Posted on 04/08/2012 7:18:09 AM PDT by SmithL
NASHVILLE — Passage of the qualifying deadline for legislative candidates last week leaves Republicans well-positioned to achieving their goal of making Democrats politically irrelevant in the 108th General Assembly that convenes next year.
In part, that's because 11 incumbent Democrats — seven representatives and four senators — are voluntarily not seeking re-election.
At least four more incumbent Democrats — three representatives and one senator — are certain to be ousted later because of Republican-controlled redistricting leaves incumbents running against one another in the same district.
In part, the GOP advantage also rests with money. Financial disclosures filed earlier this year showed Republicans holding an advantage of more than $3 to $1 in cash on hand for spending on legislative races — about $3.2 million for Republicans versus $770,000 for Democrats.
The uphill road faced by Democrats in just maintaining their status quo as a sometimes influential minority becomes apparent through an analysis of the candidate lineup for this year's campaigns after the qualifying deadline passed on Thursday.
Basically, it shows Republicans already are certain to have a majority again next year in both chambers and have a head start toward further eroding Democrats' waning strength. Republicans need to gain just two seats in the House and two seats in the Senate to have a two-thirds majority in both chambers, a standard that means that all Democrats could boycott a session and the GOP would still have a quorum to continue legislating.
(Excerpt) Read more at knoxnews.com ...
Tennessee is sounding like a better place all the time!
Way to go!
I like it!
My prayers for you guys. Here in Texas we got to that point, but we have a TOTAL LACKEY for a governor who barely did jack with those majorities. Not a damn thing on illegal immigration, which is going to flip this state to the dems in less than a generation.
Best of luck there, you might do better.
Totally agree with you, Bob. I was incredibly excited about Texas having a huge majority of Republicans in the House and Senate, but my dreams were dashed when the not-so-conservative Straus was selected as speaker again. What will it take to express conservatism in Texas?!
Then, when even the feeble attempts at reining in illegal immigration were shot down, I was disheartened beyond belief.
The only actions coming out of this legislature that gave me some hope were the voter I.D. law, ultrasound abortion law (full information to patient), and school financing sanity.
Let us pray that they use their power in conjunction with God’s Wisdom!
Looks like another pending territorial addition to District 11, otherwise known as Galtland.
Sadly, the revers is going to happen here in my state of CA. The GOP is highly likely to lose it’s 1/3 in the state house (2/3 required to raise taxes). It’s been a long time coming, but the GOP will be gone in CA.
I’m just too damn old to move.
Santorum 2012
IMO before you start attacking Perry for all the Texas problems you need to take a serious look at Dewhurst who wields an enormous amount of power in Austin. Strauss is his man. Dewhurst has amassed this Austin power and an enormous warchest and is now running for Hutchison’s Senatorial seat. His election would ensure that Texas once again has no Conservative Senator. The smear campaign against Cruz, for instance, is coming from the Dewhurst camp. We can do better than to elect Dewhurst for Senator.
Wife and I keep thinking about moving to Tennessee. Just torn about leaving Texas. We’ve left 4 times and always came back.
State and local sales tax i sth highest in the country due to TENNCARE, their version of Obamanightmare. Let’s see if these Pubbies have the guts to make a diference.
Sometimes I think it is pointless to try to educate non-Texans on how the Texas Constitution allocates power.
Dewhurst needs to be defeated, and we need a conservative Lt. Gov and Speaker. Straus needs to go today.
It’s really sad for you conservatives who live out there, but with the Rats in total control, it may accelerate change in that state by bringing it down once and for all. Then, in your lifetime, you might be witness to the birth of a new Sunshine state.
The reverse of CA, it seems. Good luck to them. Once you get in power, don’t get stupid.
Yeah, what you said!
We have done that in GA (near GOP super majority in both houses) and life is a lot better. New pro gun laws every month. They are considering constitutional carry right now. We got rid of most of the illegals with our immigration law and hung tough on voter ID.
I agree that Dewhurst and Strauss have not been helpful, AT ALL, to the Tea Party. But I still think it starts at the top. For example, I don’t remember the governor having a problem with Strauss when he was up for election as Speaker. I also don’t remember the governor being willing to go to the mat to even get a Sanctuary City law passed - he simply didn’t seem bothered that the legislature used a stunt to kill it in the Special Session.
So, yes, maybe if we had conservatives leading the House and Senate, they could drag the governor into doing the right things, but I look at the whole bunch as no different than the national GOP, with Romney at the top, and flunkies running the (US) House and Senate.
Well, I’ve been in Texas since 1985 and it took me a while and a lot of asking questions before I even began to understand it at all. Fortunately our last State Rep was awesome and spent a lot of time ‘splaining things. To say that the allocation of power is different is, indeed, an understatement.
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