Texas Monthly List of Best and Worst Legislators On Stands Next Week

by: Chaille Jolink

Sat Jun 15, 2013 at 07:05 PM CDT

First things first, the list can be found here on the Burka Blog. The list came with a few surprises, (Lon Burnam on the worst list?) and a few as expected (Tommy WIlliams and Charlie Geren on best list).

Early Thursday morning the Texas Tribune hosted the four capitol bureau reporters from Texas Monthly responsible for making the infamous Ten Best Ten Worst List, which is due on newsstands next week. The conversation at the Austin Club Thursday morning (which can be found here) enlightened a few people as to the rationale of the list because as of right now the list is just that, a list. Currently there is no explanation about why each member was chosen.

Evan Smith editor of the Texas Tribune and host of the Tribune Talk did a great job moderating having the unique experience as a former editor of Texas Monthly himself. He asked all the right questions inquiring why Lon Burnam was picked as one of the worst but somehow Ryan Guillen did not even make the worst list (not even a dishonorable mention!).

In the case of Lon Burnam, we might have to wait until the issue is released next week, but in this situation it might be a case of expectation management. Representative Burnam is very well respected and one of the more senior members in the legislature, so when he fumbled the medicaid expansion rider it did not look good, especially from a senior member who is expected to "know better."  

Perry Adds Partisan Issues to Special Session Call

by: Chaille Jolink

Tue Jun 11, 2013 at 03:05 PM CDT

Earlier this afternoon Governor Rick Perry added two highly partisan issues to the call of this special session, just after he added transportation to the call yesterday.

Transportation was added to the call of this sleeper of a special session in an effort to fund some critical infrastructure Texas really needs. The Governor's website states that, "legislation relating to the funding of transportation infrastructure projects" were added to "maintain the roads to ensure we sustain both our economic success and our quality of life." Currently SJR 2, a bill that transfers money from the rainy day fund into the state's dedicated highway fund, also known as Fund 6, will be heard tomorrow after the full Senate adjourns.

Including transportation the Governor also added abortion and juvenile justice issues to the call. The Governor's website has this particular language:

Legislation relating to the regulation of abortion procedures, providers and facilities.

Legislation relating to establishing a mandatory sentence of life with parole for a capital felony committed by a 17-year-old offender

The Senate Criminal Justice Committee is scheduled to meet tomorrow to hear a bill that expands the life without parole option to 17-year-olds in Texas. Up until 2005 juries in Texas did not even have the option of choosing life without parole. The maximum sentence before the death penally was 40 years with the option for parole. The bill, SB 23, is by Senator Joan Huffman.

No word yet on movement of any abortion legislation, but the bill that got the most traction last session was Senator Deuell's bill regulating away abortion providers in Texas.

UPDATE: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee will meet on Thursday, and will hear several bills relating to abortion.  

Chris Turner: Public input critical as Texas Legislature considers redistricting maps

by: Michael Hurta

Sun Jun 09, 2013 at 03:00 PM CDT

In encouraging people to attend this last Thursday's hearing, Representative Chris Turner noted past maladies of Texas' gerrymandering, which emphasizes the need for less politics and more people.

For the third time in 10 years, Texas Republicans are attempting to ram through redistricting plans that discriminate against African-American and Latino voters, unfairly divide communities and artificially inflate GOP power.

In 2003, Texas Republicans followed then-U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's orders to redraw congressional districts to eliminate seven Democratic members of Congress, costing Texas more than 75 years of seniority and experience in Washington.

In 2011, Texas Republicans passed maps for Congress and the Texas Legislature that were found by a panel of federal judges to violate the Voting Rights Act and/or intentionally discriminate against minority voters.

Now, at the behest of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, Gov. Rick Perry hastily called a special session of the Legislature to adopt the temporary maps used in the 2012 elections as the permanent maps for the rest of the decade. Those interim maps for the Texas House and Congress retain many of the features judged to be in violation of the law. They should not be made permanent.

