The 4th Special Session has ended and just what was accomplished by Rick Perry's $1.7 million dollar expenditure? Well in excess of 150 House Resolutions and nearly 100 Senate Resolutions were passed by both Houses. None of these created any change in government. Two House Concurrent Resolutions and I Senate concurrent Resolution was passed by both Houses. The two HCRs allowed the House to spend two weeks of the session in adjournment while the SCR gave the Senate a week off. (with their $105 per day salary.)
With State Rep John Mabry attending our meeting we added another State Rep to our list of Biker Warriors. The following article from the Statesman gives you just a small idea of what we have watched on the Floor this session. This is partisan politics at it's finest(or worst as the case may be.) One Killer Bee was my Senator. He paid for fighting back by losing $800 during the 4 day Poker games.
House members steamed about speaker's rulings
House Speaker Tom Craddick took a hard shot Wednesday over heavy-handed tactics, from the only other remaining state legislator of the famed Dirty Thirty Ethics minority from 1971.
That group became famous for standing up to then-Speaker Gus Mutscher, D-Brenham, who eventually was indicted and convicted in connection with quick-profit stock deals engineered by Houston developer Frank Sharp.
This week after Craddick upheld efforts to refuse to consider some 200 amendments that Democrats had prepared on the school finance bill, and demonstrated a vague standard about what kinds of vote spreads could justify vote verification, Rep. Paul Moreno, D-El Paso, was fed up.
"Gus Mutscher didn't even come close to doing these things," Moreno said from his wheelchair at the front mike, as part of a personal privilege speech in which a legislator can say just about anything he wants.
Craddick and Moreno had been allies in the fight against Mutscher 33 years ago, when Mutscher and other House officials and state leaders were being investigated by federal and state authorities and Mutscher tried to cut off calls for a House investigation.
Rep. Steve Wolens, D-Dallas, who is retiring after 24 years, said, "In my time here, we have never seen an amendment to cut off debate when they were on amendment number two. It's unheard of, and it's uncalled for."
On Tuesday, Craddick had turned down Wolens' call for verification of a school finance vote that lost by seven votes, saying six votes was the minimum spread.
At another point, he had shut off the back microphone while Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, was trying to ask a question.
On Wednesday at one point, Craddick said the minimum vote spread was five for verification.
But he also pointed out, correctly, that House rules leave it to the discretion of the speaker when a vote is "close" enough to merit verification.
Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, was frustrated.
"Is this the way it's going to be from now on?" Eiland asked.
"I am not advised, Mr. Eiland," Craddick replied stonily from the dais.
"Then who is advised?" Eiland responded.
He got no answer.
Later, Rep. John Mabry Jr., D-Waco, asked again for clarification of the maximum vote spread that could justify verification.
"The rule is the rule, Mr. Mabry," Craddick said. "It's up to the chair."
Wolens, who did not seek re-election this year, said some of the rulings and actions were "just incredible.
"Just like when he turned off the back mike when Jim Dunnam was speaking," Wolens said. "Never, in my 24 years here, in (former House Speaker) Pete Laney's 30 years here, in Paul Moreno's 30-plus years here, have we ever seen a mike turned off while a member was speaking. Ever."
Have I done that which I can do to the best of my ability?
HELL NO !! - but I'm trying.
Sputnik
