Kirk Watson Reports Over $1.4 Million on Hand

by: Matt Glazer

Tue Jul 14, 2009 at 11:07 AM CDT

According to some, Senator Watson is reporting an impressive cash on hand number, "$1,436,000, mas o menos."

Watson has said he will not announce his intent on whether to run for higher office or return to the Texas Senate until much later in the summer, but the money he has currently raised for his Texas Senate account can be used for a run for any other Texas statewide office.

This cash on hand number indicates Watson could be a formidable statewide candidate if he chooses to run.

For disclosure, I am supportive of the Draft Watson movement on facebook and any other format.

Senator Kirk Watson Remains Uncommitted for Statewide Run

by: Matt Glazer

Wed Jun 24, 2009 at 10:39 AM CDT

David Mauro speculated on the Travis County shake up and a couple of us even started a draft Watson facebook page.

While all this was going on, one thing still remained unclear.  Will Watson even run.

The inside Austin speculation has always been Watson would be a strong and formidable candidate and was seriously looking on when and if he should run for statewide office again.

Peggy Fikac caught up with Senator Watson and put the Senator on the clock. Watson has stated he won't make a decision until the end of the summer which should be around the time a special session concludes.

He went on to tell Peggy...

I am very flattered by Senator Van de Putte's confidence in me, and I strongly agree with her about the need for improved leadership in Texas.

I have a job I enjoy greatly, which is representing the citizens of Senate District 14. Over the next several weeks, I will evaluate the role I intend to play in serving Texas after 2010. That service may include running for and serving in another office or running for reelection. I intend to give this issue serious consideration, and I do not anticipate making any decisions in this regard until at least sometime after the end of the anticipated special session of the legislature, and probably not until the end of the summer.

With Senator Van De Putte's announcement yesterday, even though it was a decision not to run, expect the statewide roster to begin solidifying over the next 60 to 90 days.

Travis County Prepares for Domino Effect if Watson Runs for Governor

by: David Mauro

Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 07:11 PM CDT

When Leticia Van de Putte declined to run for Governor earlier today and instead threw her support behind the potential candidacy of Texas Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin), political observers in Travis County paid special attention.

Sen. Watson was already known to be considering running statewide, but the apparently orchestrated plug by Van de Putte makes his entry seem much more likely today than it did yesterday.

If Watson does decide to run, the Travis County Democratic primary will immediately become very, very busy.

Three local state representatives -- Elliott Naishtat, Eddie Rodriguez and Mark Strama -- are thought to be considering running for Watson's seat if he decides to run for Governor.

Naishtat would start off with a significant cash on hand advantage over any opponent and represents a vote-rich district. The Dean of the Travis County Delegation is the go to guy in the House on human services issues.

Rodriguez could mobilize small donors and has ties to activists countywide dating back to his days as Executive Director of the Travis County Democratic Party. Rodriguez is one of only two representatives who never voted for Tom Craddick for speaker and won a tough primary in 2002 in which he was heavily outspent.

Strama is a proven fundraiser and was Chairman of  Technology, Workforce and Economic Development this past session. Though his voting record is more moderate than the other two, he has turned what was once a swing district into a Democratic stronghold.

All three are well respected by local party activists and have distinct bases of voters that make all three of them capable of winning the seat.

Assuming two of them do decide to run, that leaves two open House seats that are likely to be hotly contested as well. All of a sudden, what recently appeared to be shaping up to be a rather calm local Democratic Primary with a few contested judicial races, could be on the verge of dramatically changing.

Of course, as Watson has said he won't make a decision until later this summer, we will have to wait to see whether any of this speculation actually comes true.

Leticia Van De Putte Opts Out of Statewide Run, Urges Kirk Watson to Enter Race

by: Matt Glazer

Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 11:55 AM CDT

Texas Senator Leticia Van De Putte has released a statement regarding the rumors about a possible run for Governor any other statewide office.

A few weeks ago, Senator Van De Putte sat down with Phil Martin and discussed the race and her thoughts on the 81st session.

