Challenge to unseat speaker Craddick dissipates
Ed Sterling

A USTIN - After the 80th regular session of the

T e x a s

Legislature convened on Jan. 9, House members spent a few hours debating their way to a decision on how the vote for speaker would be conducted.

After the body finally decided that the vote would be a recorded vote, not by secret ballot, state Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, ended his quest to unseat incumbent Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland.

Members voted from their desks, electronically. The tally was 121-27: Craddick was elected to his third consecutive term as speaker. No Republican member voted against him.

Inaugural festivities planned

Jan. 16 is inauguration day for Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.

Plans include the swearing in ceremony on the south steps of the Capitol, a barbecue on the west grounds of the Capitol, a mid-day parade on Congress Avenue, and an evening black-tie ball at the Austin Convention Center.

In other business, the Texas House and Senate conducted a joint session Jan. 11 to canvass votes from the Nov. 7 election. House and Senate members served as tellers in the canvass and they affirmed Perry was the top vote getter in the race for governor with 1,716,792 votes. Closest in the vote count was Democrat Chris Bell of Houston, with 1,310,337 votes.

Dewhurst pulled the most votes in the race for lieutenant governor with 2,513,530. His closest rival was Democrat Maria Luisa Alvarado of San Antonio, with 1,617,490 votes. Guv names emergency items

Gov. Perry on Jan. 12 made public two emergency items for the Legislature to work on this session: "Legislation authorizing the reduction of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for public school purposes on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect any reduction in the rate of those taxes."

"Legislation providing that state appropriations made for the purpose of directly reducing local property taxes and state appropriations made for the purpose of returning state funds to the public do not count against the constitutional state spending limits and authorizing the Legislature to provide for the grant of public money for the purpose of returning state funds to the public." Combs issues revenue statement

State Comptroller Susan Combs on Jan. 8 said the Texas Legislature would have $14.3 billion in new money to spend

in the 2008-2009 state budget. Combs issued the required biennial revenue estimate, reporting to the Legislature and the governor that $82.5 billion in general revenue is available for appropriation.

Combs said she anticipates $77.5 billion in general revenue income during the next biennium, plus a $7 billion ending balance for the current biennium.

Less $2 billion in oil and gas production tax revenue that must be set aside in the Rainy Day Fund, the bottom line is $82.5 billion that is available to spend.

"That is approximately $14.3 billion dollars more than the current $68.2 billion budget," Combs said. Abbott lists accomplishments

On Jan. 5, after taking the oath of office for his second four-year term, Attorney General Greg Abbott, listed four things he's especially proud of:

t $7 billion collected in child support;

t $300 million awarded to or on behalf of crime victims;

t $175 million recovered in Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse; and

t 500 child predators arrested. Flags lowered in Clayton's honor

By order of Gov. Perry, flags were flown at half-staff for the late Billy Clayton, former speaker of the Texas House, on Jan. 10, the day of his burial.

Clayton served as speaker from 1975 to 1983. Perry's Dec. 27 order to half-staff flags in memory of 38th U.S. President Gerald R. Ford remains in effect through Jan. 25. Ford died Dec. 26 at age 93. Houst to observe M.L. King Day

House members unanimously adopted H.R. 54 by Rep. Helen Giddings, DDeSoto, declaring the House of Representatives would not meet Jan. 15 in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

The full report is available online at window.state.tx.us. Ed Sterling is director of member services for the Texas Press Association in Austin.