A Look at Incumbent House Democratic Fundraising

by: David Mauro

Sat Jul 18, 2009 at 01:48 PM CDT

With the recent release of campaign finance reports, it is a good time to take a look at how some of the incumbent House Democrats likely to be targeted by the Republicans faired in fundraising. 

There are many months ahead, but here is the current financial outlook for 10 incumbent House Democrats likely to face comeptitive races next year.

House District 2 

Mark Homer raised $4,699 and ended the reporting period with $5,982 on hand. His campaign spent $20,676 during that time.

House District 11

Chuck Hopson raised only $5,750 but has an impressive $66,563 on hand, with expenditures of slightly over $22,900 for the reporting period. 

House District 47

Valinda Bolton reported raising $14,800 and ended with $23,532 on hand. Two years ago at this time, Bolton had $13,704 on hand, so the two-term incumbent has almost $10k more than she did at this same point last election cycle.

House District 52

Diana Maldonado raised $18,950 and ended the reporting period with $35,817 in the bank. The Williamson County Democrat and TexBlog PAC endorsed candidate spent a little over $18,000 during that time.

House District 78 

Joe Moody of El Paso reported raising $16,950 to end the reporting period with $27,955.82 on hand. Moody, a TexBlog PAC endorsed candidate, won by just over 3200 votes in 2008.

House District 96 

Chris Turner reported raising $45,251.24 and had slightly over $102,000 on hand.  Great to see huge numbers from a TexBlog PAC endorsed candidate.

House District 101

Robert Miklos, a freshman House member from Mesquite and another TexBlog PAC endorsed candidate, raised $18,340 and has $20,656 on hand. 

House District 102 

Carol Kent, who defeated incumbent Tony Goolsby in 2008, raised $32,170 and ended the filing period with just over $51,000 on hand. 

House District 107

Although he raised only $1,157 during the reporting period and spent more than $60,000, incumbent Democrat Allen Vaught has more than $86,000 currently on hand. 

House District 133 

Kristi Thibaut, who defeated Republican incumbent Jim Murphy by 497 votes in 2008, has $45,655 on hand. At this point two years ago, as she prepared for a rematch with Murphy after losing in 2006, Thibaut only had $6,851 on hand. 

Statesman Allows David Dewhurst to Write 1/3 of a Front Page Story

by: Phillip Martin

Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 06:00 AM CDT

Key Question: Just two days after publishing an accurately critical quote by Republican Senator Jeff Wentworth about Republican Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, why did the Statesman publish an entire fluff piece on Dewhurst on the front page of its paper that not only ignored the original story, but was co-written by Dewhurst himself?

Is this what a wink and a nod between failed elected officials and yellow newspaper editors looks like in the 21st century?

• Monday, June 29: The Statesman reports that Republican Senator Jeff Wentworth says that the Senate is "not going to put up with" Dewhurst trampling the will of the Senate for his own partisan favors for Governor Rick Perry any longer.
  
  
• Wednesday, July 1: David Dewhurst co-writes 1/3 of a front page story for the Austin American-Statesman, where he is the only one quoted and the original Monday story is completely ignored

Don't believe me? Let's look at some facts:

• 804 words are in the story, total
  
• 270 words are direct quotes of David Dewhurst
• 0 words are quotes from anyone other than Dewhurst
• 0 words challenge anything Dewhurst says

Dewhurst claims the session was a huge success -- and there is not a single word to challenge that. Not one.

Really, Statesman?

No one who works for the Statesman thought that it might be responsible journalism to follow up with Dewhurst about the fact that a leading Republican State Senator from Central Texas, -- the area the Statesman covers -- declared, "We're not going to put up with this any longer" about Dewhurst? Dewhurst was the sole subject of the entire article -- and you couldn't ask him one question about the remarks you'd reported only two days before?

Really?

Am I, as a reader of your publication, supposed to somehow forget this other piece of news you published, titled: ‘We’re not going to put up with this any longer,’ Wentworth says

[Republican State Senator Jeff Wentworth] added, “We’re not going to put up with this any longer. There are a number of senators that I’ve already spoken to that agree with me. It only takes 16 senators to adopt rules.”

