Free Republic

AUSTIN – As Rep. Joe Straus effectively wrapped up the House speaker race Monday, he pledged to open the House to allow members – Republican or Democrat – to win the day if they had the best argument and the most votes. To most observers, that means the House will be a very different place. Ideas from the far reaches of the political spectrum, whether on abortion, immigration or school vouchers, probably won't make it, while others that have withered under House Speaker Tom Craddick, such as green energy programs, more education funding, and tighter ethics rules, might have a...

AUSTIN — Rep. Joe Straus claimed enough votes Sunday night to be elected next week as speaker of the Texas House, a post that wields considerable influence over state priorities, including the amount of taxes you pay and the cost for you or your children to attend college. Assuming his supporters don't waver, the San Antonio Republican would assume one of the most powerful positions in state politics from incumbent Tom Craddick, a Midland Republican who dropped his bid to be re-elected as leader of the House. "He has withdrawn his candidacy and freed up his pledges," said Rep. Will...

Craddick quits House speaker's race; Straus poised to take over08:55 AM CST on Monday, January 5, 2009By KAREN BROOKS and CHRISTY HOPPE / The Dallas Morning Newskmbrooks@dallasnews.comchoppe@dallasnews.com AUSTIN – With a promise to end partisan clashes, newcomer and moderate Republican Joe Straus of San Antonio is poised to become the new Texas House speaker after toppling 40-year veteran Tom Craddick of Midland. In a meteoric rise, the two-term lawmaker won overwhelming support from 72 Democrats and 16 Republicans who said they were seeking a less combative atmosphere in the Capitol. Straus released a list Sunday night of 88 lawmakers –...

AUSTIN, Texas -- Amid last-minute budget squabbles and uproarious rebellion against Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick, the Legislature stumbled toward the finish line Monday. Entering the final day of a five-month legislative session, a few key bills remain in limbo, the result of an early morning protest staged by Craddick's foes. The speaker's opponents from both political parties have tried all weekend to oust him from power, with no success. Dozens of angry House members who want Craddick to leave office walked out of the chamber in protest, bringing work to a halt. "This man is sitting here violating every...

SPEAKER'S RACE IS FOR REAL; CRADDICK PLEADS TO GRASS ROOTS: SAVE MY JOB posted by Paul Burka Here is hard evidence of a speaker's race. I received this e-mail this morning as a comment submitted to the blog in response to my post of yesterday, "87 Votes." Craddick's scared--here's an email his team sent out this weekend to Republican leaders: County Chairs and SREC Members There is reportedly a movement in the House to call for Speaker Tom Craddick to vacate the chair. This move would greatly empower the Democrats in the next election by taking out the number one...

Just paying for promised cuts in local school property tax rates over the next two years would put lawmakers $4 billion or more over a constitutional cap on state spending. So as an option, leaders are looking at tying a legislative vote to exceed the cap to the tax relief. "You offer a bill that reduces property taxes and you tell everybody that the amount of money involved exceeds the spending cap, and let's vote," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Steve Ogden. "We're exceeding the spending cap so we can cut your property taxes. I think everybody'll vote for that."...

KSEV morning talk-show host and executive director of CLOUT: Citizens Lowering Our Unfair Taxes has announced his intention to file a lawsuit designed to force state government to comply with strict spending limits written into the Texas State Constitution. Article 8, Section II of that fine document was approved by 84% of Texas voters in 1979, and reads as follows: In no biennium shall the rate of growth of appropriations from state tax revenues not dedicated by this constitution exceed the estimated rate of growth of the state’s economy. Here’s the problem– the legislature hasn’t been doing this. Instead, they’ve...

Perry political future may depend on passing education, tax reform ASSOCIATED PRESS AUSTIN (AP) - Republican Gov. Rick Perry wanted badly to change the way Texas schools are funded and reduce homeowners' property taxes. His political future may well depend on it. Despite Perry's desire and coaxing, lawmakers left town without getting the job done. Their 140-day regular session ended Monday with no plan in place, despite some promising last-minute negotiations. Perry called it a "disappointment." He reiterated Tuesday that if House and Senate leaders continue working toward an agreement, he may call a special session. He said he'll keep...

HB3 - Conservatives Must Stop the "Payroll Tax" Now! by Matthew J. Griffing, Esq. Senior Vice Chairman for Legislative Affairs The Republican-led Texas House of Representatives has taken a big step toward doing what Democrats could not do in over 120 consecutive years in power – enacting a virtual state income tax. For many years, Texas Republicans advocated fiscal restraint, and their opposition to a state income tax was axiomatic. Those days are long over, and Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland) is to blame. This session, the House Leadership led by Speaker Craddick is dumping billions of new wasteful spending into...

GOP ready for an Alamo City wrangle Thursday, June 3, 2004 The newer, more bare-knuckled Republican Party of Texas that increasingly tends to eat its own opens its biennial convention in San Antonio today. It was here in 1996 that Republican convention delegates almost denied then-Gov. George W. Bush leadership of the Texas delegation to the national convention in San Diego, and a backstage deal had to be worked out to allow U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who supports abortion rights, to be a delegate at all. But that passed, and both went. And now Bush is president, and Hutchison...

