02.15.07
Senate Votes To Bust The Cap
HChron has the story, Senate backs spending-cap exemption in vote. The ball is now in Tom Craddick’s court, or chamber,and this will have a much tougher time in the House. (See posts below).
Here are the yeas and nays on the vote on SCR 20 in the Senate yesterday. (Three R’s crossed over only one D):
Yeas: Averitt, Brimer, Carona, Deuell, Duncan, Eltife, Estes, Fraser, Harris, Hegar, Jackson, Janek, Lucio, Odgen, Seliger, Wentworth, Williams.
Nays: Ellis, Hinojosa, Nelson, Nichols, Patrick, Shapleigh, Uresti, Van de Putte, Watson, West, Whitmire, Zaffirini.
Absent-excused: Gallegos, Shapiro.
But as Vince shows us via QR the biggest problem with this vote was the game Dewhurst played in the Senate and his branding this issue non-substantive.
During a lengthy parliamentary inquiry from Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio), Dewhurst said he considered the Ogden resolution “non-substantive,” which allowed for the lower vote threshold. Van de Putte questioned how a vote to override a provision in the Texas Constitution could be non-substantive.
Because he’s a Republican, that’s how.