Wentworth said Dewhurst told him that Gov. Rick Perry talked to him 20 times about stopping the legislation. And he said former Sen. Ken Armbrister, who works for Perry, “cajoled and threatened” six senators into opposing the measure, giving Dewhurst the cover he needed to not bring up the bill. (Asked about all this, Dewhurst spokesman Rich Parsons said only that the bill did not have the votes necessary to be called up).

Wentworth said there is an unwritten understanding between senators and the lieutenant governor that if 21 senators are willing to debate a bill, Dewhurst will recognize the appropriate senator to bring it up.

“The lieutenant governor should not abuse that power that we give him,” Wentworth said. “He should not have given his word to Perry that he would kill that bill.”

Pretty heavy accusations from one of Central Texas' State Senators. But was there any follow-up about that in the front page story on Wednesday? Nope. Instead, David Dewhurst got an 804-word direct mail piece sent to the door of thousands upon thousands of Texans, bought and paid for by the Austin American-Statesman.

And it's not like Senator Wentworth's critiques of Dewhurst were without company. A few weeks before, Harvey Kronberg -- owner of Quorum Report and writing a piece of political commentary for News 8 Austin -- took Dewhurst to task:

His denials notwithstanding, most in the Capitol now believe that Dewhurst conspired with Sen. Tommy Williams to trick the other senators on the first day of the session. Williams surprised his colleagues by proposing a new rule mandating the Senate take up voter ID, a bill that Democrats otherwise had the votes to block.

The Williams play ultimately led to a session-killing filibuster in the House, by a handful of Democrats. But if Dewhurst was blindsided by Williams as he said, why did he reward him with one of the most important chairmanships at his disposal – Senate Administration?

Perhaps it was because of his upcoming wedding in June and the preparations were distracting. But Dewhurst's erraticism, lack of concentration and inability to keep a schedule were the talk of almost every senator. He was rarely in the chair. By most reports, he was inconsistent and dismissive in his dealings with Speaker Joe Straus.

Rick Casey of the Houston Chronicle had noted some of Dewhursts' failures, as well, in a piece that ran at the end of session correctly identifying Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst as failing a test of character in playing his part in letting CHIP legislation die:

Dewhurst told reporters Wednesday afternoon that he was “looking for a vehicle” for CHIP expansion, he received some help.

Journalist Harvey Kronberg, whose online “Quorum Report” is must reading in the capital, quickly posted an item pointing out, as he had earlier in the day, that Coleman’s bill was available in the Finance Committee.

Thursday afternoon Dewhurst said Coleman’s criticism was “premature.” Dewhurst said Thursday evening the bill could be revived, but he was exaggerating.

Was it a deliberate charade or callous stupidity?

Does it matter, since Gov. Rick Perry appeared ready to veto the bill anyway?

Yes, it matters. It was a test of either character or competence. Dewhurst and Ogden flunked.

Sounds like a lot of controversy surrounding Dewhurst's role in the last session, doesn't it?

Yet does Mike Ward or the editors at the Statesman bring any of that into context? Not even a little. Instead, this talking point from Dewhurst is published unchallenged on the front page of the Austin American-Statesman:

As for the regular session, Dewhurst insisted that despite a last-minute partisan fight in the House that killed hundreds of bills and left the legislative process in chaos at the end, it was successful for the upper chamber.

"For the Senate and myself, this was almost a textbook perfect session," he said. "We addressed all of our important legislation early, got it passed — even though some Democrats filibustered and killed 200-plus of our Senate bills."

• 804 words are in the story, total
  
• 270 words are direct quotes of David Dewhurst
• 0 words are quotes from anyone other than Dewhurst
• 0 words challenge anything Dewhurst says

Oh, and by the way -- this just puts the icing on the cake.