Two women face off in rematch for state GOP chair AUSTIN (AP) — It'll be a rematch between two Texas Republican women when the state party selects its next chairman this week. The Republican Party of Texas meets Thursday through Saturday in San Antonio at what is considered the nation's largest political party convention because of the 10,000 to 12,000 delegates and alternates expected to attend. Tina Benkiser, a corporate and patent attorney in Houston, is running for a full term as leader of the Texas GOP, a post she was elected to last year when the previous chairman re...

Response to Perry’s ed plan lukewarm By APRIL CASTRO Associated Press Writer AUSTIN After debuting his long-awaited school finance plan, Gov. Rick Perry received a lukewarm reception from a potential key ally: state business leaders. While business leaders have applauded Perry for making the only formal proposal since the regular legislative session, they are slow to endorse an integral part of the proposal, a “constitutionally linked” property tax. Final passage of the plan in the Republican-controlled Legislature remains uncertain. “We’re studying it, we are looking at the constitutional linkage that Governor Perry is proposing,” said Jeff Clark, state director of...

Perry appears ready to call special session AUSTIN (AP) — Gov. Rick Perry has told Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick that he will announce this week a special legislative session in mid-April to address school finance, sources told The Associated Press on Thursday. Spokespeople in Perry's office said he has no plans to call a session this week but would not deny that Perry made those comments to Dewhurst and Craddick. "I'm not privy to his conversations," said spokesman Robert Black. "The governor speaks with the speaker and lieutenant governor these days literally on a daily...

Redistricting doesn't stop Democrats Thursday, January 22, 2004 The re-redistricting bomb that U.S. Majority Leader Tom DeLay dropped on white Texas Democrats in Congress was huge. However, all but two have filed for re-election anyway. Wouldn't it be ironic if several won? Ralph Hall of Rockwall switched to the Republicans, whom he'd been with for years in all but the initial after his name, anyway. And Jim Turner of Crockett decided not to run again. With $1 million in his campaign bank, he says he might run for governor or the U.S. Senate in 2006. But the main Democrats targeted...

Happy new Steer. The January TEXAS MONTHLY contains the thirtieth installment of our Bum Steer Awards, which, er, celebrate notable acts of buffoonery in the previous twelve months. As always, we couldn't do it without you—and by "you" I mean the stupid crooks, lunkheaded politicians, vapid actresses, and other dim bulbs in the state chandelier whose exploits elate us so. This year, the faulty filament faction includes lifetime Mensa member Jessica Simpson, acquitted people person Robert Durst, Paris High School's Farmland Uber Alles marching band, and at the head of the crass, the Perrymanderers who didn't DeLay their plans to...

Dewhurst: Bitter dispute behind us By Tricia Cortez Times staff writer On his second visit to Laredo as lieutenant governor, David Dewhurst made it clear Friday the bitter and contentious redistricting fights, which tore apart the genteel Texas Senate, are "behind us." He also quashed rumors that he may be considering a run for governor against Rick Perry. "I enjoy being lieutenant governor, and I will run for re-election as lieutenant governor, unless something drastic happens," Dewhurst told the editorial board of the Laredo Morning Times. "I fully expect to be re-elected," added Dewhurst, who was accompanied by state Sen....

Abilene expects Cheney at rally for Neugebauer BY BRIAN WILLIAMS AVALANCHE-JOURNAL Vice President Dick Cheney will join U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer next week in Abilene for a rally and reception, according to an Abilene Republican. The $25-per-person fund-raiser for Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, is scheduled for Dec. 5 at the Abilene Civic Center, said Paul Washburn, Taylor County Republican Party chairman. AP Photo Vice-President Dick Cheney addresses an audience during a fund-raising appearance Monday, Nov. 24, 2003 in Cleveland. Ohio Gov. Bob Taft was the host of a $2,000-a-plate dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel and Conference Center near downtown. Washburn said Neugebauer’s...

Redistricting one step closer BY APRIL CASTRO Associated Press Writer AUSTIN - The family feud appears over and Texas Republicans are a step closer to having a majority in the state's congressional delegation. "The majority of the voters in the state of Texas support President George W. Bush and his policies. The majority of our congressional delegation does not, and that's just not fair," Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said Thursday as Republican leaders unveiled a redistricting map that would put more Republicans in the Texas congressional delegation. It likely would put more Republicans in the Texas congressional delegation, where Democrats...

Raymond lashes out on final plan Times Staff Reports AUSTIN - State Rep. Richard Raymond (D-Laredo) delivered scathing comments over the latest congressional redistricting map produced by the Republican leadership in Texas early Thursday morning. "Make no mistake. This final plan was cobbled together with backroom deals and brute pressure from Washington power brokers," Raymond said. "The architects of this plan will be remembered for their willingness to ignore Texas Senate tradition, for violating Texas House rules of procedure, as well as their complete disregard for historic communities of interest and for consigning the interest of Hispanics and other minorities...

DeLay continues effort to end Texas redistricting squabble Associated Press AUSTIN (AP) — U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was in the Texas Capitol for a second consecutive day Tuesday, attempting to broker an agreement between state lawmakers squabbling over a congressional redistricting map. With Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, House Speaker Tom Craddick and Gov. Rick Perry out of town, DeLay and other lawmakers indicated that negotiators were making progress on a map that would put more Republicans in the Texas congressional delegation. "We are very, very close," De Lay said, leaving a morning meeting in Dewhurst's office. "The lieutenant...