Tag Archives: Rick Perry

And so the chubbing comes to an end

Posted on May 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

So, as far as I know at this point, SB362 is dead, other bills may or may not be dead, and some semblance of normality will return to the House for the remaining days of the session. After seeing so … Continue reading →

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Dems say they can block McLeroy

Posted on May 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. San Antonio Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, who chairs the Senate Democratic Caucus, said all 12 Democrats in the Senate plan to vote against the nomination [of Don McLeroy as Chair of the State Board of Education]. … Continue reading →

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Berman says he’s in for Governor

Posted on May 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Finally, the Republican primary for Governor becomes interesting. With plans to join the GOP primary with Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, state Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, said today he wil announce as a candidate for governor … Continue reading →

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Perry’s salvage job

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

How can you tell that sine die is approaching? Governor Perry starts getting involved in the legislative process. Perhaps state lawmakers are fatigued by Gov. Rick Perry’s long tenure or maybe they’re just balking at his leadership, but the Republican-led … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The zombie nominee

Posted on May 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, the Senate confirmation of Don McLeroy as Chair of the State Board of Education, which we all thought had been scuttled back in April, got new life earlier this week when Senate Nominations Committee chair Mike Jackson, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Chubbing

Posted on May 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the word of the day, as the Democrats use up most of the ten-minute allotment for discussion of bills on the Local and Consent calendar in order to delay, hopefully to death, the voter ID bill SB362. It’s not … Continue reading →

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Budget yes, UI not yet

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The conference committee on the budget finished its work yesterday. While final details are still emerging, the 10 conferees worked out a last minute plan for spending $700 million of federal stimulus money for state fiscal stabilization. They hope that … Continue reading →

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Windstorm insurance bill passes House committee

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve mentioned the prospect of a special session several times lately. One of the issues that could be the cause of a special session is windstorm insurance, as the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association took it on the chin last year … Continue reading →

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McLeroy confirmation lives again

Posted on May 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Back in April, the Senate declined to act on the confirmation of Don McLeroy as the chair of the State Board of Education, as Nomination Committee Chair Mike Jackson decided there weren’t enough votes to confirm him. That may not … Continue reading →

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Gearing up for the voter ID showdown

Posted on May 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

SB362 was not on the calendar today, but it is expected to be brought to the House floor before the Tuesday deadline for approving Senate bills, perhaps as early as tomorrow. House Dems had a press conference today, accidentally pre-empting … Continue reading →

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What, me secede?

Posted on May 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Shorter Rick Perry: “I never actually used the word ‘secede’.” Fine, whatever. The judge grants your motion to dismiss on the technicality. But we all know that you’ve raised your national profile while gaining ground in the polls, because the … Continue reading →

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Ogden stem cell rider removed from budget

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Sen. Steve Ogden just announced that his rider banning use of state funds for embryonic stem cell research will not appear in the new state budget. “We really couldn’t come to a consensus” so the bill will be silent … Continue reading →

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Whatever Ricky wants

Posted on May 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

It’s too early to say how much of Rick Perry’s self-proclaimed agenda will get enacted this session, as much of it hinges on the budget reconciliation process as well as on legislation that hasn’t been taken up by one chamber … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Poker bill dies

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Last night at midnight was the first major deadline in the House. Any bill that had not been passed on second reading was officially dead for the session, though some may get reincarnated as amendments to already-approved bills. About three … Continue reading →

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More unemployment funds available

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The bad news is that Texas’ rate of unemployment continues to rise. The good news is that this means more federal funds for unemployment insurance are available, and these come with no conditions on them. Texas now qualifies, thanks to … Continue reading →

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Cohen pulls strip club bill

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The battle of the strip club bills is over, as Rep. Ellen Cohen has pulled her bill, thus killing it for the session. She said “it was clear there was an attempt to find a point of order” — a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Cornyn clueless about KBH

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Like everybody else, Sen. John Cornyn has no idea what his senior colleague in the Senate is going to do. And also like the rest of us, or at least us bloggers, he’s willing to speculate wildly about it in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Senate rejects Shanda Perkins

Posted on May 13, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The nomination of Shanda Perkins, the unqualified anti-sex toy activist best known for her war on dildos, for the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, was rejected today by the Senate. After a brief debate, the GOP-controlled Senate by a … Continue reading →