Statesman writer Mike Ward, following the fluff piece that ran Wednesday morning, followed it up with not one, but two blog posts about Dewhurst's wedding the previous weekend. Even Ward, thinking it was cute and recognizing his fan-boy obsession with Dewhurst, closes his final love letter to The Dew with the following:

You asked Statesman.com for more details. We asked Dewhurst.

“What are you, TMZ?” quipped a staffer standing nearby.

Don't flatter yourself, Mike. TMZ would be a welcome change of professionalism.

Gov. Rick Perry Calls Special Session to Start July 1

by: Karl-Thomas Musselman

Thu Jun 25, 2009 at 00:30 PM CDT

From the Star-Telegram's PoliTex blog...

The session has only three allowed topics, the main one being allowing the continued existence of the five state agencies in danger of shutting down because of critical legislation that wasn't passed during the regular session. The other two topics relate to allowing TXDOT to continue using different types of financing to keep funding road projects.

While the session is valid for 30 days, if work finishes the session could last a week or even days, depending on how fast legislators want to get back to July 4th plans.

This is Perry's 8th called special session since being in office.  

A Session of Missed Opportunities

by: Phillip Martin

Tue Jun 02, 2009 at 03:30 PM CDT

“Texans demanded results, and the Republican leadership was unwilling or unable to deliver. Our citizens deserve better than this.”

The quote above comes from the statement released from Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Senate Democratic Caucus Chair, and Representative Jim Dunnam, House Democratic Leader. You can read the rest of their statement below the fold -- I wanted, instead, to take a look at exactly what did -- and did not happen -- during what is being referred to as the Session of Missed Opportunities.

For the look at the actual policies involved, I'm going to use the Legislative Study Group's report (link here).

Missed opportunities in the 81st Legislature:

CHIP - Bipartisan legislation that would have created a buy-in program for children from working families died because of political gamesmanship on both sides of the rotunda.  This valuable legislation is a priority for Texans and it would have provided health insurance to 80,000 Texas children. 

Unemployment Insurance - Over $500 million in federal dollars were left on the table that would have provided a safety net for unemployed Texans in these tough economic times.  The result will be an increase in taxes on Texas businesses - a poor policy decision during a recession. 

Tuition relief - Since deregulation in 2003, tuition rates at Texas universities have skyrocketed.  Middle income families bear the brunt of these costs, as they are forced to take out private student loans, graduating thousands of students into the workforce burdened by mountains of debt.  Positive steps were taken to expand TEXAS Grants, but no cap was placed on tuition rates. 

Eliminating the Trans Texas Corridor - Since the passage of legislation creating the Trans Texas Corridor in 2003, the detrimental effects of this poor public policy have become clear to millions of Texans.  However, the Legislature failed to pass meaningful changes in state transportation policy this session. 

Insurance Reform (TDI Sunset) - Voters favor meaningful insurance reform in Texas to lower the highest homeowner's premiums in the country, but the Legislature failed to act.   

Utility Rates - While small steps were taken this session to reform and lower utility rates, large scale, meaningful legislation fell victim to the process and was never addressed.  This is especially disappointing as Texas heads into the hot summer months. 

Medicaid Reforms (12 Month Applications) - Annual Medicaid applications would have simplified the process for Texas families and would have given a quarter million children the opportunity to see a doctor. 

Health care. The economy. Higher education. Transportation. Homeowners insurance. Utility rates. Medicaid reforms. All issues of supreme importance, and all are areas where the Republican Governor and Republican-controlled Legislature failed to show any leadership, choosing instead to be co-opted by the hardcore conservatives in the Republican Party. 

Yet, thanks to hard fights and strong leadership from Democrats -- action taken while still in the minority party -- there were some impressive accomplishments we can hang our hats on. The LSG spells out the following achievements:

Accomplishments of the 81st Legislature

Tier One Universities and Top Ten Percent - Much was made this session of the Top Ten Percent law, and the perceived strain on the University of Texas at Austin.  Top Ten Percent has resulted in greater diversity at Texas' institutions of higher education, along with students that have higher GPAs and graduate at higher rates than their peers.  The problem is not with the Top Ten Percent law - it is with the lack of slots for excellence in Texas universities. 