Today, Van De Putte has announced she has opted out of running for any statewide office and further announces her support for Texas Senator Kirk Watson.  Watson is not a candidate for Governor or any statewide office at this time, but with this release and strong statement of support, Watson will be someone to watch in the upcoming special session.

Here is the complete release:

"Five months of speculation  regarding the possibility of me running for Governor has, quite frankly, been surprising. It started with nothing more than me not immediately saying 'no,' unlike in past election cycles, when asked if I would consider such a run. The reactions of thousands of Texans who encouraged me to give it serious consideration has been flattering.

"I have, indeed, given it very serious thought, and while I would love to believe, tongue firmly planted in cheek, that this pent-up desire on the part of so many Texans for me to run for governor is solely because of some perceived superior leadership ability and vast intellect of mine, I have to reluctantly admit that it's not as much about me as it is about Republican failures.

"This is about Texas' stunning lack of current leadership. Large and growing numbers feel betrayed by the Republicans they voted into statewide office, and who can blame them?  While Texas families remain concerned about genuine priority issues, Republicans led by Rick Perry continue to instead obsess about hyper-partisan issues, in order to grab more power for themselves.

"Texans still pay the highest homeowners insurance premiums in the country. Texas still has the highest percentage in the country of those without access to health care. Texas still has the second highest rate of teen pregnancy in the nation, and the highest rate of teens with a second pregnancy. And after years of Republican 'leadership,' not only has Rick Perry failed to address these challenges, but he and his minions have done everything they can to avoid addressing them in any meaningful way. Rick Perry, Kay Bailey Hutchison, and others in the Republican leadership have turned their backs on 25 million Texans, instead opting to curry favor with a handful of fringe Republican primary voters.

"If I believed for a second that it would result in a healthy debate of the issues of most importance to Texas families, I would today be announcing my candidacy for Governor of Texas. But we have all watched over the years as Perry, Hutchison, and other Republican politicians have launched their scorched earth 'say anything to win' vicious attacks against political opponents. To mask their utter lack of leadership, they'll do so again, and I decline to put my family through it. That I am a Latina would only serve to amplify their attacks.

"I will gladly work hard to ensure that a Democrat prevails in the election for Governor, so that Texas families can have a better shot at having a state government focused on the needs of Texans, instead of state Republican leadership obsessed with their own political futures, at Texans' expense.

"Prominent Democrats must put personal ambitions aside and very pragmatically nominate the person best equipped to win in November. Just because one can win the Democratic nomination for Governor doesn't mean one should, unless he or she is best positioned to defeat the Republican nominee in the fall.

"That's why I think Senator Kirk Watson should raise his sights and run for Governor. I've watched as Senator Watson has emerged as a leader in the state Senate on the issues of most importance to Texans. While staying true to Democratic values, he is a bipartisan pragmatic leader solidly focused on addressing the priorities of all Texans. I intend to lobby Senator Watson to run for governor, and I'll wholeheartedly support him if he does. But if he declines, Democrats should recruit and support someone who, like Watson, is energetic, pragmatic, focused, and smart; and who can fully energize Democratic supporters while also attracting a broad range of independent voters in every region of the state.

"The Republicans have had their day, and Texans have realized that the Republicans can't lead. I will be working hard to elect a Democrat to the Governor's office."

There are more than a few rumors circulating about when the Special Session will occur.  The most common rumor is it will start in the first or second week of July.  Once the special session is over, expect Watson and others to announce their attentions to either run or not run statewide.

Update:  A statement from Tom Schieffer on Van de Putte's decision.

Senator Van de Putte has been a respected member of the Senate for many years. She would have been a formidable opponent in the Democratic primary. I am grateful she will not be running for governor this year. I look forward to sitting down with her to discuss my candidacy because I believe I can be the kind of candidate she can support, both in the Democratic primary and the general election.

