« Obama-rama | Main | A Nice Little Chat »
April 10, 2007
Trying To Pull A Fast One
With all the activity surrounding each biennial session of the Texas Legislature, it is easy to overlook seemingly minor pieces of legislation; legislation which might have more than minor consequences. Lawmakers often try to fly bills through -- during the heat of the battle -- under the radar. Such legislation might benefit constituents, contributors, an ideological agenda, or friends and family.
The 2007 legislative session is no different, and one current piece of pending legislation, if passed, could have some interesting implications here in Harris County. State House member Dwayne Bohac, who represents District 138 in the Spring Branch area, has filed a joint resolution changing the "resign to run" requirements for county or district elected officials seeking another elected office.
Current law says that a county elected official who has a year or more remaining on his or her unexpired term, must resign that position immediately upon becoming a candidate for another office. Representative Bohac's legislation would extend that requirement by 60 days, meaning the official would have to resign to run if more than 14 months remained on the current term, rather than twelve.
What, you may ask, is the difference? Well, consider that the Legislature is now seriously considering joining several other big states in moving Texas' 2008 presidential primary up to February 5th. If that happens, candidate filing dates for party primaries would likely be moved up to November 2007, 14 months before January 2009, when certain county officials' terms expire.
One Harris County elected official -- Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt -- has skin in this game. His term expires in January 2009, and he has expressed interest in seeking another office -- U.S. Congress. Under current law, if the primary and filing dates get moved up, he would have to quit his current position to run for something else. That means no salary.
So why not get your fellow Republican pal in the Lege to carry a change that let's you keep your taxpayer-funded job, and campaign for another office? Wonder what other GOP contenders for the 22nd Congressional District think about that?
We find it especially delicious that Bettencourt, the self-annointed (and nauseatingly self-righteous) defender of taxpayer rights wants the Harris County ratepayers to float him while he tries to further his political career. Once again, "conservative" candidates reveal what's really behind their rhetoric on fiscal responsibility. Laughable.
Posted by houtopia at April 10, 2007 03:26 PM