Capital Highlights
Legislation passes, speaker survives challenges
Ed Sterling Texas Press Association

A USTIN - The 140 day regular session of the 80th Texas Legislature

ended on May 28.

The House and Senate completed the essential task of settling on a budget - $153 billion - covering fiscal years 2008- 2009.

The state budget for 2008-2009 includes a set-aside of $7.5 billion for property tax relief in 2010-2011. Commanding the bulk of attention, however, was House Speaker Tom Craddick's battle to withstand challenges to his authority in the final days of the session.

Members from both major political parties cited parliamentary precedents and House rules in attempts to be recognized on the House floor so they could move to conduct a vote to vacate the chair.

Had such a motion been recognized and a vote taken, Craddick, R-Midland, might have been forced to step down. Then members could have elected another speaker to serve out the remainder of the session.

Three days before the session's end, Parliamentarian Denise Davis and Deputy Parliamentarian Chris Griesel, who had advised Craddick all session long, abruptly resigned their posts.

A short time later, Craddick appointed former state Reps. Terry Keel and Ron Wilson as parliamentarian and deputy parliamentarian, respectively. The pair guided Craddick through a maze of questions from the floor.

Craddick, Keel and Wilson ran down the clock, repeatedly responding to members with rulings that it is the speaker's absolute right to choose to recognize or not recognize a member to make a motion. In effect, "You will not be recognized to make that motion," was the pat response. Attempts to be recognized subsided as lawmakers saw the opportunity to pass legislation slipping away.

Craddick said he plans to run for a fourth term as speaker, but he will face competition. The list of House members who have expressed a desire to succeed Craddick includes Republican Reps. Fred Hill of Richardson, Jim Keffer of Eastland, Jim Pitts of Waxahachie, Robert Talton of Pasadena and Brian McCall of Plano, and Democratic Reps. Senfronia Thompson and Speaker Pro Tempore Sylvester Turner, both of Houston.

The 81st Legislature will convene in January 2009. Craddick and challengers will have 18 months to get promises of support from colleagues. Major legislation gains passage

Despite time lost in efforts to unseat Craddick, legislators still managed to push through and pass about 1,500 bills. Here are the effects of a few of them:

t A water plan benefiting Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and other thirsty metro areas and giving rural areas some control over interbasin water transfers.

t A $425 minimum pay increase for public school teachers and a set of standards that if met can qualify a teacher for an additional raise.

t Funding for the Childrens Health Insurance Program will give coverage to an additional 127,000 children.

t Enhanced felony charges possible for owners of dogs that attack other people.

t Elective Bible education classes for schools that have enough students who express an interest in taking them.

tAtoll road bill that puts a twoyear hold on construction of the Trans Texas Corridor project but allows the planning to continue, while granting local and regional toll authorities control over their own road projects.

t Random steroid testing of Texas high school athletes.

t A requirement for all public schools to have at least one automated external defibrillator on campus.

t More than $200 million for additional law enforcement officers and technology to aid in border and homeland security operations.

t Constitutional amendment letting voters decide in November if the Legislature should be required to record each member's vote on final passage of substantive bills.

tConstitutional amendment letting voters decide in November if the state of Texas should borrow $3 billion for cancer research over the next decade.

Deadline for the governor to veto bills is June 17.

Ed Sterling is director of member services for the Texas Press Association in Austin.