Senate Passes Another Renewable Energy Bill

by: Michael Hurta

Mon May 11, 2009 at 09:02 PM CDT

Last month, the Senate passed SB 545 (Fraser) to create a statewide rebate program for solar power. While that bill is best set up to fund solar on rooftops, Sen. Watson's bill is best set up to fund utility-scale solar, biomass and geothermal projects. By providing energy at peak demand during the day (solar) or round the clock (biomass and geothermal), these projects would complement wind energy, which generally maximizes capacity at night. Texas is already investing $5 billion on new transmission lines for wind projects, so these projects could be co-located underneath wind farms, doubling the return on our investment.

According to ERCOT  and the PUC, by displacing use of high-cost natural gas, renewable energy can significantly lower electric costs. With federal action expected on  global warming  and renewable energy , technologies like solar will become even more cost competitive.  An analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund found that SB 541 will provide a net savings of over $3 billion to Texas consumers by 2020 and reduce CO2 emissions by 20 million tons a year by 2020. According to a new poll commissioned by the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, 61%  of Texans favor requiring a certain amount of electricity be generated from solar power.

Both SB 541 and SB 545 could propel Texas to be a world leader in the development of solar, geothermal and biomass technologies, benefitting businesses across the state. In Pasadena, Texas, MEMC is the world's largest supplier of solar-grade  silicon. In Austin, Applied Materials (the world's largest manufacturer of the equipment that makes solar panels) has a facility that could be retooled for solar production. In Brownwood, Barr Fabrications produced steel braces for the nation's largest solar thermal power plant in Nevada.

Both these bills are clear policy wins for Democrats, or at least they will be if the House passes them and the governor signs them.  And although one of the two bills was authored by a Republican, we can call these clear Democratic wins because each bill received a handful of "Nay" votes; all from Republicans.

Hopefully the House will pick up these two bills and pass each of them.  Speaker Straus has shown sympathy to the causes of renewable energy, but the Republicans can only show their dedication to the cause if they pass the bills entirely.

Democrats will win on this, whether in the legislature now or in the elections in 2010.  The issue of renewable energy is an economic issue as well as an environmental one -- providing for more renewable energy will create jobs that will last generations.  And it's pretty obvious that job creation resonates with voters.

Kirk Watson: It's that time of the legislative session again...

by: Michael Hurta

Mon Apr 20, 2009 at 00:34 PM CDT

That is what Kirk Watson did today in his Watson Wire.  He tells an ambiguous story that shows a flaw in his abilities, and he realizes that people sometimes ask this question of him: "Oh, my. This guy is out there making laws I have to live under?"

And he comes to this appropriate conclusion:

The truth is, it's that time in the legislative session when lots of people are probably asking that sort of question about the folks who are making the laws, or trying to.

And another truth is, some folks seem to provide more reasons to ask that question than others.

Can anyone say Rick Perry?  David Dewhurst?  Todd Smith?  These are just a few possibilities...

Senator Kirk Watson: The Dark Rider (On Republicans Banning Stem Cell Research)

by: Phillip Martin

Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 08:22 PM CDT

Ed. note: The following text is a complete reprint of Senator Kirk Watson's (D - Austin) latest "Watson Wire." We have decided to reprint his piece in full -- which he put out a week ago -- because it is, quite simply, one of the most powerful things we've read in some time. Please read it in full. Thanks -- the entire BOR staff.

The Dark Rider

Monday, March 30, 2009

It may well be that one of the most important laws that gets made this session isn’t even a law.

It didn’t get a hearing.  It was never evaluated for its fiscal impact.  No one, for it or against it, ever got to testify on it or really even knew it was happening.

A whole lot of people, including me, are deeply opposed to it.  But depending on what happens today, it might not be possible to stop it without forcing a special session this summer, even if that’s possible.

I’m talking about the ban on embryonic stem cell research that’s now hidden away in the 2010-11 state budget.

