04.29.07

Has Governor Perry Become Irrelevant?

Posted in 80th Legislature, Around The State, Commentary, Privatization at 10:39 pm by wcnews

That’s what we’ll find out in the next couple of weeks. He’s a governor who was reelected with 39% of the vote, with very little, if any, Independent or Democratic support. With most of his support caming from the religious right and the far-right, wing-nuts of the Republican party. Apparently they saw no better alternative in the other 4 choices for governor and are now having to live with an ineffective Perry. Should be an interesting primary next in 2010 on the GOP side for governor, Dewhurst v. Texas Rush.

After reelection, Mr. Perry then, as his first order of business, tried to play to the middle of the political spectrum, that not only doesn’t like him, but doesn’t trust him, by putting for the HPV vaccination order and the scheme to sell the lottery. In the process he ignored those that elected him, the religious and right-wing of his party, virtually nullifying any support he had left, in an attempt to regain any shred of credibility as a governing force.

Soon we will find out if the governor has become irrelevant. It would be surprising if he doesn’t veto one of the two bills that he’s said he’s against that are headed to his desk. These two bills, that are, heading his way, we’re passed with enough votes to override vetoes, HPV and the toll road moratorium. On toll roads the Feds have gotten involved to help pressure legislators on that. He can either choose between caving in on these two issues, and allow them to become law, or veto them and see if the Lege will follow through on these two issues and actually override the veto of them. If a veto was overridden, not once, but twice – it would be the first time since 1979 a veto was overridden, by the way – Perry would become irrelevant at this point.

His major scheme, laid out in his State of the State speech, the privatization of the state lottery is in the trash, Lottery sale looks to be a scratch.

Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, said Perry faltered on the lottery idea because he surprised lawmakers who were already primed to reconsider his vision of privately financed toll roads.

Perry also sacrificed momentum by presenting it “like it was a done deal,” Chisum said. “He did it like, ‘I found a buyer for this big state agency.’

“Never been done before, the executive branch of government selling off government assets. It doesn’t look good.”

And Perry’s has very little public support right now, therefore the Lege does not fear openly opposing his policy initiatives. And in Texas, as far getting things done as governor, if the Lege doesn’t take a veto seriously than the governor’s well on his way to becoming irrelevant.

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