06.08.09

More post-session analysis

Posted in 81st Legislature, Around The State, Commentary, Privatization, Road Issues, The Lege, Transportation, Uncategorized at 10:32 am by wcnews

Paul Burka and Patricia Kilday Hart’s The Best and Worst Legislators 2009.

Some questions from Somervell County Salon regarding the AAS’s weekend article on Sen. Steve Ogden (R-Bryan), These are time of desperation. Like this one:

If Ogden and others work in the best interests of Texas, as they continue to claim, why are the urgent issues still paramount without resolution?

There are several more questions asked in the post.

On first term Speaker Joe Straus
Pretty good article about Speaker Joe Straus’ transition from regular member to Speaker, The making of a House speaker. The phrase that encapsulates Straus’ first session is he’s a “pass the budget and get-out-of-here-guy”. From the article it seems that once the budget was passed Straus had little left in his tank.

He was ready for the session to end.

“I wish we had four days instead of 40. I really am a pass-the-budget-and get-out-of-here guy,” Straus said. “Guns on campus, guns somewhere else? Are we really fixing problems or do we just think we do? And voter ID?”

Straus took the speaker’s job with little legislative experience and no expectations on what it would be like.

“It’s just unfolding, and I’m dealing with it,” he said in early May.

“All I knew is that someone needed to take the edge off and try to bring people together and get our work done in a way where people could disagree. But you could try to work things out and when you don’t, you come back in two years and try again,” Straus said.

“I didn’t know how to do it. I just knew that it needed to be done. And outside the session (during the interim and campaign season), there was just as much concern, in my mind, about the scorched earth politics and that spills over for both parties,” said Straus.

He has promised not to campaign against incumbent members of either party. Craddick had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars from his campaign account against Democrats – and even against some out-of-favor fellow Republicans in GOP primaries.

“I’m very tired,” Straus acknowledged as the session headed into the final two weeks – and with the Voter ID drama yet to play out.

And also this article which seems kind of inane, Take away ‘voter ID’ and new speaker might have smooth sailing. Take away what the Texas GOP called the single most important issue facing Texas today, from the session and Straus has a great session, that’s a little too generous since it can’t be done.  It also gives Straus a convenient excuse for anything that didn’t get done because of the chubbing.

In reality Straus probably did as good as could be expected, taking into consideration how late he was chosen, and that it was his first session as Speaker. If he’s the Speaker in the 82nd legislative session, he’ll likely lead in a different manner. Meaning he’ll have an agenda, and be more organized and efficient from the beginning of the session.

Tranportation Issues
Via AcreTexas, Ag Commish calls for eminent domain in special session.

Officials in North Texas are meeting to discuss what to do post-session, and after the “local option gas tax” failed, RTC to meet Thursday, assess damage from Legislature.

Here is Ben Wear’s analysis, Probing the legislative pileup for transportation news.

It’s really hard to believe that after several sessions and interim studies, and everything that’s been written about transportation in this state we’re right back to where we were in 2001. We need more money to build and maintain new highways in the State of Texas. The question STILL remains how do we want to pay for that. With pennies added on to a each gallon of gas that will build those roads to ease traffic congestion or with expensive tolls for new tollways that do little to ease traffic congestion?

Oh, and TxDOT is still a complete disaster, and now it’s in limbo for two years.  Yes we desperately need leadership in this state.

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