To that end, the Legislature passed a compromise to tweak to the Top Ten Percent law only at UT-Austin, along with groundbreaking legislation that would pave the way for seven new top tier universities in Texas.  HB 51 and SJR 14 are excellent bills that will keep Texas competitive on the national and global scale.

Expanded TEXAS Grants - With leadership from Representatives Villarreal and Hochberg and the Appropriations subcommittee on Education, the TEXAS Grants program will receive an infusion of much needed funds.  More work is left to be done, but this was an important step in providing tuition relief to qualifying families. 

School Finance Reform - Guided by Rep. Hochberg, the Legislature was able to use federal stimulus dollars to pass the best possible school finance legislation that could be fashioned with limited funding, making changes that will improve the way schools in Texas are funded and provide Texas teachers with a minimum $800 pay raise.  

TWIA - While not perfect, the Legislature was able to pass legislation at the 11th hour that will ensure the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association has enough funding (through bonds and other mechanisms) so that residents in 14 Gulf Coast counties will have protection heading into hurricane season. 

Hurricane Relief - Important legislation passed due to the work of Speaker Pro Tem Craig Eiland, Speaker Pro Tem Sylvester Turner, and members of the Hurricane Ike committee, to help ensure that Galveston is rebuilt and restored to its former glory. 

Budget - The 81st Legislature faced a $9.1 billion shortfall coming in to session and a Rainy Day Fund projected to contain $9 billion in the upcoming biennium. On February 17, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) passed through the federal government and sent $15.2 billion to Texas for relief, education, and economic development. With the help of the ARRA, that state ended up with a $182.3 billion budget that had no major cuts for state agencies, increased funding to many health and human services and education programs, and according to Sen. Ogden and Rep. Pitts  "has a little something for everyone".

SB 1 increased funding for Texas GRANTS, community mental health centers, CPS workers, and business incentives to attract filmmakers and environmentally friendly business to Texas. It provided funds for textbooks for public schools, correctional officer pay raises, $2 billion in bonds for roads and highways, and a one-time $500 payment to retired teachers and state employees. All of this was able to be funded without using the Rainy Day Fund, which will continue to be available to aid future shortfalls in the state. 

Small Business Tax Relief - HB 4765 will provide immediate tax relief for small businesses in Texas. This bill will exempt businesses that earn revenue up to $1 million a year from paying the margins tax until December 31, 2011. Currently, businesses that earn up to $300,000 are exempt from the margins tax.  Although this bill will reduce revenue going into the Property Tax Relief Fund and will therefore require additional expenditures for that purpose from General Revenue, this important cut will provide a stimulus to many small Texas businesses. 

Voter Photo ID - The House of Representatives killed this legislation, which would have resulted in the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of low income, minority, elderly and disabled Texas voters.  Protecting voting rights in paramount in a democracy, and the death of this legislation was crucial.  

School Accountability - Given the public outcry and opposition to "teaching to the test," there was hope that the new accountability bill would make changes to turn away from a high stakes "test and punish" system and enact reforms that would use multiple assessment measures, focus on the diverse needs of students, and assist schools with high concentrations of at risk kids.  The House attempted to address these issues, but changes made in the Senate and the Conference Committee led to passage of a complex 187 page bill that includes some good elements, but still relies heavily on testing and punishment.  The final version of HB3 eliminates only third grade test in the elementary grades and replaces the high school TAKS exams with 12 standardized end-of-course exams, with a requirement that students pass the English III and Algebra II exams to graduate. Given the opportunity to forge a new path in student accountability, the leadership, at the urging of the Governor, decided to stay the course.

Imagine how much more we would accomplish with a constructive Democrat in charge of the House and behind the Governor's desk.

