GOP takes the reins in Austin
Posted on 01/15/2003 2:08:38 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
GOP takes the reins in Austin
New House Speaker Craddick warns of budget challenges
01/15/2003
AUSTIN - Democratic domination of the Texas House died peacefully Tuesday as the new Legislature convened in an upbeat and bipartisan ceremony - with renewed warnings of a fiscal hurricane just offshore.
Representatives nearly unanimously elected Midland Republican Tom Craddick to run the GOP-controlled House, that party's first speaker since the Civil War era.
The chamber's senior member - who was among only eight Republican House members when he first took office in 1969 - now must lead lawmakers through a budget hole approaching $10 billion.
"We are faced with billions of dollars in shortfalls, the retirement of 16 committee chairs after the last session of the Legislature, and 75 percent of our House members have never served with a deficit," said Mr. Craddick, 59. "There will be a learning curve."
ERICH SCHLEGEL / DMN Tom Craddick kisses wife Nadine after being sworn in as speaker of the Texas House. |
The Senate also opened for business, and its next presiding officer, Lt. Gov.-elect David Dewhurst, signaled for the first time a series of cost-saving measures coming next week.
"We will be issuing a letter next Wednesday to put certain freezes on spending in state government because we must balance our budget" in the current fiscal year, Mr. Dewhurst said, declining to give details.
The symbolic and substantive changing of the guard in the House prompted Republicans to speak of the state's future in emotional - at times teary - oration.
"We now turn the page to a new era of Texan democracy, an era of hope, purpose and expectation," said Rep. Peggy Hamric, R-Houston, who noted that the state was headed by "Lyndon Johnson Democrats" when Mr. Craddick was first elected.
"It was from the realization of his surroundings that Tom Craddick learned the skill most essential to leadership of the Texas House: the art of compromise," she said.
She and others also praised the leadership of outgoing and veteran speaker Pete Laney, D-Hale Center, who lost all hope of keeping that job when Republicans gained 88 of the 150 House seats in the elections. He received a standing ovation from his colleagues and those in the gallery.
A resigned Democratic camp split into three factions.
There were those who embraced the new leadership, notably a bloc of black and Hispanic lawmakers who have been promised a voice in the new regime.
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"He's a man of great moral character and outstanding ability," said Houston Rep. Ron Wilson, a black lawmaker who introduced Mr. Craddick. Mr. Wilson recalled befriending the future speaker when he himself was a "grunt" House aide: "He didn't treat me as a grunt."
There were those Democrats who, like Mr. Laney, took the polite and politic route, avoiding substantive comment.
Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, a Laney ally, said, "Today is Tom's day. I think he was very gracious. We've got some tough work challenges, and I think he put his best foot forward."
And, there was the smallest faction - the lone member who voted against Mr. Craddick and used the occasion of Mr. Craddick's self-described "greatest day" to rebuke the new speaker on issues ranging from ethics to race.
"He has a voting record that would make [U.S. Sen.] Trent Lott proud," said Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, referring to remarks by the Mississippi Republican widely seen as endorsing segregation.
Mr. Craddick, who sells oil field drilling supplies, has defended his record and promised fair, bipartisan leadership.
He also has been criticized for ties to lobbyists and for allegedly pushing legislation that would favor his and his family's interests. He has denied any improprieties.
Cutting the budget
The 140-day legislative session will begin with efforts to increase state regulation of homeowners insurance and curb medical malpractice lawsuit awards. But budget-cutting is expected to dominate all spring because legislative leaders have vowed not to increase taxes.
In a speech to the House after the members were sworn in, Republican Gov. Rick Perry repeated his pledge to "balance our budget without raising taxes."
"The challenges before us are great," he said. "But among the membership of this body, there is the commitment, the courage and the compassion to continue to confront the challenges of our time in a manner worthy of our people."
'The lights are on'
Opening day was heavy on ceremony, light on substance. A contingent of former House members brought folksy tidings from the other chamber.
"The lights are on, the fire is lit, and we're fixing to slaughter the hogs. The Senate's ready to do business," declared Sen. Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth.
Relatives and dignitaries packed the House floor, and Republican officials and supporters showed up for Mr. Craddick's historic moment. Among them: U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Sugar Land and Joe Allbaugh, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Mr. Craddick took pains to promise he'll seek participation from across the philosophical spectrum. He avoided any mention of contentious issues such as abortion and school vouchers.