In Tarrant and Dallas counties, there are more than 2 million African-Americans and Latinos - more than enough population to retain the two existing African-American opportunity congressional districts (Districts 30 and 33) while creating a new, Latino opportunity district anchored in Dallas County.

In the Corpus Christi area, the interim congressional map strands more than 200,000 Latinos in a gerrymandered district rigged to elect an Anglo Republican. And in Austin, the map needlessly splits Travis County five ways.

Similarly, the interim map for the state House is flawed and must be corrected. In Tarrant County, African-Americans and Latinos make up 42 percent of the population, yet they only have the ability to elect their candidate of choice in three out of 11 (or 27 percent) of the districts.

This pattern repeats itself around the state, with the map drawn to "pack" minority voters into as few districts as possible and then "crack" remaining minority communities among multiple Anglo-dominated districts.

In addition to the serious legal issues that must be addressed, there is also a basic fairness problem with the interim maps. Consider that, in 2012, President Obama carried Tarrant and Dallas counties combined by more than 13,000 votes. Yet, out of the 10 congressional districts that are wholly or partly within these two counties, only two are represented by Democrats.

The ratio is a little better in the interim state House map. Of 25 House districts in Tarrant and Dallas counties, only nine (36 percent) are represented by Democrats.

When a San Antonio federal court issued the interim maps so the 2012 elections could proceed, the judges were very clear that there were numerous unresolved legal issues, saying "This interim plan is not a final ruling on the merits of any claims."

It's important that state leaders hear from the public on this fundamental issue of fair representation.

The House Redistricting Committee will hold a public hearing Thursday starting at 2 p.m. at the Dallas Area Rapid Transit headquarters in Dallas, 1401 Pacific Ave.

I hope this committee will hear loud and clear from North Texas that we deserve fair, non-discriminatory districts for the Legislature and Congress.

Note: This op-ed was republished from the Star-Telegram.

Carlos Uresti: Political advantage can't come at the expense of Texans' voting rights

by: Michael Hurta

Sun Jun 09, 2013 at 11:31 AM CDT

But that has corroded and now a partisan battle is at play. Uresti worries that this will hurt Texans everywhere, and he says so in today's Sunday Opinion.

Read it below.  

Special Session Opens Can of Worms

by: Chaille Jolink

Mon Jun 03, 2013 at 05:40 PM CDT

Originally meant to be a quick and dirty adoption of the court drawn interim maps used last election cycle, (since you know, the maps the Republican supermajority drew last session were struck down by the courts as illegal) this special session is now going to last for weeks. Weeks!

Gone are the leisurely summer days of reflection of all the chaos past. Now the Republicans face the chaos within their own party right before their eyes, well that is if they are not on vacation (Lt. Gov. Dewhurst, who urged the call of the special session, as Quorum Report is reporting, is in Europe).  

The House met briefly today. Just enough time for the Chairman of the House Select Committee on Redistricting, Drew Darby to announce that he plans to meet in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio to get input from citizens all over the state.

This special session was meant to be quick because the governor's call was so specific. The governor can call a special session but has to note what items or subjects are relative to the special session. The call read:

"Legislation which ratifies and adopts the interim redistricting plans ordered by the federal district court as the permanent plans for districts used to elect members of the Texas House of Representatives, Texas Senate and United States House of Representatives."

This adoption was supposed to happen fast. The Senate met only hours after they adjourned Sine Die, and the House met the very next day. Yet the committees that were announced to hear the bills of the interim maps sparked a lot of outcry from progressive leaders, noting that if people wanted to give their input (which is what is technically supposed to happen for redistricting, these court drawn maps were only meant to be temporary, not meant to adopted by the Legislature to be in place for the next eight years) they had no time to because there was hardly any real notice given to the public. There was hardly any real notice given to the Legislators themselves.

So oddly responsive to the outcry, the Republican leadership (those that are in Austin anyway) are giving citizens that chance.

The Senate meets later this week. Last week when they met briefly Senator Watson of Austin asked if the legislature was obligated to solely to consider the maps and nothing more (ie. no amendments, no changes to districts that have shown growth from updated census data etc). The concern was because the governor's call was so specific it could jeopardize alternatives to the maps. The response to Watson was, "We are not bound to only consider the court drawn maps."

