Posted on 12/14/2010 6:05:55 PM PST by LdSentinal
AUSTIN -- Two Democrats in the Texas House announced Tuesday they are switching to the Republican Party in move that gives the GOP a supermajority in the chamber.
Rep. Aaron Pena of Edinburg appeared at a news conference with Gov. Rick Perry and House Speaker Joe Straus to proclaim his move to the GOP along with fellow Democrat Allan Ritter of Nederland in Southeast Texas.
Ritter had already indicated his intentions to shift his party affiliation.
The new Republican House members will give the GOP 101 seats in the lower chamber in the 2011 Legislature, a number that will allow the party to exercise power not seen in the House since the early 1980s when the Democrats had more than 100 of the 150 seats.
The figure for the GOP includes a vacant House seat in Central Texas that is expected to be won by a Republican in a special election on Tuesday.
Both Pena and Ritter were elected to new terms as Democrats last month.
With a supermajority, House Republicans will be able establish a quorum and conduct business without Democrats. They can also approve constitutional amendments without Democratic support.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Time to aggressively assert states rights.
It’s like Opposite World, compared to things here in California.
This is HUGE!
Secede Now! I’ll move there before the year’s out.
Ritter in Nederland surprises me—that’s a big union area down there—or at least it used to be. Maybe that has changed too since I left that area.
We’re closing our borders—LOL!
I'll have the password and the secret handshake when I arrive. :)
These two are just self serving flip flops protecting their a$$es. They already showed their colors. Stick it where the sun don’t shine skanks!!
Funny they didn’t switch parties when the democrats were in full charge. Seems they want to be on the “winning” side, not matter which one. I don’t fully trust party switchers.
But, but Hispanics are the future, and the GOP has to be more RINO, more liberal to attract them!
/sarcasm off
My guess is that most of the uniom members down there are pretty conservative with the exception of the public employee union members.
S. TX ping
Haa! I just pinged you to this on the other thread.
No excuse for Strauss to be Speaker now. Watch him get it again and continue to put Democrats in key places on committees as payback for their votes.
Serious business. If Texas were to really secede from the Union, our borders would be closed the same day. If you've got thoughts of relocating here, you'd best not wait for us to declare our independence.
So, they wait to be elected by Democrats who trusted them to go to Austin and represent them, and then jump ship right after they get there?
Not sure I like their timing. Need to keep an eye on these two.
I hear ya. I'm sure you wouldn't be shocked to see reps in your state switching to the Democrat party.
It said they were just elected - as Democrats and now they switch. Strange, but the result is certainly going to make things interesting in the state.
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