More than two years after he began video blogging, State Rep. Richard Raymond (D-Laredo) has continued the practice, logging an entry every week or two at RichardRaymond.com.
On February 12, when the committees were announced, Raymond posted a video that began by explaining the House committee assignment system (very helpful to constituents who may be unfamiliar with it) and then announced that he had been named Vice-Chair.
Raymond will be a stronger Democratic voice on budget issues than we have had in the past as Vice-Chair of Appropriations. Last month, he filed legislation that called for yearly legislative budget sessions, from KRLD:
Representative Richard Raymond says no other government or business in Texas passes a two year budget and it’s time the state stops doing it too. “I think that what we’re about to go through is going to allow me to make the case for annual budget sessions.” Raymond’s plan would mean a 60 day legislative session in even years just to do the budget and nothing else. He says budgeting yearly will make it easier to deal with revenue shortages like the state is currently facing.
More House members should consider taking up video blogging. Besides being a good resource for bloggers, video blogging is also a great way to use technology to reach out constituents and explain issues that are more complicated than a single soundbite.
If Phillip's predictions are correct, House Democrats will have the opportunity to unite to elect one of their own as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
While many names have been thrown around, a House Democratic staffer has told me their boss has received calls from five Democrats about the Speaker's race: Scott Hochberg, Alan Ritter, Pete Gallego, Richard Raymond and Senfronia Thompson.
The staffer also dismissed Sylvester Turner's speaker candidacy as a "decoy for Craddick" and said Turner had not been making calls to many other members.
A call to the Texas Ethics Commission confirmed that as of October 24 the only Democrats to have filed for speaker are Thompson and Turner.
I'm off to canvass for Obama here in Colorado. Good luck to everyone GOTVing in Texas.
State Representative Richard Raymond held a fundraiser Wednesday night in Laredo where over 400 local elected officials, community leaders, activists and voters crowded into the Monte Carlo ballroom.
The majorities of both school boards, the city council, the county commission and other local electeds were all front and center.
Looks like Richard was going to bring in close to $200k. He actually mentioned to me that, save one person, he had personally spoke to and invited every person in the building. Impressive work.
Representative Richard Raymond (D - Laredo) announced the launching of a bilingual video blog on his Website, in a continuing effort to provide Texans with the latest news and valuable insight into the political activities at the state-wide level.
From the Office of Representative Raymond:
"Technology has given us an opportunity to keep our constituents more fully informed on the important issues facing our state. With this new tool I hope to bring more insight into the legislative process, and make it easier to stay informed even if you are hundreds of miles away from the Capitol," Rep. Raymond said.
Rep. Raymond noted that the video reports can also be used as a way to involve more young people in the legislative process, since they are increasingly interested in getting their information from the internet. The website and blogs will feature the latest news from the Capitol, and they will include Rep. Raymond's personal observations about the bills and resolutions making their way through the legislative process.
"These reports will not only be about legislation, I also intend to address questions and concerns that are emailed to me. These video reports are going to be an open window into the legislative and political process at the Texas State Capitol," Rep. Raymond said.
The "Capitol Report" will be reported once or twice a week or more often and can be viewed at www.RichardRaymond.com.
The Speaker's race is over. What was once an improbable dream turned possible returned to sand. There were a few that stood up and said into the blackness that is Speaker Craddick "I stand against your corruption and ruined soul."The following Democrats voted "No" against the sole nominee for Speaker. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio Garnet Coleman, D-Houston Yvonne Davis, D-Dallas Jim Dunnam, D-Waco Craig Eiland, D-Galveston Juan Escobar, D-Kingsville Joe Farias, D-San Antonio Jessica Farrar, D-Houston Pete Gallego, D-Alpine Juan M. Garcia, D-Corpus Christi Ana Hernandez, D-Houston Abel Herrero, D-Corpus Christi Terri Hodge, D-Dallas David Leibowitz, D-San Antonio Barbara Mallory Caraway, D-Dallas Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio Borris Miles, D-Houston Paul Moreno, D-El Paso Rick Noriega, D-Houston Dora Olivo, D-Rosenberg Solomon Ortiz Jr., D-Corpus Christi Richard Raymond, D-Laredo Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth
Are the relegated to some obscure committee? Probably but who cares? They know that they will be retaliated against and it just doesn't matter. They care more about the right thing to do.
There is one that deserves a little more notice.
Before the final vote for Speaker, Rep. Richard Raymond stood at the front mic in opposition and said the following:(click on There's More for the speech)
(Bumped for Monday. Rep. Lucio (D) had decided to pledge to Craddick for some reason. Reps. Geren AND Kuempel made their support of Pitts official. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Momentum against Speaker Tom Craddick has continued throughout the weekend as two House Democrats, Rep. Richard Raymond and Rep. Chuck Hopson, rescinded their pledges to Craddick and pledged to Jim Pitts. From Rep. Raymond's press release:
In a direct and strongly worded letter delivered today, Representative Richard Raymond (D-Laredo) informed Tom Craddick that he is withdrawing his support for a third term as Speaker due to his belief that the Craddick is unwilling to return ethical and even-handed leadership to the House. Raymond wrote, "Having thoughtfully discussed this race with over two dozen of my Republican colleagues, I now know you would lose a secret ballot race by an overwhelming margin, and, frankly, I now expect you to lose regardless of how we cast our votes."
