Burnt Orange Report

Is the Senate Serious?

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Yes, we read that Senator Rep. Gallego hand delivered his letter to Speaker Craddick saying that the Senate plans on getting their business done on SB 8 to try to save face do something about education House shouldn't Sine Die because there is support out there for the Democratic alternative. (Boy did I fumble the names there getting it mixed up with Senator Mario Gallegos. But the fact that the Senate is trying to work on SB 8, and now Telecom instead, does relate to my point that even if the House were to stay, it really seems like their heart isn't in it because neither is the Senate's.)

So even though the House has had problems trying to sine die because they don't haven't had a quorum at times, the Senate doesn't seem to be taking things all that seriously either. The Quorum Report reminds us that Sen. Leticia VanDePutte is vacationing in Bermuda, Sen. Jon Lindsay is on vacation in New Mexico, and Sen. John Carona is attending to business in Colorado. And Sen. Frank Madla has been in the hospital.

So Dewhurt may be able to get something on the floor tomorrow, and the House may crawl back together to debate a stripped-down education bill to fund textbooks and public school technology but above all, there is a specter of death hanging about both chambers.

Craddick and Dewhurst can have a pissing match about who's attempting to make any good faith progress, but in the end it's just the people of Texas getting hosed with another pointless 'no leadership' session.

Pack it up folks.