If you missed it – and, unless you happened to be watching the right two minutes of the Senate Finance Committee meeting last Monday, you did – the committee voted 6-5 (with four members absent) to write into the budget what’s known as a rider.  This obscure provision says, “No funds appropriated under this Act shall be used in conjunction with or to support research which involves the destruction of a human embryo” (emphasis added).  Here’s some coverage of the decision, along with my statement from last week.

I’ve heard it said that a “strict” reading indicates that under this provision, public universities (where much of this work is taking place) would be prohibited from such basic things as paying the salaries of some researchers or the electricity bills for buildings where this research is taking place.  I’d call that a “common sense, real life” reading of English – I can’t see how you could argue anything else without ignoring the six words I highlighted.

The most remarkable thing, however, isn’t the action; it’s the way it happened.  There was no notice that this rider was up for a vote, the committee didn’t discuss it at all, and no one was given the opportunity to testify on it.

This for a provision that could dictate whether Texas will lead in the biomedical industries that rise from this research, attract researchers who will power the 21st Century economy, and play a role in developing cures to horrible diseases and afflictions.

And people wonder why I worry about budget openness and transparency . . .

Why this matters

There probably isn’t much doubt about how important this is to me.  I naturally support any ethical, humane form of research into cures for the cancer that killed both of my parents and dramatically impacted me, or the Type 1 diabetes that keeps my oldest son on what amounts to a life-support system (albeit one that gives him a healthy, productive, active life).

Embryonic stem cell research has the potential to treat, prevent and cure these and other diseases.  Scientists can work with these cells to study how organs develop and become damaged.  And they might find cures that will lead the body to re-create healthy cells and organs in the place of sickened ones.

To get the basics on stem cell research from folks who do it for a living, click here.

Even former President George W. Bush recognized the importance of this research when he set out rules allowing scientists to use existing lines of stem cells – theoretically allowing the work to continue while preventing new stem cell lines from being formed from fertilized embryos (which are most commonly found in the freezers of fertility clinics, where they’re stored until they’re discarded).

Of course, President Obama has reversed the limitations created by those rules, creating a huge opportunity for scientists around the country to expand research into these areas – developing cures and companies that will boost the economy and help the infirm.

Some states are already moving to invest in this vital new area.  But in Texas, apparently, some leaders want to go the other direction.

The stem cell rider would ban even the types of ongoing research that the Bush rules allowed.  It’s an attack on the folks working to help us, either by providing jobs that will get us out of this recession and allow Texas to remain competitive and prosperous in the 21st Century economy, or by finding cures that will save people in this state and around the world.

I wish that were the worst thing about the rider.

Everything that’s wrong about the budget

The truth is, there are two sides to this debate.  I understand the concerns of people who look at it differently than I do, and I respect them for their passion.

They have a perspective, and this is a democracy.  If we were to debate this issue the way we do everything else, they’d make their case, we’d make ours, the legislature would decide it, and the voters would decide whom to reward and to punish.

But that’s not how this is happening.

No, this is being shoved into the one bill that the legislature has to pass every two years – the budget.  And, again, it was done with no notice, no testimony, and no debate.  All we know is that the members have “been discussing this privately,” according to the committee chairman.  It isn’t even clear that the members completely understood the implications of the rider.

To hear the entire public discussion of whether or not to ban this research at Texas institutions, go to the Senate broadcast archives, click on Part II of the March 23rd Senate Finance Committee meeting, and fast-forward to the 41:28 mark.  It’s over by 43:30, and the speed and lack of consideration are stunning.

I’ve been talking all year about how the budget process is rigged, set up to avoid scrutiny and to enforce the will of the powerful.  Accounting is creative and self-serving.  Funds aren’t used in ways leaders promise and people demand.  Legislators grade their own papers.  And transparency tools lag behind technology in allowing people to know how their money is being spent.

Well, this is the ultimate demonstration of it.  A very important, very controversial issue that likely wouldn’t survive the legislative process slips into the budget in the darkest of ways.