Be It Resolved: Sovereignty Now and Always

by: Elsbeth

Sat May 30, 2009 at 11:41 PM CDT

If this makes no sense, you're absolutely right. The six or seven diaries posted right now want us to go to a casino and/or buy cheap pills. Great ideas. I'm going to go to as many casinos as I possibly can. I'm feelin' extremely lucky with my newly-found sense of sovereignty. It feels good. Let freedom ring!

Gov. Rick Perry Suggesting a Special Session... on Windstorm Insurance

by: Karl-Thomas Musselman

Wed May 20, 2009 at 05:36 PM CDT

Gov. Rick Perry told legislators this afternoon he could call a special session immediately after the regular session ends June 1 to work on a plan patching up the fund that provides windstorm insurance coverage to property-owners in 14 coastal counties and a sliver of Harris County.

Though Perry's office didn't confirm Perry's remarks, Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, said the prospect of an immediate special session was one thrust of Perry's remarks to members of the House and Senate...

Here's some advice to Gov. Perry and the legislature. If you feel that fixing the issues related to windstorm insurance are so important (and brought into clearer need because of Hurricanes last season), then why are you having the legislature waste it's time killing time and bills with debate over bills that solve any actual existing problems from Voter ID and Guns on Campus?

After all, the Voter ID bill that no one wants, is now being faced with threats from House Democrats that it could inspire the return of a quorum bust.

Asked to specify what he meant by "protect," Dunnam didn't elaborate, though there's speculation that members dead-set against the ID proposal could leave the House chamber when it comes up, potentially depriving the 150-member body of the quorum needed to take action. Such a move could prove riotous and endanger other Senate measures, which under House rules must be considered by the House by the end of the day Tuesday to survive.

Come on Rick Perry- lead. Or don't. And this session, for all the praise of change with a new speaker, will be just as much a failure of leadership as it was under Craddick.

Time to prioritize.

Update: Looks like legislators' desire to get the hell out of town and not come back to a special session is strong. From Quorum Report...

Hot on the heels of a gubernatorial promise to call a special session if lawmakers can't pass a windstorm bill this session, the House Insurance Committee passed out a much worked over compromise version of legislation propping up the state's windstorm insurer of last resort.

Coastal and inland interests both said today that they could find many things in the bill that need modification but they agreed that the process needs to move forward. The windstorm bill must somehow find a place on the House Calendar sometime before the Tuesday deadline for Senate bills at the same time that the remaining big pieces of legislation are all getting pushed further and further back toward the weekend.

Let's which bill shoves the others to the back of the line now...

TPJ: 10 Former Lawmakers Cash in as Lobbyists

by: Matt Glazer

Wed May 20, 2009 at 03:23 PM CDT

Texans for Public Justice has looked at 10 formerly elected officials including 8 Republicans and 2 Democrats. All 10 of these former State Representatives were serving in the House just this last session and now have gone through the revolving door to get huge payouts to lobby.

Texans for Public Justice  looked at the 68 lobby contracts held by Mike Krusee, Fred Hill, Kyle Janek, Pat Haggerty, Corbin Van Arsdale, Dianne Delisi, Kevin Bailey, Robby Cook, Tony Goolsby and James Murphy currently have.  Because of reporting laws, lobbyist are only required to disclose whether they fall within a range and not the specific amount the actual revenue from each lobby contract.

Lobbyist are only required to specify if they make less than $10,000, $10,001 to $24,999.99, $25,000 to $49,999.99, $50,000 to $99,999.99, $100,000 to $149,999.99, $150,000 to $199,999.99, $200,000 to $249,999.99, etc.

This makes it difficult to determine how much these 10 formerly elected officials are actually making.

Needless to say, these 10 men have 68 contracts and are currently getting paid anywhere from $2,025,000 to $3,890,000.  Mike Krusee and Fred Hill appear to be the two highest paid former elected with Tony Goolsby and James Murphy rounding out the bottom.

We encourage you to read the full report here.

In case any one is concerned how former lobbyist Todd Hunter is doing after taking a pay cut to work at the capitol again, don't worry too much.  In 2007, Hunter had 4 lobby contracts that could have made him as much as $225,000.  He should be okay for a little bit.

