Todd talked about Debbie Riddle the other day, but the whole Terrorist Baby scare doesn't need any extra words. In fact, any summary would fail to do it any justice.
Just watch.
Republican Speaker Joe Strauss continues to show that he picked the right puppet to spearhead the Texas GOP's efforts to disenfranchise elderly, veteran, minority, and low-income Texans from voting. Todd Smith, the flip-flopping legislator who Chairs the Elections Committee, is set to push his Party's highly partisan voter suppression legislation in 2011 should Republicans control the House in 2011.
"It may not receive attention in the press because of competition from other issues, but in terms of the extent of the contention on the issue itself among the parties or the members, I don't see it as being dramatically different," Smith said.
Oh Smith, things are drastically different this cycle. The fact that Texas is in an $18 billion dollar budget hole, with no Federal stimulus dollars set to bail you out this time, you and Rick Perry have a lot more pressing issues and policies to address than highly partisan legislation meant to address phantom issues fabricated to increase and prolong the GOP majority in Texas.
I could see a number of things the legislature could address that is far more important than political power grabs.
Let's start with the budget, shall we? How do you plan to address the CONSERVATIVE estimates of an $18 billion dollar shortfall in our fiscal state budget?
Novel idea for you and Joe Strauss. How about convincing Rick Perry to dump $9,999 in taxpayer funded rent for his mansion, his personal chef's (yes plural), and wine magazines for a quaint $1 a month home? That's just for starters.
How about addressing the fact that Texans pay some of the highest utility costs in the nation?
How about addressing the fact that Texans pay some of the highest insurances rates in the nation?
Texas Republicans continue and demonstrate that their legislative priorities are nowhere near the priorities of mainstream Texans.
Politico, a Washington-based newspaper and website, has put State Rep. Rafael Anchia (D-Dallas) on their list of "Ones to Watch Outside the Beltway."
The Politico article suggests what many Texas Democrats have been thinking for several years: that Anchia could be an excellent candidate for statewide office. Anchia has said he will run for re-election in 2010, but expect him to be the near the top of potential statewide candidates come 2014.
Anchia is part of a group of Democratic state representatives, many elected in 2002 and 2004, who have the political skills to be serious statewide candidates down the road. While none of them (unfortunately) are likely to run in 2010, they will give Democrats a strong bench for 2014 and beyond.
Anchia has to be doing something right to be included on the list with two other people, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio and California Attorney General candidate Kamala Harris, who have previously received more national attention.
The true test of a politician is if they have the political Will to do what is right regardless of Party affiliation. In Todd Smith, it is confirmed, he lacks the political skin to be worthy of the honorable title of Texas State Representative. He is not capable of looking out for the interests of his constituents, let alone Texas. Time and again Smith proves that he will fold under intense political pressure.
As expected, and called out by the Matt Angle at the Lone Star Project, we at Burnt Orange Report, and Texas Democrats in general, Smith has folded like a house of cards on Voter Identification---giving in to harsh partisan demands from his Republican colleagues and melting like warm butter under a hot Texas sun. Smith will bring forward the nasty, partisan Senate version of Voter Suppression legislation that is modeled after the Indiana-style bill that erects the largest of walls possible in limiting the right of Texans to vote. Smith adds another point of failure to a pathetic career as a legislator.
We at Burnt Orange Report have chronicled the political demise of Todd Smith since I called him out in 2007 on his original Voter ID vote, claiming he did so because he was "Republican." Then, with a new speaker this session, Smith managed to climb himself out of the political doghouse, being passed up for other plum committee assignments to instead carry the partisan pale known as Voter Suppression as Election Committees Chair. Despite hearing time and again from his constituents this session, even when attempting to have secret Town Halls that he really didn't want his constituents to attend, House District 92 residents showed up in mass and told Smith to do something about their electric bills, escalating insurance rates, and make college education affordable again---just leave their sacred right to vote alone.
So the questions we all have on our minds right now is will the 81st legislative session end in a crisis in leadership as the 80th legislative session did under Tom Craddick? Will Speaker Straus get weak in the knees like Todd Smith and be railroaded by partisan hacks or do what is right for Texas? Stay tuned.
Republican Representative, Todd Smith (HD-92), Chair of the Elections Committee, which will soon hear Voter Suppession legislation, has probably now found himself under an intense spotlight that he may not want, or is ready for.
This past Friday Smith tried to orchestrate a Town Hall meeting at 7:30AM that was special invitation only--at least until word spread to the public that a Town Hall was to occur. Resident voters like my parents, who have lived in HD-92 for over 30 years, my grandmother, who has lived in HD-92 for over 50 years, and many more constituents received no notice they could meet and greet with their state representative. As you already know, though, Mid-Cities folks aren't strangers to Smith Town Halls.
The Mid-Cities Democrats, coupled with the Tarrant County Democratic Party, passed the word to not only constituents, but concerned Texans in whole, to talk with State Representative Todd Smith about problems over Voter Suppression legislation.
Minutes into the Town Hall some of the first comments and questions were on Voter Suppression legislation, which set the tone for the entire hour. Early speakers raised concern over voter fraud, but quickly the packed Old Bedford Schoolhouse spoke in one voice against Voter Suppression legislation.
