01.14.09

Craddick politics are alive in the Texas Senate

Posted in 81st Legislature, Around The State, Commentary, Right Wing Lies at 12:00 pm by wcnews

On the first day of the legislative session the majority party in the Texas Senate tried to ram through an extremely partisan change in the Senate rules for the 81st Legislature.  A resolution brought forward by Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston), aka Texas Rush, proposes doing away with the long-standing two-thirds rule in the Senate, only on issues of  Apportionment, aka Redistricting, and Voter ID.

For those not familiar with the two-thirds rule it’s in place to foster consensus in the Senate on all issues.  That’s why this resolution is so destructive, because it would take away a rule that fosters comity, and do away with it for only the most partisan of issues – Redistricting and Voter ID.  Which, of course, would do the exact opposite, foster partisan battles.  This excerpt, from a Texas Monthly article that Paul Burka wrote in January 2006 issue called “First, Dew No Harm”, discusses the purpose of the two-thirds rule.

It [the two-thirds rule] changes legislation for the better, because it forces the body to seek a consensus and acts as a check on the passions of the majority. It changes senators for the better, because they are constantly in need of one another’s support. The essential skill required of a senator is to be able to persuade 20 of his colleagues to support his legislation, which in turn forces him to address their concerns. A senator’s pledge means everything, and trust and collegiality and reciprocity are essential. As Kel Seliger, a freshman Republican from Amarillo, put it to me, the two-thirds rule “imposes adult behavior on people who might be otherwise inclined.”

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, it appears, is trying to make Vote ID his signature issue. It’s as if he thinks that if he can get this bill through the Senate he will become the darling of Texas GOP, especially those on the right. A couple of things to keep in mind when discussing the Voter ID issue is that there is no problem with election day voter fraud in Texas, and the solution, as proposed in the last legislative session, still would have allowed people to vote without showing a picture ID.  It was not a solution to this problem which doesn’t exist.  (Read more about that at this EOW post from last year).

This is a voter intimidation ploy, plain and simple, that the right wing has been salivating over for decades. Their goal, it seems, is to try and make everyone who comes to a polling place on election day feel as if they are being treated like a criminal.

Two awesome quotes regarding the Senate meeting yesterday.  One from a Republican and one from a Democrat.

Via Burkablog:

At least one senator was entirely dismissive of Patrick’s suggestion…and of Patrick. “It’s dead on arrival,” said Sen. John Carona. “In large part because of the author.” (A little stunned at his frankness, I asked, “Is that on the record?” ”Sure,” Carona shrugged.)

Via the HChron:

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte said the drama reminded her of the kind of approach taken by former House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, who was thrown out of office after a season of conflict. Craddick was replaced Tuesday by Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio.

“I thought the days of Craddick politics were over,” Van de Putte said. The San Antonio lawmaker said she planned to meet with Republican Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, to discuss the issue. The Senate meets next on Wednesday morning, but it’s not clear when the rules would be adopted.

Craddick thy name is Dewhurst. This is not surprising but it’s definitely disappointing.  At at time when Texas is facing such serious, real problems and a this kind of shenanigans is going on. Hopefully Dewhurst and Patrick will see the light, and they will self-impose some of that “adult behavior” Sen. Seliger was talking about.

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