Posted on 02/12/2006 5:56:46 AM PST by Theodore R.
School finance issue at root of Jones challenge BY ELLIOTT BLACKBURN AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Challengers are assailing one local incumbent for his support of several bills last legislative session, but it is one issue in particular that has the veteran legislator on the chopping block, according to political observers throughout the state.
State Rep. Delwin Jones, R-Lubbock, broke ranks last year to vote against a tax bill changing the school finance structure. The bill was supported by the rest of the Lubbock legislative delegation and most Republicans. He voted in support of a Democratic alternative to the bill.
That sealed it for party leadership, political observers said.
"It's a case where the Republican leadership are going after Republicans who aren't Republican enough," said Texas A&M political science professor Harvey Tucker.
The Texas Legislature struggled fruitlessly for five sessions to overhaul the state's public school finance system. The current system of taxes has been ruled unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court, and lawmakers have a June 1 deadline to fix the system.
Several Republicans around the state who opposed the proposal, including Jones, have found themselves facing well-funded primary opponents.
Former Lubbock city councilman and challenger Frank Morrison reports raising more than $2,500 and receiving $8,000 in donated service for Web site design. But challenger Van Wilson, a Lubbock businessman, is staked by more than $130,000 in donations from a single political action committee, the Texas Republican Legislative Campaign Committee.
Committee spokesman and Texas committeeman to the Republican National Committee Bill Crocker did not return calls for comment last week. San Antonio physician and businessman James Leininger, who has committed $800,000 of the $800,325 donated or pledged so far to the committee, according to campaign finance reports, also could not be reached for comment.
Wilson said he was not recruited by the PAC, and was contacted by representatives of the committee after he had begun working to build interest in his campaign statewide, in October.
He has had little communication with the PAC, he said, but it told him at the time, "'We're always supportive of good, conservative Republicans'," Wilson said.
Campaign literature and television ads - more than $100,000 of it purchased with in-kind donations from the PAC - accuse Jones of betraying a litany of social conservative issues, including property and payroll taxes, so-called pro-family bills and immigration issues.
But Southern Methodist University political science professor Cal Jillson believed issues that were not related to school finance were only there to pique voter interest.
"That's dust," Jillson said. "They think that pointing out those votes might inflame particular voters, but the reason they're going after Delwin Jones is that he did not support the education funding and reform."
Jones frustrated House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, when he did not support legislation that would allow school voucher programs and help end the current school funding method of shipping money from property-rich districts to property-poor districts, Jillson said.
Vouchers are a key issue for longtime Republican contributor Leininger, he said.
"If Craddick was upset, Leininger was outraged, and he's got enough money that he has contributed a very substantial block to Jones' opponent," Jillson said.
Jones agreed Friday that his school finance votes had attracted strong fiscal support for his challenger. He accused his opponent of a "smear campaign," and said he was being targeted for voting independently.
"In the opinion of some folks, I'm not a good Republican because I don't just vote everything right with what the leadership people want," Jones said.
Wilson, too, stressed his independence. Strong out-of-district support made him no less committed to the residents of District 83.
"I can guarantee you, for a $7,000 a year job, I'm not going to lose my good name," Wilson said.
To comment on this story:
elliott.blackburn@lubbockonline.com 766-8722
brian.williams@lubbockonline.com t 766-8717
Jones is a former Democrat. He served in the legislature from 1964-1973 before being beaten for renomination by, you guessed it, Pete Laney, in 1972. He made a comeback as a Republican 16 years later and still remains to this day.
I did not know that Laney had once defeated Jones. Now it all starts to make sense. Jones is a true RINO, but Lubbock voters don't know that!
You would've thought that would be enough to have made a political enemy out of Jones, but it wasn't the case. They have remained friends for a long time. But I agree that it is time for him to go, he is very much a RINO.
Again, dj, Lubbock voters do not know that Jones is a RINO. My money is on Jones to win. Of course I am not contributing to his candidacy.
The biggest problem Jones may be facing is age... he turns 82 very soon. Unless he's like Strom Thurmond, he's not likely to be in there for a lot longer.
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