Monthly Archives: May 2007

RIP, SBs 785 and 920. Good riddance to you both. More here, plus a full timeline of SB785’s curious life here. Continue reading →

Rep. Fred Hill, the most recent entrant into the Great Speaker Sweepstakes of 2007 (okay, second most recent), says it’s just a matter of time before the long-anticipated motion to vacate the Speaker’s chair is made. Hill said if no … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I sure hope so. Sen. Florence Shapiro’s abortion reporting bill has hit a major snag in the House — a point of order that has forced House sponsor Geanie Morrison to delay the bill three separate times. Latest ETA is … Continue reading → Continue reading →

And Brian McCall throws his hat in the ring once again. I’m beginning to think Burka is right about the full list of contenders. Where’s Gib Lewis when you really need him? UPDATE: Holy guacamole, we’re up to five now. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I haven’t followed the ins and outs of SB966, also known as the he Free Flow of Information Act or the Shield Law, which was killed on a point of order last night. (Vince has all the background if you’re … Continue reading → Continue reading →

We may not get that motion to vacate today, but this is pretty stunning. COOK: “I’m a Republican who has supported Speaker Craddick three times, but I cannot and will not support him again…I’ve been threatened…and I’ve been told as … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Rep. Jim Pitts, who ran against Tom Craddick for Speaker in January, is once again a candidate. Pitts, R-Waxahachie, said he filed for speaker “in case a motion to vacate would be successful.” Pitts said he doesn’t plan to make … Continue reading → Continue reading →

SB785 is one of the save-my-job anti-abortion bills that the House will be debating today. It will require that statistics about judicial bypasses granted for underage women seeking abortions without parental notification be published on a county-by-county basis instead of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’m in awe. After hearing the news that Sen. Mario Gallegos had to return to Houston last week due to his health, I thought for sure we’d see that stupid voter ID bill again. I’m absolutely flabbergasted at the level … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Burka says that a coup against House Speaker Tom Craddick “seems inevitable now”, and he ponders how it might play out. Let’s assume that the process of vacating the chair has been set in motion by a resolution. Then what? … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Chron talks about how the 80th Lege has been in many ways an aimless session, one that (like the 79th) will not provide much for Republican incumbents to campaign on. While I generally agree with the piece, there are … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Pete reports that SB419, the bill that would greatly help autistic children and their parents (see here, here, and here for more), is on the House calendar for next week. It’s not the bill that it should be (thanks ever … Continue reading → Continue reading →

With Sen. Mario Gallegos back in Houston due to his health, what happens now with HB218? Ailing Sen. Mario Gallegos’ absence from the Capitol leaves his fellow Democratic state senators one vote shy of a procedural tool they can use … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Well, we may or may not get another floor fight over HB218 in the Senate, but just to ensure that today won’t be a quiet Friday in Austin, those anti-abortion bills that mysteriously appeared on the House calendar shortly after … Continue reading → Continue reading →