SREC Adopts Motion for a Public Ballot

by: Phillip Martin

Sat Dec 06, 2008 at 03:35 PM CST

The State Republican Executive Committee -- which, based on Burka's writings, appears to be little more than a tool for Speaker Craddick -- shocked no one by endorsing a public ballot for Speaker today.

Here is Rep. Merritt's reaction to it (the only one I've received or seen so far):

Rep. Tommy Merritt, R-Longview, is very disappointed with the State Republican Executive Committee’s decision today to adopt a resolution that condemns selection of a new Speaker of the Texas House by private ballot.

“The private ballot is part of the foundation of this nation and should not be undermined by a few party activists more interested in seeing Speaker Tom Craddick re-elected than giving House members the same right when they vote,” Merritt said. [...]

Merritt went on to tout his own position in the Speaker's race:

I know the next Speaker will be a Republican and I am pleased with the support my candidacy has garnered,” he said. “I think I will win this race, but until the members know that they will cast their votes privately – as has been done in almost every contested Speaker’s election – no candidate for the position should announce the list of their supporters.”

Merritt is urging all Speaker candidates and Members to attend a “Speaker’s Summit” in Austin on Dec. 17 to discuss the race, the rules for running the House and the private ballot issue.

There are lots of arguments for and against a secret ballot. KT has written about it previously.

Thoughts? Should there be a secret ballot?

Solomons Calls for Keel to Resign; Merritt, Jones Join In

by: Phillip Martin

Sat Dec 06, 2008 at 03:24 PM CST

Yesterday, Republican State Rep. Burt Solomons -- who is running an increasingly credible campaign to challenge Tom Craddick for Speaker of the House -- issued a public letter calling for Terry Keel, House Parliamentarian, to resign his post. From Solomons' letter (click here for PDF):

The House Rules should not ever become a complex set of protective measures for the Speaker, but rather should always remain simply as “our” Rules in how we conduct business and the process for passing legislation; and, not as an “us” versus “them” set of procedural nonsense. [...]

I must respectfully call for you to step down as Parliamentarian prior to the first day of the 81st Session and not as a Temporary Officer in the capacity of Parliamentarian on the first day of the session. It is my conclusion that a majority of my House colleagues are not confident that your advice and parliamentary interpretations will be unbiased, and you will continue on a parth of tortured interpretations and rulings designed solely to protect the current Speaker and frustrate the House parliamentary process. From your statements and advice since the beginning of your service as parliamentarian at the end of the 80th Session, it has become apparent to my House colleagues and myself that you are working for the current Speaker and not the body.

Republican State Reps. Tommy Merritt & Delwin Jones -- both Speaker candidate themselves -- joined Rep. Solomons' call for Terry Keel to step down in a press release issued minutes ago:

We are joining with Rep. Burt Solomons today and calling for House Parliamentarian Terry Keel to resign his position. Additionally, we believe Ron Wilson should also step down immediately. We need a Member’s Parliamentarian, not a Speaker’s Parliamentarian. It is clear that Mr. Keel and Mr. Wilson are more interested in serving Speaker Tom Craddick than serving the entire House. We need to begin the 81^st Legislative Session with a clean slate. The replacement of Mr. Keel and Mr. Wilson will send a clear signal that this next Legislature is making a clean break from the last Legislature which led to embarrassing floor fights over power and put the people’s needs behind the needs of the Speaker.

Burka was on this early this morning. He emphasized the push for the secret ballot in Solomons' letter -- something Rep. Merritt also discussed in a second letter (another component I'll write about later). However, I want to focus on the Terry Keel resignation ask first:

House Parliamentarians are not supposed to be polarizing figures. The House Parliamantarians are employees of the House, not the Speaker. The importance of the House being comfortable with the Parliamentarians is incredibly important:

If a House Member needs to go to the front of the House to ask for anything -- to speak against a bill, to get clarification on whether or not a Point of Order should stand, to file an amendment, to get clarification on a procedural matter, anything -- then they talk with a Parliamentarian first. In this role, the Parliamentarians are invaluable gatekeers of the business of the House Floor. If the House, as a body, is not comfortable with who is protecting them -- even if the perception is there that their concerns or questions will not be fairly listened to or addressed -- then they cannot be comfortable operating on the House floor.

