Tag Archives: Joe Straus

TxDOT lives, Lege adjourns

Posted on June 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The threat of a special session has been averted…we think. The House just voted to work the Legislature out of a jam by keeping open the Texas Department of Transportation and other state agencies at risk of closing. Members needed … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on TxDOT lives, Lege adjourns

One threat of a special session averted, another arises

Posted on June 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Gah. In a surprise ending to the second-to-last day of the legislative session, the House failed to pass the so-called sunset safety net bill, HB1959, before the midnight deadline tonight for the chamber to approve bills. The bill would allow … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The lack of leadership

Posted on May 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Sen. John Carona gets medieval on his party’s leadership. Tempers flared Saturday on the Legislature’s last weekend with a key GOP senator declaring that the session’s central theme is “lack of leadership” by top members of his own party. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The lack of leadership

And so the chubbing comes to an end

Posted on May 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

So, as far as I know at this point, SB362 is dead, other bills may or may not be dead, and some semblance of normality will return to the House for the remaining days of the session. After seeing so … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on And so the chubbing comes to an end

The last day of chubbing

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

So tomorrow night at midnight is the deadline for the House to approve Senate bills on second reading, which means that as long as the Democrats can keep the chubfest going, SB362 will die. Modulo any attempt to graft it … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The last day of chubbing

Whatever Ricky wants

Posted on May 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

It’s too early to say how much of Rick Perry’s self-proclaimed agenda will get enacted this session, as much of it hinges on the budget reconciliation process as well as on legislation that hasn’t been taken up by one chamber … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Followup on Keller impeachment resolution

Posted on May 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I had a brief conversation with Rep. Lon Burnam about HR480, the House resolution to impeach Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, which had a hearing on Monday. He’s working on getting enough support in the House Committee … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Followup on Keller impeachment resolution

The Speaker speaks, and a Voter ID update

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

So how is Speaker Joe Straus doing? Three months into his first term leading the 150-member chamber, Republican Speaker Joe Straus is emerging as a bipartisan compromise-seeker, rejecting much of the power that his predecessor so coveted. Straus still faces … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Speaker speaks, and a Voter ID update

House passes budget, slaps Perry

Posted on April 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Chris Turner, on Twitter: At 3:56 am, the House unanimously passed the budget. Believe it or not, that was earlier than was originally anticipated. The pregame chatter was that the House would have to reconvene today to finish … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on House passes budget, slaps Perry

Let the shenanigans begin!

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, we only thought voter ID would not be brought up in the House till next week. Apparently, Rep. Betty Brown tried to attach a voter ID bill she has pending in its entirity to HB71, an otherwise fairly innocuous … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Let the shenanigans begin!

Coleman pushing for CHIP restoration

Posted on March 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Way back in those crazy, innocent days right after Joe Straus was elected Speaker, some of us had the silly idea that this might portend better legislation making it through the House. You know, serious policy stuff that actually benefits … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Coleman pushing for CHIP restoration

Coup? What coup?

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The rumor of a list of legislators looking to oust House Speaker Joe Straus turns out to be, well, a rumor. The Statesman’s Gardner Selby started hearing chatter late last week that Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, was circulating … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Coup? What coup?

Is there are revolt brewing against Straus?

Posted on March 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Insider passes along what is probably a rumor. Word around the Texas House of Representatives is that a phantom list of nearly 76 signatures is circulating that will take out Speaker Joe Straus when the time is right. A … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Is there are revolt brewing against Straus?

Is redistricting reform about to become a reality?

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Patricia Kilday Hart reports that Sen. Jeff Wentworth’s redistricting commission bill has a chance this session, thanks to the change in Speaker. Wentworth, who presented his bill to the Senate State Affairs Committee, tells me he has confirmed pledges from … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Is redistricting reform about to become a reality?

Reason #437 why I’m skeptical of the gambling industry

Posted on March 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The regulatory agency that oversees horse and dog tracks in Texas is begging for a handout to make it through the end of the fiscal year. Faced with a 14 percent, nearly $678,000 shortfall, the commission that oversees horse and … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Reason #437 why I’m skeptical of the gambling industry

Son of Speaker complaining

Posted on February 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

So yes, even in the post-Craddick era, there are still complaints about the Speaker by Democrats. Some of this is to be expected: You can’t satisfy everyone. Some of it is probably the result of over-inflated expectations. And some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Son of Speaker complaining

Voter ID already moving in the Senate

Posted on February 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I hope you’ve all enjoyed the relative quiet in the Lege these past few weeks, because it will be coming to an end soon. The controversial Voter ID bill that triggered a nasty Senate fight last month over a rules … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Voter ID already moving in the Senate

Committee assignment reactions

Posted on February 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Rather than update the earlier post, I thought I’d do a new one rounding up various reactions to the committee assignments in the House. Matt says the Republican “Gang of 11” won big, but Democrats got little respect. Phillip is … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

House committee assignments are out

Posted on February 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

At long last, we know who’ll be working on what in the House. The full list is here (PDF); a list of chairs only is beneath the fold. Evan notes that Dems got 16 of 18 chairs. The main concern … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on House committee assignments are out

Craddick’s cleanup

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’m amused by this. Before the House voted Speaker Tom Craddick out of his powerful job, state officials wiped his computers clean and deleted scores of electronic files, raising concerns that important public records may have been destroyed. Files on … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Craddick’s cleanup

House adopts rules

Posted on January 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Once again, not much drama in the lower chamber. After an all-day debate, the House approved its rules for the 2009 legislative session in a relaxed atmosphere overseen by new Speaker Joe Straus. The most intense squabble came when the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on House adopts rules

California breathin’

Posted on January 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We may get some cleaner air to breathe here in Texas thanks to California and President Obama. Obama ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to review the Bush administration’s refusal to allow California and 13 other states to set the nation’s … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on California breathin’

The Speaker speaks

Posted on January 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Evan Smith had a sit-down with new Speaker Joe Straus, which was broadcast Thursday on KLRU in Austin. You can watch the video of it at that link; it’s a little less than 30 minutes. Straus has made a good … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Speaker speaks

Musical chairs

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

When the State House reconvenes next Monday, I presume one of the first orders of business for new Speaker Joe Straus will be to name committee chairs. This sort of thing may seem like the most boring of inside-baseball stuff, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment