the truisms about the Legislature is that the game is played in multiple arenas. You can lose in committee and win on the floor; lose in the House and win in the Senate; win in both houses and lose in the governor's office; beat the governor and still [...]
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    Posted: May 03, 2007, 12:03am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Switching Sides

    That was a strange vote yesterday on the Isett amendment to the margins tax cleanup bill. Isett proposed to raise the small business exemption from $600,000 (added in the Ways and Means committee to double the $300,000 figure in the original bill from the 06 special session) to more than [...]
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    Posted: May 02, 2007, 6:39am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • It is 10:05 p.m. Do You Know Where Your Moratorium Is?

    In 45 minutes, HB 1892 becomes eligible to be considered by the House (which has adjourned for the night). This the Wayne Smith bill that originally called for Tx-DOT to allow the Harris County Toll Road Authority ("Hectra") to use its right-of-way and provide connections with state highways and later [...]
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    Posted: May 01, 2007, 10:03pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Unhappy Ending

    My optimism that Phil King and Rafael Anchia could work out something on the Voter Registration bill proved to be unfounded. They could not come to an agreement. When King presented his bill, Anchia responded with an amendment to strike the enacting clause. This is a seldom-used tactic that, if [...]
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    Posted: May 01, 2007, 8:39pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Dewhurst Predicts Passage of Voter ID

    A confident-looking David Dewhurst predicted this afternoon that the Voter ID bill would pass the Senate: Never mind that 11 Democrats have signed a letter vowing to block debate on the issue. "I think there are votes to pass this bill," a slightly smug Dewhurst told the press gaggle after today's [...]
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    Posted: May 01, 2007, 6:52pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • House Honors Robert E. Lee, Quietly

    Did anybody notice that Tuffy Hamilton passed a resolution honoring Robert E. Lee on the 200th anniversary of the Confederate hero's birth (which was January 19)? It occurred on April 10, and the Democrats didn't utter a peep. Why didn't this cause an uproar like Sid Miller's bill protecting statues [...]
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    Posted: May 01, 2007, 6:48am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Compromise Looms on Voter Registration Bill

    Phil King has been talking to Democrats about a possible solution to the voter registration bill, which, in its original form, required voters to prove their citizenship in order to register to vote. This onerous requirement would have made it impossible in practice to conduct a voter registration drive, since [...]
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    Posted: April 30, 2007, 11:14am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Better Fred than Dead

    Land commissioner Jerry Patterson, who supports the draft Fred Thompson movement that is flourishing because of the perceived weaknesses of the other Republican presidential contenders, provided me with the names of the six senators and fifty-five House members who are urging Thompson to enter the race. Patterson cautions that these [...]
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    Posted: April 30, 2007, 9:16am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • McCall Wins After All

    When he ran for speaker, Brian McCall said that he wanted to give the House back to the members. He didn't win the race; in fact, he didn't even make the race, dropping out in favor of Jim Pitts. But it is clear now that he achieved his objective by [...]
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    Posted: April 28, 2007, 11:32am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Peddling Lance, or Is It Pedaling?

    A hot rumor is making the rounds that Alberto Gonzales will resign as attorney general and set off the following game of musical chairs: Gonzales resigns, Bush names John Cornyn as his replacement, Perry names David Dewhurst as Cornyn's replacement, Jane Nelson is elected lieutenant governor by her peers, Greg [...]
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    Posted: April 27, 2007, 8:38pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Concrete, Chaos and Contrition

    What was more surprising about the Texas Senate's debate on Tommy Williams' transportation bill -- Bob Duncan's rarely seen appeal of a ruling of the chair? Or Steve Ogden's candid confession that the rancorous debate was all his fault? Never underestimate the ability of a discussion about concrete to bring [...]
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    Posted: April 27, 2007, 5:15pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • Photo ID Bill Focuses on '08

    The debate on the Photo ID bill was full of rhetoric--Republicans claiming it would prevent voter fraud, Democrats saying it would prevent people (that is, Democrats) from voting. The Ds, who had hoped to pick up some Republican votes, came to view it as an issue for base voters who [...]
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    Posted: April 27, 2007, 11:41am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • HPVeto?

    I move to reconsider the statement I made in an earlier posting that I thought Rick Perry would veto the bill negating the governor's executive order on the HPV vaccine. If it were the only major bill constraining the executive branch that would reach his desk during the session, when [...]
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    Posted: April 27, 2007, 10:52am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Senate (And Soon For Texas Highways) Gridlock

    The Senate debate yesterday on a Florence Shapiro bill governing comprehensive development agreements may serve as a prequel to an issue that could dominate the budget conference committee: TxDOT funding. While there is a strong consensus on the Senate side that TxDOT needs to be brought to heel, there's little agreement [...]
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    Posted: April 27, 2007, 7:29am EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • The Saga of House Bill 3170: It's Alive!

    Tom Craddick's local bill authorizing a 1% tax on the price paid for a hotel or motel room in certain counties lives! After being knocked off the local calendar, after being removed from the regular calendar and recommitted to committee, it has now been sent to Calendars. The flawed description [...]
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    Posted: April 26, 2007, 10:02pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • More SurveyUSA Numbers: Perry Down, Hutchison Up

    The SurveyUSA site is not user-friendly, at least not to this user, but a friend helped me navigate to the new numbers in the monthly tracking poll for April. As I previously reported, President Bush is 40% favorable, 56% unfavorable. Only the presidential numbers have been posted. However, I was [...]
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    Posted: April 26, 2007, 9:36pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Needle Exchange Advances

    The Texas Senate approved, without debate, Bob Deuell's bill permitting needle-exchange programs on a vote of 22-7. Deuell framed the issue in terms of saving taxpayer dollars spent on health care, noting that intravenous drug use causes 50 percent of new HIV cases. In April, TEXAS MONTHLY ran a compelling [...]
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    Posted: April 26, 2007, 2:50pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • SurveyUSA Update: Cornyn Slips

    The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee is touting the results of a new survey showing that John Cornyn's approval rating barely exceeds his disapproval rating. Here is the text of the DSCC release: A new poll from Survey USA shows that Texas Senator John Cornyn's approval rating is now only 3 points [...]
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    Posted: April 26, 2007, 11:09am EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • A Message to You, Rudy (and Not Just You)

    Pollster extraordinaire Mike Baselice has just sent around the results of his latest survey of likely Republican presidential primary voters -- conducted April 16 to 19, with 831 respondents -- and there are different degrees of bad news for each of the three announced top-tier GOP candidates. Back in January, at [...]
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    Posted: April 25, 2007, 4:38pm EDT
    by Paul Burka

  • Finally! Senate Budget Conferees

    They are: Ogden, Zaffirini, Duncan, Whitmire and Williams. [...]
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    Posted: April 25, 2007, 3:35pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart

  • Chuy's Immersion Program

    When Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa was 6 years old, he and his mother -- picking cotton in the Valley together -- were caught in a sweep by immigration officials and trucked to Mexico. He was U.S. born, but his mom was illegal: his father, a U.S. citizen, was a truck [...]
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    Posted: April 25, 2007, 3:10pm EDT
    by Patricia Kilday Hart
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