Craddick Wants The Lege To Write Him a Blank Check

Sigh. Craddick wants to keep business as usual - via a rules change - in the Texas House, to ensure his legislative agenda. There is a good chance this can be stopped. The people of Texas would be the winners rather than Craddick's PAC and business cronies.

Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland) has asked all 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives to be present for an important vote on Tuesday.

The vote? It's to suspend the constitutional rule that prohibits consideration of legislation not designated by the governor as an "emergency" on the House floor during the first 60 days of the session.

Suspending the rule requires a four-fifths majority vote. The rule has been suspended every legislative session except one.

It would take as few as 31 legislators voting against suspending the rule to thwart Craddick's desires.

House Democratic Leader Jim Dunnam (D-Waco) has said there is no reason to give Craddick a "blank check" to aid in speeding up any legislation he desires with very little input from committees.

After all, in 2003, Craddick used this very mechanism to cram tort reform and an anti-consumer, pro-business agenda down the throats of the Texas Legislature and the people of Texas.

The 80th Legislature is far different from the 78th Legislature, though. There are more Democrats and they are more united than ever before (witness the 27 Democrats who voted "no" on Craddick for Speaker versus just four in 2005).

One thing remains a constant, however: Speaker Tom Craddick. Craddick, like a leopard, cannot change his spots. His agenda remains the agenda of the people who bought and paid for the Republican Majority in 2002 and have continued to help fund Craddick's Speaker's PAC—Stars Over Texas. You know who we're talking about: Bob Perry, James Leininger, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, and the Texas Association of Business "anti-consumer" crowd. Distribution of these funds to campaigns of key Craddick lieutenants (and challengers to anti-Craddick Republicans) has helped him retain his power.

For the last two legislative sessions and the special sessions, we have had the agenda of these people and groups crammed down our throats by Tom Craddick. Good legislation to help the people of Texas has taken a back seat to legislation that key contributors wanted.

Not only that, but we've seen thousands of children knocked off their health insurance—and worse—by Tom Craddick's Reign of Legislative Terror.

It's time to tell Tom Craddick, "Mr. Speaker, not just no, but Hell No."

Take away the Speaker's blank check for legislative mayhem. He has proven himself unworthy of it. Look no farther than the recent committee assignments, where supporters were rewarded and enemies back-benched.

Now is not the time for this rule suspension. Democrats and Republicans must unite and take the power out of Craddick's hands and put it back in the collective hands of the 150-member body politic that is the Texas House of Representatives.

Call your State Representative today, and politely encourage them to vote against suspending the four-fifths "60 day" rule. Here is a list of State Representatives. And, if you don't know your rep, you can put in your zip code in on that page and find who your rep is.