Rep. Chuck Hopson rescinded his pledge to Craddick for similar reasons. Via Quorum Report:
"We have been told that Speaker Craddick would be more open and balanced next session, but his actions clearly speak louder than his words.
More and more momentum against Craddick as we get closer to Tuesday's vote.
Races for Speaker of the Texas House ostensibly are a "members only" affair. Ask a legislator what's happening and you'll get stiff-armed immediately. You'll get a polite brush off that "It's an internal deal."
However, it's the most important vote that a member ever casts and sets in motion how everything else is going to play out throughout the session and beyond.
And while a Member might claim this is a discussion among 150 legislators, the weapon that's used by the candidates or their team members has everything to do with insinuations about what lobbyists and special interests will be there for them in the next election and whether you'll get a primary opponent in the next cycle. We're already hearing the Craddick folks and the media talking about which Republican members will draw Leninger/Perry/Lobby fueled opponents if they vote for McCall but Craddick actually pulls it out.
But for the readers of this blog, the real red meat of the Speaker's race politics is what happens to the Democrats who don't stick with the Democratic Caucus on this one.
Thankfully, the Craddick Demo number is fast dwindling, but there seems to be some who'll stick with Craddick to the end.
Most are minority members who are in safe November General election districts. If they are going to be beat, it would have to be in a primary. The few Anglo Craddick supporters are in Republican leaning districts who think they're popular enough to win a primary challenge and will, by default, get solid Democratic support in the fall against a Republican. (Chuck Hopson and Patrick Rose). The other two Anglo Demos on the list are in "minority majority" or high minority impact districts and are even on more precarious ground (Tracy King and Kevin Bailey).
Perhaps the one with the most to lose career-wise is Patrick Rose. Although he's in a Republican leaning district and has to be moderate in his votes in the District, you can smell his ambition for statewide office in the future. To abandon the Democrats on this vote will probably be a fatal blow to his making it through a Democratic Primary for statewide office in the future. Primaries are notoriously progressive and this kind of back stab of the Party will be remembered.
One source tells BOR that Democratic leaders and activists have already began the discussions for opponents to Robert Puente and Ruth Jones McClendon in San Antonio, Sylvester Turner and Kevin Bailey in Houston, and Norma Chavez in El Paso.
Travis County politicos are burning up the holiday Party political gossip mill. They're all talking about perhaps the most endangered of the Craddick D's: Dawnna Dukes of HD 46 in Austin. What she gets for toading for Craddick hasn't been figured out. It's got most Travis County Democrats scratching their heads. Besides, Dukes has gained a reputation in recent years of being AWOL from representing her district. Representing a Travis County district is almost a full time job, and Dukes is rarely seen or heard from in political circles. Activists expect the Dems in Travis County's delegation to be not only at the Capitol, but at every neighborhood cookout and PTA meeting, and especially at Democratic events. Dukes hasn't been seen in a while. (And don't even bring up the anger from her French vacation that left the Democrats one vote short on a critical public education vote during the special session!)
HD 46 is what has been thought of as the traditional "African American" district in Austin. However this isn't like the other minority districts in Texas. African Americans aren't even a majority in the district. In fact the district is only voting age population of 26.1% African American, 32.6 % Anglo, and 37.9% Hispanic. The winner in a primary race here depends on progressive/liberal voters more so than the usual ethnic alliances.
Moreover, Dukes hasn't had a serious challenger in several cycles. Her worst enemy in pure political terms is the swing in voter turnout in the district. In 2006, the primary vote was only 2311 in the rep race. In 2004, turnout was 9662. The difference? A presidential primary. (District 46 contains a whole lot of young folks, UT students, and typical Austin slackers who turn out only for the presidential type races.) And you can bet that in 2008 with a heated prez race, the turnout in the campus and liberal precincts will soar. And that's the problem for Dukes. None of those "new" voters will have heard of her, and what they'll hear from a challenger will be that she's a Republican sell-out. These energized voters will vote against anything or anyone remotely "establishment" at the Lege.
And lastly, Dukes has no organization in Austin. Like most incumbents in safe liberal districts, she's not built any campaign apparatus. She has relied on the liberal political consultants that can influence the outcome of these races before filing day ink is dry. Rumors on the street are that those movers and shakers are doing the most talking about finding the opponent for her if she flubs this one. And even if they don't get out front for an opponent, none will want to take on the job of trying to sell that product. Dukes will be on her own.
And on top of it all for Dukes, a PAC has already been filed called "Too Close To Craddick PAC" whose purpose is to support challengers to Democrats who side with the Speaker. It's Austin based, and you can bet those behind it are looking locally before going statewide.
