02.01.07
Still More On The 60 Day Rule - UPDATED
These two editorials (AAS - Was Democrats’ petty victory worth it?, DMN - Suspending Good Sense) are more of the same. Again the blogs are doing a much better job. Here’s Kuff’s post on what was gained from this, Compromise looming on 60-day rule.
Yesterday, we were led to believe that the failure to suspend the 60-day rule meant a whole lot of nothing for the House in the immediate future. (The fact that this impression is substantively wrong in many respects is beside the point.) Today we hear that a compromise is on the horizon, and that it should be hammered out today. As reported by Laylan Copelin, “House Resolution 189 would allow local bills to move forward. [Rep. Warren] Chisum and the resolution opponents are negotiating the meaning of local.”
That’s the key sentence to this whole thing: Team Craddick is negotiating with the Democrats. They’re doing this because they have to. As Rep. Mike Villarreal put it in his interview with Vince, the Dems had leverage here, they used it, and now they’re bargaining from a position of strength. As long as the Dems have to use tactics like these to be able to have a say in what’s happening, they will. Give them a seat at the table, and they won’t because they won’t have to. It’s as simple as that.
Worth it, hell yes! Now they’ve got a seat at the table. And damn good sense too.
[UPDATE]: One more thing. Here’s the Democrats “Reason For Vote” from the House Journal on Tuesday:
We, the undersigned, have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution of Texas. We take this oath and our duties as State Representatives very seriously. In the past, many of us have voted to suspend Article III, Section 5 of the Texas Constitution that allows bills to be heard before the 60th day. Today is a different day. There is no commitment by the Leadership of the Texas House of Representatives to create a bipartisan legislative process providing for the needs of all Texans. Evidence of this is that committee assignments do not reflect the actual membership of the Texas House of Representatives. There are more minority Members in the Texas House of Representatives than in the 79th Session, yet there are 2 fewer minority Chairs and 4 fewer female Chairs. We are voting “No” because that is the only opportunity that we have been given to represent our constituents. Any member may still bring a bill to the floor. If the bill is good for the people of Texas and every member is allowed reasonable input, then we will vote to suspend onia per bill basis. Sound government requires inclusive deliberation and debate.
Martinez Fischer, Allen, Alonzo, Bolton, Burnam, Castro, Coleman, Y. Davis, Dunnam, Eiland, Farias, Farrar, Hernandez, Herrero, Hodge, Leibowitz, Miles, Moreno, Olivo, Ortiz, Rodriguez, Thompson, Veasey, and Villarreal