The big vote for Texas Speaker of the House will be held today in Austin as the 84th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature gavels into being. Will self-described “moderate” Joe “Boehner” Straus be re-elected once again to lead the chamber or, will Republican state reps remain true to what they promise voters and elect a speaker more in-line with mainstream conservative-Republican principles?
In the 2014 primaries five Straus loyalists were defeated. Straus-favored candidates for higher office lost in the primary too including Harvey Hilderbran, Dan Branch and Eric Opiela. And sensing those primary defeats, six Straus committee chairmen or loyalists decided not to run for re-election.
Given such an abysmal election record in 2014 and in 2012 too, why is there such fear of the Straus machine – so much so that strong conservatives have capitulated to pressure and are backing him for speaker?
The answer is that just as in D.C., the Texas House Speaker has too much power, almost dictator-like when it comes to legislation.
Straus is the embodiment, plus much more, of what he and his ilk accused Speaker Tom Craddick of being.
House rules give the power over every committee to the Speaker and then those committee chairmen have similar power within their committees. They can have every elected rep on a committee wanting to pass a bill and still refuse to bring such up for a vote. And if a bill does manage to get out of committee due to peer pressure, it goes to the Calendars Committee where it dies by the same process – a sort of double-blade of Speaker power.
These are powers that when used judiciously can make the body more efficient and effective but, when used to politically bloody the noses of a majority Texas voters, such powers are unseemly.
You see it wasn’t Tom Craddick who was iron-fisted as the press told you, it is Joe “Boehner” Straus and, that’s why he’ll likely be re-elected – he’s wields power with brutal determination. He’s the embodiment, plus much more, of what he and his ilk accused Speaker Tom Craddick of being.
Raw power gets votes for Speaker Straus
Robert Pratt
The big vote for Texas Speaker of the House will be held today in Austin as the 84th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature gavels into being. Will self-described “moderate” Joe “Boehner” Straus be re-elected once again to lead the chamber or, will Republican state reps remain true to what they promise voters and elect a speaker more in-line with mainstream conservative-Republican principles?
In the 2014 primaries five Straus loyalists were defeated. Straus-favored candidates for higher office lost in the primary too including Harvey Hilderbran, Dan Branch and Eric Opiela. And sensing those primary defeats, six Straus committee chairmen or loyalists decided not to run for re-election.
Given such an abysmal election record in 2014 and in 2012 too, why is there such fear of the Straus machine – so much so that strong conservatives have capitulated to pressure and are backing him for speaker?
The answer is that just as in D.C., the Texas House Speaker has too much power, almost dictator-like when it comes to legislation.
Straus is the embodiment, plus much more, of what he and his ilk accused Speaker Tom Craddick of being.
House rules give the power over every committee to the Speaker and then those committee chairmen have similar power within their committees. They can have every elected rep on a committee wanting to pass a bill and still refuse to bring such up for a vote. And if a bill does manage to get out of committee due to peer pressure, it goes to the Calendars Committee where it dies by the same process – a sort of double-blade of Speaker power.
These are powers that when used judiciously can make the body more efficient and effective but, when used to politically bloody the noses of a majority Texas voters, such powers are unseemly.
You see it wasn’t Tom Craddick who was iron-fisted as the press told you, it is Joe “Boehner” Straus and, that’s why he’ll likely be re-elected – he’s wields power with brutal determination. He’s the embodiment, plus much more, of what he and his ilk accused Speaker Tom Craddick of being.