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Happy Ardmore Day

Posted on May 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Pena remembers the day six years ago when the House Democrats took a stand against the DeLay/Craddick/Perry re-redistricting scheme. Though they were only able to delay the inevitable, the effort marked the beginning of the resurgence of the Texas … Continue reading →

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Statewide smoking ban still stuck

Posted on May 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

It’s stuck in the Senate, which is a bit odd. The woman standing in the way of a Senate vote is Sen. Jane Nelson, a Flower Mound Republican who joined [Lance] Armstrong on the Capitol steps in February in a … Continue reading →

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KBH will do whatever KBH will do

Posted on May 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

You can take what Bill White said about what Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison might have said about resigning her Senate seat to run for Governor, or what her spokesperson is saying now, however you want. I still believe she will … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Roger that

Posted on May 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

So about two weeks ago I got an email from a gentleman named David Smith, who is the proprietor of a website called Texans for Staubach, as well as the treasurer of a PAC by the same name, whose purpose … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Perry’s poll

Posted on May 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

For your reading pleasure, a poll of Republican primary voters (PDF) by Rick Perry’s pollster Mike Baselice that shows a 45-39 lead by Kay Bailey Hutchison. You can read a poll memo to supporters that spins the results, but the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Bell lawsuit against Perry advances

Posted on May 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In November of 2007, Chris Bell filed a lawsuit against Governor Rick Perry’s 2006 re-election campaign and the Republican Governor’s Association claiming they illegally hid $1 million in donations from Houston homebuilder Bob Perry. The suit alleges that the RGA … Continue reading →

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Voter ID still pending

Posted on May 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

No hurry, fellas. Seriously, take all the time you want. Rep. Todd Smith, the Euless Republican who helms the House Committee on Elections, said today he’s still trying to gather the five committee votes he needs to send a voter … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Can’t wait to see the transcript of this one

Posted on May 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Speaking of appointments, the Senate Nominations Committee today will consider Governor Perry’s naming of Shanda Gillaspie (Perkins) to the Board of Pardons and Parole. You remember her – she’s the anti-sex toy activist best known for her war on dildos. … Continue reading →

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Donations and appointments

Posted on May 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

A lot of the people Rick Perry has appointed to various government offices have contributed to his campaign. Who knew? Gov. Rick Perry has accepted nearly $5 million in political campaign donations from people he appointed to state boards and … Continue reading →

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Scaling back steroid testing in the schools

Posted on May 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, yes, yes. House and Senate budget negotiators will decide in the coming weeks whether the [$3 million a year program to test high school student athletes for steroids] continues — and its scope and pace. “It’s not needed. House … Continue reading →

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Patrick forced to moderate his ultrasound bill

Posted on May 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Somewhat surprisingly, there haven’t been too many egregious attempts to assault reproductive choice this session; that may be partly because there’s only so much farther the Lege can go short of an outright ban, and it may be partly because … Continue reading →

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I hate you! I need disaster relief!

Posted on May 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Care to guess who is the biggest requestor of federal disaster relief funds since 2001? Why, none other than Governor Rick “Secession 4 Eva!” Perry, that’s who. According to FEMA’s website, Texas has been the site of 13 “major disaster … Continue reading →

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I hate you! Now gimme some money!

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Damn those Washington elites! Always stuffing money into my pants campaign coffers! Rick Perry has railed against Washington, but when it comes to campaign cash, the governor has raised far more than rival Kay Bailey Hutchison from the nation’s capital. … Continue reading →

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Get ready for the next school funding lawsuit

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The handwriting is on the wall. Property tax cuts and a stingy state budget have left many Texas school districts saying they are short-changing children and warning of another lawsuit attempt to force reforms. Texas lawmakers plan to increase school … Continue reading →

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House committee passes SB1569

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The House Business and Industry Committee wasted no time approving the Senate bill that would open the door for Texas to get $555 million in federal stimulus money to expand unemployment eligibility. SB 1569 landed in the committee yesterday … Continue reading →

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Specter switches

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As Greg says, wow. Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning. Specter’s decision would … Continue reading →

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