Ultimately, this is about a secret ballot. On a member-to-member level, though, it's about cordiality vs. intimidation. That such a letter would even need to come from Rep. Solomons et. all -- in the very public glare of a Speaker's race, no less -- should be a strong signal for how discontent House Members truly are with Craddick at the front, and how little confidence anyone has that Craddick would reform his current practices in the least.

Bipartisan Groups Asks For Action on TYC Now

by: Matt Glazer

Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 09:16 AM CDT

Perry on vacation?

It's not uncommon for Perry to take a little time off when the legislature meets. During the 3rd special, Perry decided the educational crisis was so important that he had to go to Italy.

Now, Perry is out of the state again, and a bipartisan group want Lt Governor David Dewhurst to help during the TYC crisis.

The letter requests Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, in his role as current acting governor, place the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) under Conservatorship immediately.

Under the Texas Constitution, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst currently possesses all the powers and authority of the office of the governor because Governor Perry is out of the state visiting Dubai.  As the current acting governor, with full powers, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst has the authority to place TYC under immediate Conservatorship.  Conservatorship has been recommended unanimously by the full Senate and the Legislative Audit Committee.

Additionally, the Joint Select Committee on the Operation and Management of the Texas Youth Commission unanimously voted to express their complete lack of confidence in the TYC board.  Placing TYC under Conservatorship will suspend the authority of the TYC board and transfer the board's functions to the conservator.

The letter was authored by State Representatives Pat Haggerty, Valinda Bolton, Delwin Jones, Jim Dunnam, Tommy Merritt, Pete Gallego, Robert Talton and Scott Hochberg.

Texas Round-Up

by: Karl-Thomas Musselman

Wed Mar 29, 2006 at 07:36 PM CST

• In SD-18, Democrats voted for a primary candidate who dropped out of the race a month before the election. So now the nominee is someone who isn't planning on campaigning. Then again, should we expect more from primary voters that give us a run-off with Gene Kelly? The worst part? This seat is currently held by (retiring) Democrat Ken Armbrister. So there goes the only potentially competitive State Senate seat this fall. Republicans +1 for a 20-11 edge in the Senate. Great.


• Eye on Williamson County has a new site as well as a report on a Trans-Texas Corridor forum in which Strayhorn gets a standing ovation, Kinky gets laughed at, and Bell goes 'wishy-washy' in the eye of the reporter.  Then again, what would you expect from a room full of Republicans.


• Greg gives commentary on the TDP and Chairman Soechting's tenure coming to a close and makes the following point (besides the fact that Chairman Soechting has sadly endorsed Rep. Al "Sexy Cheerleader" Edwards in the primary with blogosphere candidate Borris Miles.)

  link: Well, not unlike your own thoughts, I can't claim to really have any hard & fast opinion on what difference it makes who's in charge of the party at this point. We've tried the "up & coming star" model with Bill White. We've tried the "reformed Republican" model with Molly Beth. We've tried the "guy with deep pockets" approach with Soechting. And at the end of the day, none of them really seemed to have an answer.

  At this point, I'm not entirely sure that Richie or Maxey do either. And I'm also not entirely sure what relevance it will make if either is in charge. There's no money for the State Party to really claim to be doing much for candidates. There's no real resources outside of basic data that they have to offer. So color me doubtful. I have some good friends who put in a lot of quality time doing their damnest with the TDP and I'd love to see their work make a difference and matter.

  But the real question is whether the concept of a State Party is really relevant anymore. I think it's that point that Jerome and Markos really left only lightly touched on in "Crashing the Gate." Effectively, the state party chair now is Fred Baron. Like it or not.

  Fred Baron being the head trial lawyer funding the entity known as the Texas Democratic Trust, which is responsible for paying the salary of most all the staff at the TDP, which consists of the old Martin Frost team headed by Matt Angle, also of the Lone Star Project. Got that?



• In San Antonio, incumbent Oscar Kazen loses in the final recount to Laura Salinas in the primary for County Court at Law #9. The Jeffersonian has back story here and here.


• Speaking of another recount... PD says we should know the results of Carter Casteel's recount tomorrow.


• Looks like Leininger pissed off Tommy Merritt, who won his election against a Leininger clone. Rep. Merritt already won one defamation lawsuit, he's still finding more ways to pick apart the Leininger clone. Good. Now Merritt will face Patrick Franklin in the fall.


• Register for the Texas Young Democrats Convention, April 21-23 here in Austin.