Burnt Orange Report

HB 2 Passes, Close Call on Final Vote

By Andrew Dobbs

Sorry I didn't get this up sooner but I just got to a computer for the first time in a while. HB 2 passed tonight on a closer than expected vote, 76-71. All the Democrats except Al Edwards voted "No" and Edwards voted "Present, Not Voting." It seems strange that a guy from a poor district wouldn't be fervently against a bill that would make his district poorer compared the the rest of the state and force major budget cuts, but then you remember that Al Edwards does whatever the Speaker tells him to and it starts to make some sense.

Still, not a single Democrat voted for the bill and we were joined by 9 Republicans (10 if you count Plano's Brian McCall, who would have voted against the bill, but was paired with the absent Bill Callegari and voted PNV). The most important of those was the only Republican to speak against the bill, and he did so with such passion and poise that I have a new and deep respect for him- former school superintendent Bob Griggs of North Richland Hills. He is credited with bringing several Republicans over with him.

The Republicans who sided against the bill were Fred Brown, Charlie Geren, Toby Goodman, Bob Griggs, Pat Haggerty, Delwin Jones, Ed Kuempel, Tommy Merritt and Todd Smith. All the mean things I say about Republicans are not meant towards you, until you do something to screw it up (which I'm sure they will soon). That goes double for the four that voted for Hochberg's amendment- Brown, Goodman and Merritt (they were joined by Bob Hunter, who voted for the final bill).

Don't be too worried about the impacts on public schools, though. HB 2 doesn't go into effect without the passage of HB 3, and that bill doesn't have the votes to pass right now. Plus, the Senate will certainly make some huge changes to HB 2 and Dewhurst has said that HB 3 is "Dead on Arrival." So it hopefully won't be as bad as things look right now.