TIme to let the sun set on Bob Perry's Builder Commission

by: johncoby

Sun May 17, 2009 at 04:32 PM CDT

The Sunset Bill
In response to the concerns of the Sunset Commission, House Bill 2295 by Representative McClendon (D-San Antonio) has been filed. According to the rules of the Sunset Commission, if this "sunset" bill is not signed into law, the TRCC will be abolished. The bill has passed the House and is currently lingering in the Senate with time running out in the legislation session.

The TRCC Facts
The facts concerning this Commission, which supposedly was created to help homeowners with construction defects, are undeniable and unbelievable. The Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Bob Perry Homes wrote the bill that created the TRCC. Governor Perry later appointed him to the Commission. The State Legislator who sponsored the TRCC bill owns a lumber company and sells to the home building industry. He is a member of the Texas Association of Builders (TAB) and received an award after passing the bill. The National Association of Home Builders also named him "Legislator of the Year"

Since its creation, the board has been stacked with builder friendly Commissioners. The Arbitration Task Force, charged with researching the abuse of mandatory binding arbitration in new home contracts, was stacked with home builders and members of the American Arbitration Association (AAA). The Commission, heavily in favor of the home building industry, established a statewide standard for new home warranties that provides one single year of protection, while repealing the implied warranty of good workmanship granted to homeowners in the sixties.

Calls for Abolishing
In 2006 the Texas Comptroller's Office conducted a detailed investigation of the TRCC prompting the Comptroller to state "...if it was up to me personally, I would blast this TRCC builder-protection agency off the bureaucratic books". The report by the Sunset Commission issued in 2008 had a key recommendation of "Abolish the Texas Residential Construction Commission and repeal the Texas Residential Construction Commission Act." Both reports were very clear, the $10 million/year TRCC is not providing a useful service to the consumer and deserves to be abolished.

HB2295 Deception
HB2295 continues to deceive. The bill calls for licensing of home builders, but exempts over 28,000 builders currently registered with the TRCC. The licensing oversight will be controlled by the TRCC an agency with 6 years of failure, instead of by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation with 100 years of outstanding service and experience in oversight. And the requirements for licensing are nothing more than paying a fee, taking 8 hours of training, and passing a test administered by the inexperienced TRCC.

The mandatory State Sponsored Inspection and Resolution Process (SIRP), a process to help mediate complaints, continues to be a convoluted, complicated, legal nightmare that requires legal assistance to navigate. The bill offers an optional, extremely expensive mediation process chock full of legal loopholes that will do more harm than good for the consumer. The bill also reduces the time required to complete the SIRP, but does nothing to reduce its overwhelming complexity and legal ramifications.

Kill the Bill
In 2003 testimony from the home building industry claimed the TRCC would provide much needed consumer protection for new homeowners with construction defects. Instead it has been an expensive failure causing financial ruin to many homeowners and allowing the industry to run wild with no fear of being held accountable.

The facts are clear. It is time to let the sun set on this bureaucratic, expensive, nightmare called the TRCC.

John R. Cobarruvias has been an advocate for new homeowner rights and is a member of Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings. He has testified against the TRCC and has provided research on the Commission and the rules and procedures.

Stand Up To Help Bloggers Get Needed Protections Under Texas Law

by: Vince Leibowitz

Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 00:53 PM CDT

The committee will take public testimony on House Bill 4237 by State Rep. Aaron Pena (D-Edinburg).

This bill gives bloggers and citizen journalists the same protections that the mainstream media has when it comes to covering matters of "public concern," such as legislative proceedings, school board meetings, and the actions of state officials.  

Editorial: Mr. Ko Rises to Meet His Family Name - Will Democrats?

by: Phillip Martin

Fri Apr 10, 2009 at 08:00 AM CDT

When Mr. Ramey Ko stood up to testify before the Texas House Committee on Elections on Wednesday, April 8, I'll bet he never expected for Republican State Rep. Betty Brown to ask him to erase his family history so that he would be easier for her to deal with.