So watch the fallout. For the first time in history, the votes in a Speaker's race may be cast by members only, but those Democrats who piss on their constituents might have a rude and rank awakening in 2008.
The United States Supreme Court ruled that the mid-decade Texas Republican plan to redistrict congressional boundaries "rode roughshod" over the rights of Hispanics in South Texas, and it must be remedied, State Rep. Richard Raymond (D-Laredo) said today.
The Court's ruling means Laredo will once again be unified in one congressional district and that other districts must be changed to accommodate the Court's ruling.
Raymond, who led the opposition to the plan in the Legislature, was the only state legislator who was a plaintiff in the lawsuit that challenged the redistricting plan engineered by former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
"I felt very strongly about this. The Court proved we were right to argue that Laredo and Hispanics in Texas were unfairly targeted," Raymond said. "This means that adjusting the districts to make them valid will affect several other districts, and that will make those districts more representative of the people of Texas."
The Court ruled specifically that splitting up Laredo and Webb County into Districts 23 and 28 was a violation of the Voting Rights Act, and that the adjoining District 25, represented by Congressman Lloyd Doggett of Austin, was also not in compliance. The Court said that the district court must now make changes that will make the districts lawful.
"From the very beginning, common sense told us that Laredo is one community of interest, and the only reason it was split up was to give the Republicans an unfair advantage so that they could elect another Republican to Congress from Texas -- at the expense of Hispanics, Laredo and South Texas," Raymond said.
So we've hit Election Day, and it's time to sum up our BOR endorsements. We already have Barbara Radnofsky for Senate and Ted Ankrum for CD-10.
The following are written after consulting the full BOR writing crew. Among those that responded, the general feeling was divided, but hardly out of strong opinions (different in each case). So weighing those, here are the remaining Burnt Orange Endorsements.
Marked by a lack of campaign news a notch above Gene Kelly and a level of caring among activists about as high, our endorsement of Ben Grant is hardly one of a hard-line nature. A teacher, Grant has served the state in public service as a State Rep for 10 years, six of those as Chair of the House Judiciary Cmte., District 71 Court Judge, and 17 years as a Judge of the Sixth Court of Appeals. A member of the Dirty 30 Reform group, Grant can add to the ethics message for November's election. He's also been endorsed by the Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and other state papers.
Simply put, Grant can stand up to Dewhurst in experience as a candidate, having already served the state, bringing a certain level of credibility and fundraising ability to the race, something lacking in his opponent Maria Alvarado, the remaining candidate of a pair of Alvarado's, one of which never made it on the ballot. While some feel that we should toss away the Lt. Gov position in order to aid Bell in the governor's race with a Hispanic candidate to aid turnout, we disagree with the notion. Alvarado, while a fine woman with a noble calling to service, cannot match Grant or Dewhurst in background or experience and with little to no money will have a marginal effect on any race. It will only be seen by the media and most Texans as feeding the narrative that Democrats "gave up" this year in state elections as viewed by our slate of nominees.
While opinions were more available for this race, many are supportive of the quality of both candidates and cautious to endorse at all, prepared to support either nominee 100% in November. That being taken into account, BOR endorses Valinda Bolton in today's primary over Jason Earle.
Surprising most by becoming the lead vote-getter in March, Bolton made wise use of her more limited funds (1/3 that of Earle) with volunteers, the Statesman and Chronicle endorsements, and TV to get her this far. Having also been endorsed by the Sierra Club and Annie's List (among many others), Valinda has brought the type of ground game to this race which will be needed heading into November to upset either Alex Castano or more likely Bill Welch, avidly anti-choice Republicans in an area similar to Donna Howard's more pro-choice district.
District 47 has also proven to be more favorable electorally to Democratic women, an advantage she can easily press this fall. Her background with Domestic Violence solutions and programs, adds a needed perspective to a House chamber that must realize that funding our social services and health care system are related to healthy and safe families, which make for a more economically viable Texas.
Current Representative Raymond missed winning his primary against 3 opponents outright by less than .2% of the vote. We see no reason at this time to encourage anyone to replace him in representing his South Texas district. In 2 years, he may run against Cuellar (as he almost did this year) and for that alone 2 more years in the Texas House on his resume would be worth it. He has our full endorsement.
Borris Miles finished 2nd to Blogosphere favorite (in a bad way) Rep. Al Edwards, most widely known for his sponsorship of the "Sexy Cheerleader" bill last session. Often named 'furniture' by Texas Monthly and a water carrier at times for Speaker Craddick, it's hard for any of us not to support his ouster, even if it means Pink Dome loses half their traffic. Borris Miles is a fully competent candidate with the backing of local blogger Greg Wythe who has supported him from the beginning. If you live in Houston, this is the race for you. Let's clean up our caucus if we can.
So we've hit Election Day, and it's time to sum up our BOR endorsements. We already have 