Smith commented that constituents in his district "were concerned about voter fraud," but the vast majority of the audience felt that their were "far more important issues," such as escalating utility costs, high insurance rates, uninsured children, and just growing economic concerns that are of more importance than Todd's perceived "issue."
Today the board members of the Legislative Study Group (LSG) unanimously reelected Representative Garnet Coleman as Chair. In addition, LSG also unanimously elected Representative Valinda Bolton to the position of Vice Chair.
Rounding out the returning officers are Representative Elliott Naishtat as Treasurer, Representative Lon Burnam as the second Vice Chair, Representative Dora Olivo as Legal Counsel and Representative Rafael Anchía as Secretary. In addition Representative Marisa Marquez was appointed as the freshman Ex-Oficio representative to the board.
The LSG board also consists of Representatives Roberto Alonzo, David Farabee, Pete Gallego, Terri Hodge, Scott Hochberg, Eddie Rodriguez, Mike Villarreal, and Abel Herrero.
Congrats to the board and to both the officers of LSG.
This past Sunday Democratic State Representative, Rafael Anchia, of Dallas struck a delicate tone of praising new Republican Speaker Joe Straus on his committee assignments as far as rewarding Democrats some Chairmanships, but then sharpened his criticism when it came to committee assignments such as those for Elections. Anchia drew a very clear line in the sand when discussing Voter Identification legislation, which would originate through Elections, with WFAA's Brad Watson:[about 3:30 into the video link]
When I looked at the [committee] assignments on the Elections committee, the speaker didn't really follow through on bi-partisanship in that committee. He didn't even put a veneer of bi-partisanship. Most of the committee's you have a Democratic Chair with a Republican majority-he didn't do that here.
He put a Republican Chair in place and a Republican majority-including people who have voted for the worst kind of voter disenfranchisement Bill in the past.
So that's a place of concern. If you've got a grandparent at home who might be a Korean War veteran, and 85 years old without a driver's license they are going to be required to bring their voter registration card and their driver's license as well. I think that's going to disenfranchise a lot of people.
So if they want to move a partisan disenfranchisement Bill then they're going to have a fight on their hands.
Six state legislators joined environmental advocates Monday morning to forecast a sunny session for solar power. Public Citizen, Environment Texas and the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club hosted a statewide round of press conferences this week to roll out our solar report, Texas Solar Roadmap -- which can be downloaded at www.cleanenergyfortexas.org.
Texas Solar Roadmap highlights how a robust solar program would help put Texans back to work, reduce peak energy prices, curb climate change, improve air quality, and position the state as a world leader for solar production. The full report is a pretty good read, but if you're short on time I suggest the condensed version, Wildcatting the Sun.
Senators Troy Fraser (R-Abilene), Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio), Kirk Watson (D-Austin), Rodney Ellis (D-Houston), and Representatives Mark Strama (D-Austin) and Rafael Anchia (D-Dallas) all appeared to champion the solar bills they have introduced thus far.
Rafael Anchia's HB 278 and Florence Eliot Shapiro's SB 427 would require the state's electric utilities to support the development of 2000 megawatts of solar and other on-site renewable technologies by offering direct incentives to consumers and businesses.
This is right in line with Public Citizen's distributed solar goal, outlined in both Wildcatting the Sun and Texas Solar Roadmap. According to our report , such a standard could lead to installations on as many as 500,000 roofs in Texas by 2020 at a cost of about 98 cents per month per Texan (Polls have shown that 81% of Texas voters are willing to pay up to a dollar a month to encourage solar power. What about you?). This investment would create an estimated 22,000 jobs and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide emissions by 29 million tons, the equivalent of taking 4.3 million cars off the road for a year.
Anchia stressed that this should be Texas' solar session because it would answer two of our major challenges: air quality, and global warming. Senator Fraser was the first legislator to speak, proclaiming that this would be Texas' solar session. Chairman of the Business and Commerce Committee, Fraser is well positioned to be an effective solar champion...
A priceless exchange occurred between Harper-Brown cohort Jodie Laubenberg of Rockwall and Dallas Dem Rafael Anchia. Laubenberg proposed to enforce a three-month waiting period before expectant mothers could begin receiving prenatal and perinatal care under CHIP. Anchia pointed out that the eligibility change would kick nearly 100,000 children out of the CHIP program. "That is absolutely untrue!" Laubenberg shot back, proving her point by waving a sheet of paper. Then again, "That is absolutely untrue!"
"You know," Anchia replied, "I can hear you yelling, but just because you yelled, it doesn't make it true." Anchía pointed out the consequences of denying health care to the unborn. "You do know, don't you, that these are U.S. citizens?"
"But they're not born yet," Laubenberg, a "family values" conservative, retorted. Dukes, standing behind Anchia at the back mic, whipped her head around in a shocked double take. Anchia, smelling blood, observed, "You have an anti-life amendment," which set Laubenberg off on a loud tirade in which she claimed to be the most pro-life member of the House.
Capitol Annex snagged a video of the very-funny-if-these-weren't-actually-the-people-governing-our-state exchange last year, which we're reposting below.
