« Away We Go With The 81st | Main | Worried About 2010 »
January 14, 2009
Less Than Two Days To Fail Texas
Well, folks, you've got to give the Republicans in the Texas Senate and their fearless leader - Lt. Governor David Dewhurst - their props. It took them less than 36 hours into the 81st legislative session to destroy any modicum of cooperation in the normally collegial Senate.
As we wrote last night, Senate Republicans made their first priority suspension of the historic "two-thirds rule" to consider bills on a voter ID requirement and on matters related to redistricting (to set a precedent for next session, when legislative and Congressional reapportionment will be considered.) By today, the redistricting piece had disappeared, but voter ID remained.
After hours of contentious debate, the suspension of the two-thirds rule for consideration of a voter ID bill passed 18-13, almost completely along partisan lines. (One Republican, John Carona of Dallas, joined all 12 Democrats in voting no.) While the rule change was spearheaded by Senator Tommy Williams of the Woodlands, it was widely seen as a victory for Houston Senator Dan Patrick, who called it an important first step toward his goal of abolishing the two-thirds rule all together.
With all the critical challenges facing the state -- a tough budget, public schools, utility rates, college tuition, insurance reform, children's health insurance, to name a few -- a voter ID bill is what Senate Republicans think should be their highest priority. What can one say, except sadly, we are not surprised.
We especially appreciated the "leadership" displayed Lt. Governor Dewhurst, who pushed voter ID last session, even going so far as trying to take advantage of ill members to subvert the rules. And while his fingerprints were all over today's rule change, he ran for political cover behind his Senate President gavel, claiming only that he was trying to facilitate a discussion among members.
Ah, nothing like a politician who pines for higher office trying to have his cake and eat it too. By engineering this rule change mess, Dewhurst throws a bone to his rabid right-wing base, which could prove helpful in a primary race for say... United States Senator? At the same time, the Lite Guv maintains plausible deniability, perhaps avoiding hard feelings that could linger in a general election campaign. Clever, clever.
Real leadership is about taking on real problems, Governor Dewhurst. And on that score, you and your Senate GOP colleagues have failed the people of Texas once again.
Posted by houtopia at January 14, 2009 07:51 PM