Invitees : Karen Hughes, Hunter Hunt, Ray Hunt, Kay Bailey Hutchison,Harriet Miers, Holly Kuzmich, Mark Langdale, Mike Meece, James C Oberwetter, Jeanne L Phillips, Karl Rove, Joe Strauss.
Yesterday, conservative lawmakers pushed to attach key toll road reforms to two transportation bills in the Texas House, but they were thwarted by Speaker Joe Straus and his parliamentarian Chris Griesel who would not allow them to present their amendments. Griesel told them the amendments weren’t ‘germane’ (or salient) to the bills, HB 13 and HB 20, and blocked Rep. Jeff Leach and Rep. Jonathan Stickland from even laying out their amendments. Straus and Griesel utilized the same technique as they did on a Stickland amendment to the open carry bill the week before. The two decided to reject the...
A legislative committee took no action Tuesday after investigating an alleged threat made by one House member to another on opposite sides in the speaker's race. Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, told the House General Investigating and Ethics Committee that a post-election phone call from Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, contained threats that members who oppose incumbent Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, could lose their seats after redistricting next year. Phillips called the allegation "unequivocally false" in brief testimony before the committee, which spent most of the morning behind closed doors. Neither legislator recorded the phone conversation. The committee concluded that neither...
AUSTIN – As Rep. Joe Straus effectively wrapped up the House speaker race Monday, he pledged to open the House to allow members – Republican or Democrat – to win the day if they had the best argument and the most votes. To most observers, that means the House will be a very different place. Ideas from the far reaches of the political spectrum, whether on abortion, immigration or school vouchers, probably won't make it, while others that have withered under House Speaker Tom Craddick, such as green energy programs, more education funding, and tighter ethics rules, might have a...