"We will honor the diversity and individuality of all Texans," he said. "The foundation of our future will be built upon friendship, accessibility and cooperation."
Asked how long that spirit could withstand the pressure cooker of deficit-year politics, Mr. Craddick didn't hesitate: "All the way through the session, and all the way through my term."
Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, said the opposition has reason to believe in that vision.
"To Democrats, I can say that no one knows more what it feels like to be a member of a minority party than Tom Craddick," Mr. King said.
Mr. Craddick said he'll create a new committee to handle legislation dealing with the state's poorest area, the 800-mile border with Mexico. Acknowledging afterward that it's unlikely that new dollars can be found for border programs, he said the area needs to be assured that existing programs won't be cut.
He also pledged to establish a committee to scrub the state budget and look for inefficient spending. Mr. Craddick said afterward that the exact role of the panel has yet to be worked out, but it could pass a bill that would impose cuts on agency budgets.
That would be a change from the current system, under which fiscal trimming is handled by the House and Senate budget panels.
Citing the cancellation of his own homeowners insurance policy, Mr. Craddick pledged to overhaul insurance regulations to make policies more available and affordable. Mr. Perry has put that issue on a fast track by declaring it a legislative emergency.
Mr. Craddick has also promised that the Legislature will lower medical malpractice insurance costs, an effort backed by Mr. Perry to limit liability lawsuits against doctors and hospitals.
Staff writers Christy Hoppe, George Kuempel and Robert T. Garrett contributed to this report.
E-mail pslover@dallasnews.com
"We now turn the page to a new era of Texan democracy, an era of hope, purpose and expectation," said Rep. Peggy Hamric, R-Houston, who noted that the state was headed by "Lyndon Johnson Democrats" when Mr. Craddick was first elected.
"It was from the realization of his surroundings that Tom Craddick learned the skill most essential to leadership of the Texas House: the art of compromise," she said.
She and others also praised the leadership of outgoing and veteran speaker Pete Laney, D-Hale Center, who lost all hope of keeping that job when Republicans gained 88 of the 150 House seats in the elections. He received a standing ovation from his colleagues and those in the gallery.
A resigned Democratic camp split into three factions.
There were those who embraced the new leadership, notably a bloc of black and Hispanic lawmakers who have been promised a voice in the new regime.
"He's a man of great moral character and outstanding ability," said Houston Rep. Ron Wilson, a black lawmaker who introduced Mr. Craddick. Mr. Wilson recalled befriending the future speaker when he himself was a "grunt" House aide: "He didn't treat me as a grunt."
There were those Democrats who, like Mr. Laney, took the polite and politic route, avoiding substantive comment.
Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, a Laney ally, said, "Today is Tom's day. I think he was very gracious. We've got some tough work challenges, and I think he put his best foot forward."
Yeah, but then you had this happening in the background:
And, there was the smallest faction - the lone member who voted against Mr. Craddick and used the occasion of Mr. Craddick's self-described "greatest day" to rebuke the new speaker on issues ranging from ethics to race.
"He has a voting record that would make [U.S. Sen.] Trent Lott proud," said Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, referring to remarks by the Mississippi Republican widely seen as endorsing segregation.
Mr. Craddick, who sells oil field drilling supplies, has defended his record and promised fair, bipartisan leadership.
He also has been criticized for ties to lobbyists and for allegedly pushing legislation that would favor his and his family's interests. He has denied any improprieties.
Instead, he will raise the "fees" on other things like hunting/fishing licenses, auto registration, etc, etc,etc.
However, the state will continue to allow ILLEGAL immigrants to waltz across the border and receive free health care, food stamps, wic, housing and all other assistance that is usually not granted to it's own citizens.
Oh, by the way, a proposal has been floated to "expand the base" of the Franchise Tax. Specifically, this means that all partnerships would now be subject to the 4.5% TAX. Yeah, technically Perry wouldn't be raising taxes, but this is like raising property tax assessments and keeping the rate the same - which is to say, it is Barbara Streisand. I hope that Perry backs off from this proposal or, if not, that the Republicans in Austin act like Republicans and kill the proposal.
The basic problem is that the state is spending too damned much. Just go back to the budget of a few years ago - hardly a time when people were starving in the streets - and the budget will be balanced. After that, just raise spending by no more than the rate of inflation and there'll be no deficit in the future.
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