So now, this special session is anyone's ball game. It is not a clear political win for Republicans. If the Legislature had just adopted the maps quickly, it might have pleased some the of the judges, which was unlikely to begin with. Whatever happens, it should be noted that the Legislature will have to start all over again depending on the courts decision regarding the Voting Rights Act.

So lots of questions remain. Can the democrats who have filed alternative maps prevail? Chairman Darby noted that he was working with Reps Coleman and Davis, both have submitted alternative maps for consideration. Is the Governor going to expand the call to other maps, or even other issues, to make the session a promising partisan parade? Will the Legislature adopt any maps at all, after spending taxpayer money traveling around the state listening to how wrong they got it two years ago? (arguably money well spent).

If you are in the cities of Houston (6/12) Dallas (6/6) or San Antonio (6/10) plan on attending the days announced. To see more details on the hearings when they post (they are not officially posted yet) click here.

For more much detailed information please reference Michael Li's exceptional blog on this very issue, TXRedistricting.org.

Backgrounder: Texas' Population Growth Since the Last Round of Redistricting

by: Michael Li

Mon Jun 03, 2013 at 01:57 PM CDT

By July 2011, the Census Bureau estimates that the state's population  had increased by 529,120, giving Texas the fastest rate of growth in the nation.

By July 2012, that figure had grown by another 427,400. And at 3.63%, the state's two-year rate of population growth outpaced that of every jurisdiction other than the District of Columbia (5.09%) and North Dakota (4.09%).

As was the case over the previous decade, Hispanic population gain continues to be the major driver of Texas' growth.

Read more about what this means for redistricting below the jump.  

Democratic Congressmen Urge Rick Perry to add Medicaid Expansion to Special Session

by: Katherine Haenschen

Mon Jun 03, 2013 at 01:24 PM CDT

While their effort may not be successful, but it's an important reminder of how critical Medicaid expansion would be to Texas, where 28.8% of our residents lack health insurance.

Hard-working low-income Texans need access to quality, affordable health care. In the meantime, Perry and the Republican Legislature's obstinacy on this issue will only push costs down to county governments to treat people coming into emergency rooms. Meanwhile, Texans will be paying federal taxes to help expand Medicaid in other states -- on our dime!

Read more below the jump.  

Huffman: Cooperation will secure Texas' water future

by: Michael Hurta

Sun Jun 02, 2013 at 10:00 AM CDT

Now that the Texas Legislature has gaveled out of regular session, congratulations are in order. Representatives on both sides of the aisle tackled one of the biggest challenges facing Texans today: water. The past several years have shown us that drought can devastate our economy, our quality of life and our natural resources. Unlike the approach lawmakers took after the 1950s drought, which focused almost exclusively on building new infrastructure to meet water needs, this Legislature took a modern approach and recognized the importance of water conservation to our state's future, including protecting our beautiful rivers, lakes and aquifers.
The Nature Conservancy saw a fundamental shift in the Legislature's emphasis on the critical role that water conservation can play in solving our water challenges and enabling our state to prosper. Managing water resources is like managing a bank account: You should not withdraw more than you deposit, and you should always leave some in reserve.

Our water deposits are largely a fixed asset - we have the same amount of water today as we did thousands of years ago. So the plain truth is that we must all use less - live within our budget - to guarantee we have water to support our rapidly growing population, grow our economy and protect our natural resources.

The package of bills has three important elements. First is a $2 billion initial investment in the state water plan. Second is dedicated funding for conservation as a critically important and inexpensive way to stretch water supplies as far as possible. Third are guidelines to hold our decision-makers accountable and help guarantee this historic investment is well spent. These are important components; our lawmakers didn't just write a blank check.

Funding the water plan is crucial because the plan charts a course for water management in Texas over the next 50 years. It's our roadmap. The plan's greatest strength is that it recognizes that conservation must be a leading strategy as we respond to our state's water crisis.

