As the House continues to eat away at the weekend by debating the migration seasons of butterflies (I didn't make that up), Democrats are attempting to take control of the calendar by suspending rules to take bills out of order.

Saturday, State Rep.Trey Martinez-Fischer tried to bring up the windstorm insurance reform bill ahead of other items, but suspending the rules to take something out of order requires a 2/3's vote of the House. The effort failed on a 74-70 vote, almost completely along party lines. (Republican state Rep. Tommy Merritt voted yes, but he was the only R to do so.)

The message from Democrats today is that Republicans chose this fate by putting Voter ID ahead of insurance reform on the calendar.

"The people in my district want me to fight to lower their insurance rates. That's what we're doing," said state Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco.

Republicans say this is all baloney.

"We've got over 200 bills on this calendar that we could get to if we quit messing around and delaying. All these legislative delays are what's keeping us getting to these important issues," said state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and the head of the House Republican Caucus.

Democrats answer by saying if R's really cared about the "important issues" like windstorm insurance (which if left unresolved may trigger a special session), they would go with the D's and vote to take major bills out of order. Talk of special session is indeed making its way around the floor Saturday.

"I'm glad I haven't given 30-days notice on my apartment lease-- because the Republicans just voted for a Special Session. The Democratic Caucus stands with Governor Perry and the members of the Senate in wanting to bring SB14 to the floor for a spirited debate and vote. We are less than 8 days from the start of hurricane season, the residents of coastal Texas are depending on the Legislature to put an end to partisan gamesmanship and rise to the occasion," said Martinez-Fischer, in a statement.

But the R's know voting to suspend to bring up bills early is akin to giving Democrats control of the calendar. There is zero motivation to do that, despite a soul-crushing stalemate on the floor.

For the Republican Speaker's part, he seems to be playing a role in negotiations but not actively taking control of any messaging or spinning of the situation into his party's favor. We tried to get him to talk about the slowdown during a quiet moment on the floor, but he something without saying much at all.

"We're in a now, 75-74 house and it's just one of the spots you get in in a very closely divided place but we'll get through it," said Speaker Joe Straus, R-Alamo Heights.

They say in politics, if you're explaining, you're losing. So which side is having to do more explaining this weekend? Weigh in.

1 Comments

willis said:

Larry Taylor should check his government handbook. We know he hasn't had to put up with this inconvenience since 2003, but debating proposed legisaltion is what he and his colleagues are supposed to be doing.

May 23, 2009 5:11 PM

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