People who feel as I do about embryonic stem cell research now have three hopes: that the Senate Finance Committee will reevaluate this mistake – either in substance or process – and remove the rider before voting the whole budget out of committee as early as today; that this provision will vanish as mysteriously as it appeared at some point during the budget process; or that the budget will somehow not pass and we’ll all come back this summer for a “special” session.

But no matter how you feel about this issue, the events of this week should trouble you.  One partisan majority should never use something like the state budget as a cloak to hide the passage of partisan legislation. 

It corrupts the system.

Power shifts, and majorities come and go.  But one truth should remain: It’s wrong to pass the most important laws in ways that people are the least likely to see.

Sen. Ogden Propose Budget Rider, Could Justifiably Derail Budget Process

by: Matt Glazer

Wed Mar 25, 2009 at 03:14 PM CDT

As the Senate finance committee went through the normal business of "discussing" riders to the budget, Ogden added one that would prevent state money from being used to pay for embryonic stem-cell or having any state money affiliated with stem-cell research.

Texans for the Advancement of Medical Research (TAMR) quickly responded to Ogden's ill conceived rider.

"The effect of that rider would be to forbid responsible medical research using embryonic stem cells derived from fertilized eggs destined to be discarded by IVF clinics. The rider would also ban embryonic stem cell research allowed by Pres Bush's executive order at public universities and other institutions in Texas," said TAMR President Joe Brown.

"This measure would undermine the hope embryonic stem cell research gives to so many families struggling with serious medical conditions," Brown said.  "It would also discourage researchers from locating to Texas and essentially force others already conducting embryonic stem cell research here either to stop or to leave the state."

Brown noted that the ban could even undermine the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute. Texas voters in November 2007 authorized the institute to issue $3 billion in general obligation bonds over ten years for cancer research and prevention.

"By placing a prohibition on what research can be conducted in state facilities or using state monies, Texas is placing the great potential of the newly formed Cancer Institute in jeopardy," Brown said. "Research on cancer and other serious diseases depends largely on the biological

TAMR and President Barack Obama both outlined why this research is essential.  Ogden's rider on the state budget bill by the Senate Finance Committee on Monday would undermine critical medical research into treatments for serious diseases such as cancer, Parkinson's disease and diabetes.

President Obama made a similar statement in last night's news conference.

What we have said is that for embryos that are typically about to be discarded, for us to be able to use those in order to find cures for Parkinson's or for Alzheimer's or, you know, all sorts of other debilitating diseases -- juvenile diabetes -- that it is the right thing to do.  And that's not just my opinion; that is the opinion of a number of people who are also against abortion.

The Senate Finance Committee voted 6-5 to add the rider to the budget  and the votes are still unclear.  In addition, the Senate Finance Committee has not yet voted on the full budget bill.

As Senator Kirk Watson explains the situation.

Given the lack of discussion, it's unclear whether the committee intended to institute such a sweeping ban.  But the wording of this action plainly forbids state money from being used "in conjunction with or to support" this vital pursuit.  That means it would effectively bar some of Texas' top researchers from the state's universities and laboratories, where most of this work in the state is currently taking place.

A study by Dr. Bernard Weinstein and Dr. Terry Clower, both of the University of North Texas, found that embryonic stem cell research "is a critical component of the life sciences and the study of diseases" in the state, which in turn are essential industries for the Texas economy.  Failing to keep pace with the world in this area, the study found, could cost Texas more than 100,000 jobs alone by 2014.

Patricia Kilday on the Burka Blog wrote this may simply derail the budget.

Steve Ogden may have lost support of Senate Democrats for SB 1 with his surprise rider prohibiting state funds to be used in stem cell research, or as the rider states:  "in conjunction with or to support research that involves the destruction of a human embryo."

The rider was added Monday with little debate, on a 6-5 vote, with several members absent from the committee.

Judith Zaffirini tells us that "there are some members so upset there has been discussion of blocking the appropriations bill if this rider remains in it."  

Zaffirini believes that such an important statement of public policy deserves a full hearing so the Legislature could hear from scientists whose research would be impacted.