But here's the rub: none of the plan's water projects - which were recommended by 16 regional planning groups - are prioritized. That raises legitimate concerns about the need to make sure the state invests in the best projects first. The Legislature responded to both of these very real issues by investing in conservation and requiring projects to be prioritized. Here's how that happened.

The bills just passed will direct 20 percent of the funding to conservation and reuse projects, and an additional 10 percent for rural projects and agricultural conservation. Reducing our water use in cities, agriculture, energy and industry through water conservation is key to balancing our water budget. Better still, we can measure our progress with conservation to determine if new water supplies are truly needed. As a result, front-loading conservation will help keep our utility bills as low and as affordable as possible.

The legislation also requires prioritizing projects on both regional and statewide levels, based on criteria like cost-effectiveness, need, feasibility, sustainability and commitment to conservation. These features, if implemented well, are how we'll ensure the best projects happen first. We will all have to stay engaged as our communities consider strategies and projects for addressing water needs.

A special thanks to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, House Speaker Joe Straus, Sens. Troy Fraser of Horseshoe Bay and Tommy Williams of the Woodlands as well as Reps. Alan Ritter of Nederland and Jim Pitts of Waxahachie, who led the charge on this monumental legislation. They crafted a modern approach to a complicated problem. Gov. Rick Perry just signed one of the bills; another awaits the governor's signature.

Then it's our turn to make sure that approach sticks. The first step is for Texans to approve all of this by voting for the constitutional amendment in November. All of us - individuals, cities, agriculture, industry and energy producers - must recognize that water is the lifeblood of our state, and it's our responsibility to be good stewards. Future generations will live with our decisions.

Despite Hype, Texas Budget Falls Short

by: Chaille Jolink

Wed May 29, 2013 at 11:30 AM CDT

The State Budget has been one of the more dramatic stories under the dome this session.

Sunday the House had its final chance to debate and discuss legislation with the deadline to adopt conference committee reports (the very last step in the process before the bill is sent to the Governor). This included all of the budget bills: HB 1025, the supplemental appropriations bill and SB 1, the actual budget.

Tempers flared during several moments of debate, including the adoption of SB 1, and HB 1025, (both had several points of order called on the respective bills). The House eventually approved HB 1025, the supplemental appropriations bill, which passed subject to Article 3 Section 49A in the Texas Constitution. This essentially means that it is subject to the spending limitations set by the comptroller.

The supplemental appropriations had some of the most interesting commentary on it. Democrats and Republicans found common ground in opposing this bill, but for completely different reasons. Republicans are against the bill because it uses money from the flushed-with-cash Rainy Day Fund (i.e. uses too much money) and a few Democrats were against it because it still does not adequately fund education, or Medicaid, or pre-k programs. All of these were drastically cut last session (i.e. uses too little money).    

One point of contention was regarding how much money was being restored to public education. Although the House passed money for additional or supplemental appropriations in HB 1025 which takes money out of the Rainy Day Fund, there are still monies left in General Revenue, approximately $500 million.  That's $500 million dollars left on the table that could go to public education or any number of the initiatives that fell by the wayside.  

Still, many Democrats called for celebration back when a budget deal was negotiated, but other progressive groups disagree, noting that partially restoring drastic cuts is still not cause for celebration.

To quote the heckled tea-partier Representative David Simpson from the debate on the House Floor, "Although there are good things in this budget, this is not a good budget."  

A Brief History of Blocker Bills in Redistricting Special Sessions

by: Katherine Haenschen

Wed May 29, 2013 at 09:18 AM CDT

However, the 2/3rds rule only exists if there's a "Blocker Bill" in place to necessitate suspension of the rules in order to bring up other legislation. No blocker, no 2/3rds rule.

Blocker bills are the norm in the Senate. Federal courts -- where most Texas redistricting schemes end up because they're intentionally discriminatory -- don't like seeing rule changes for redistricting legislation, because it usually means one side (here, the Republicans) are up to no good and trying to change the rules to win the game.

Below the jump, find out more about Blocker Bills and find out how they've been disregarded in past special sessions to pass discriminatory redistricting schemes.