He may have expected having to discuss his "naturalization" papers that were needed in order for his parents to come into the country -- as if there was something unnatural about them before. He may have even expected needing to explain to Rep. Brown that he wouldn't need any ID to vote in China because, as he gently told her, "there's not a lot of elections in China."

But I don't think he expected to be asked to disown his family name so that he would be easier to deal with for small-minded, America-centric, ignorant elected officials like Republican State Rep. Betty Brown.

The remarks -- for anyone who hasn't seen the story on blogs, in e-mail action alerts, on the TV, in the newspapers, on Facebook, or anywhere else -- were rather shocking for me to hear. When I listen to Republican State Rep. Betty Brown make this proposal -- even after having read it and watched it over a dozen times -- I still cringe with anger:

Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese - I understand it's a rather difficult language - do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?

Names are important. The history of how a name evolves is unique to every family, whether you are American or -- if you're like most of the people in the world Rep. Betty Brown knows so little about -- non-American. A name is identity. A name is posterity. A name is more than just a few characters marked onto a document to make it easier to ensure someone doesn't disqualify your legal right to vote. A name tells the story of a journey and a struggle. A name reflects a heritage and a past that is greater than any one person.

One of the biggest decisions one can make in life is to change a name. The process of transliteration Mr. Ko patiently explains is very complicated. It is also extremely emotional. Changing a name through transliteration is the technical realization of a much more personal decision that people of all backgrounds struggle with on a daily basis. Whether it is an Asian-American not wanting to be laughed at by his or her classmates because the teacher never learns to correctly pronounce a name, or a woman deciding that she can love her husband and respect the tradition of marriage without leaving her name behind, the decision to "adopt a name" is always a serious one.

But for Republican State Rep. Betty Brown, it isn't. For her, the consequences of Mr. Ko changing his name are probably no different than calling french fries "freedom fries." For a person and a party who believe that unlawful immigrants and "illegal aliens" are the same thing, the sheer ignorance of such remarks remains startling, though is not so surprising.

However, there is one thing that did surprise me: Mr. Ko.

Watch the video if you haven't. Look at his poise. See how calmly he responds, and how patiently he answers all of her questions. He does not get angry. He does not yell. Instead, he is thoughtful. He listens, he speaks, and then he listens again.

The name we have given to something that would be advantageous for us to act on is the word, "behoove." Its etymological roots go back to the action, "to raise." Mr. Ko raised himself above Rep. Brown's remark in his testimony, and in doing so, honored his family's name. I am proud of him, and I hope that an intelligent and thoughtful person like Mr. Ko is never denied the right to vote. 

Rep. Betty Brown, meanwhile, should do more to develop a sense of her own name:

brown: O.E. brun "dark," only developing a definite color sense 13c.

The voter ID legislation that Republican State Rep. Betty Brown and her colleagues champion is as suppressive as Rep. Brown's remarks are stupid. The barriers they want to put in place -- and the ones that some House Democrats are beginning to compromise about -- are real. Voter fraud is a wedge issue that Republicans are pushing to throw red meat to their base. They don't care when, if ever, it is enforced. The Republican State Chair of the Committee, State Rep. Todd Smith, has admitted that he would want nothing more than to use this issue against Democrats in an election.

There are some things we can compromise, and some we can't. We shouldn't compromise our names, as individuals or as Democrats. We shouldn't compromise who we are and what we believe in. We shouldn't trade away our votes to appease Texans that can't accept that we live in the 21st Century, or to buddy-up with Republican elected officials who have proven, time and again, that they will do anything to increase their political power.

Democrat State Rep. Jim Dunnam was in that room when Mr. Ko gave his testimony. House Democrats Rep. Rafael Anchia,  Rep. Alma Allen, Rep. Aaron Pena, and Rep. Joe Heflin all sit on that committee.

I sincerely hope that they, and all Democrats, have courage like Mr. Ko to rise above the nonsense and stop the voter ID legislation. If they compromise, then they should know that many in their family will not be happy.