While of course Paul Burka disagrees, it is hard to see Democrats and moderate Republicans looking to derail the recently approved Cancer Research Institute or destroy the life science research being done in Texas.  More importantly, how can any elected official look a person and the face and say their family with a serious diseases such as cancer, Parkinson's disease or diabetes is unimportant at the state legislature.

Kirk Watson stated his intentional simply.

This provision must be removed from the budget, and there will be opportunities to do so in coming months.  I will work with my colleagues to reverse this decision so we can debate this issue in the Senate, where it belongs.

Democrats and Republicans should work together in the Senate Finance Committee to remove this ill thought out rider or they should vote against the budget and work out their differences in a special session.  When people's lives are at stake, there is no reason to rush.  This is a rider that requires patients and diplomacy, but it also requires resolve and fortitude.  Ogden's rider may not have intended to create such sweeping changes, and in a session were the only thing either chamber must pass is a budget, why put it at risk for ideological reasons?

Kirk Watson Discusses the Need for Economic Stimulus Package

by: Matt Glazer

Wed Feb 25, 2009 at 01:41 PM CST

Monday, Watson released his latest Watson Wire discussing the need for Perry to show leadership and accept Texas' cut of the Recovery and Reinvestment Act and do so without hesitation or reservation. Texans have paid into the federal aid, and it is inappropriate not to give Texans who have been hit by this recession a helping hand.

The Governor can say he thinks it was a bad idea for the federal government to take extraordinary action to fortify the economy, protect jobs and get people back to work.  But he can't single-handedly stop the President, Congress, and so many Republican and Democratic governors, mayors, and other officials who know how much trouble our economy is in.

Yes, it would have been a huge mistake to reject this money at a time when Texas is facing a budget shortfall and so many Texans are hurting or worried about their jobs.

And certainly, it would have been wrong to turn our backs on needed resources for schools, kids' health programs, and other responses to the challenges that have left Texas at the unfortunate bottom of so many rankings.

But mostly, it would have been foolish to reject this funding because Texans would still have been responsible for paying off our share of it.

It's like that old joke about two brothers - a veterinarian and a taxidermist - who went into business together.  They put up one sign:

"Veterinarian & Taxidermist: Either Way, You Get your Dog Back."

Well, we're going to be paying for the stimulus, one way or another.  And if we're going to be responsible for paying off this package, we ought to make sure we responsibly get the benefit of it.

Of course Sen. Watson says it much more elegantly than I could.

In addition to laying out the need for the federal money, Watson also elaborates on how the money should be managed and used.  Not only does he talk about the economic recovery package, he also built an entire sub-page that outlines the breakdowns of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for Texas.

The video Watson Wire is below the fold.  The text version can be found here.

Sen. Kirk Watson on an Open, Honest Budget

by: Matt Glazer

Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 08:06 AM CST

Today Sen. Watson released his thoughts simply titled, "An Open, Honest Budget".

He speaks directly to the technical machinations over the last few years that have allowed for so many of the things we're concerned about in state government.

Usually the Watson Wire is released on Friday, but the Senator and his staff delayed the release because this weeks Watson Wire comes with an entire legislative package.

Today, I'll file a package of reforms designed to make the Texas budget more sensible, open and honest.  These bills are about making a positive change and putting the Legislature more in touch with Texans.

The bills will help citizens see how legislators are spending their money.  They'll also create checks and balances to ensure public funds are going toward things Texans want and expect the state to invest in.

My package would require the state to spend money in ways that legislative leaders have always promised - and it would block those leaders from diverting the same money into what amounts to a hedge fund.

It would create unprecedented public access to the budget-writing process so people can get answers to their own questions, not just those questions that budget writers choose to answer.

And it would help small businesses, kids and the economy by bolstering programs that everyday Texans need and support.

Watch the Watson Wire or read the full text on Sen. Watson's website.

On a side note, this also shows the need for embeddable video.   It is easier for us to promote and it makes it more likely people will watch it.