Spending caps and shell games
House Appropriations Chairman Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, tried to call a quick meeting of his committee while the House was still in session to vote out what he called a procedural resolution that would lift a constitutional spending cap and let lawmakers cover the property-tax cuts in this year’s budget.
Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, and some of his cohorts took exception for two reasons.
One, there was no public testimony on that particular piece of legislation, which leaders argue it does not require. And two, it was going to be held in a different room than usual – a room that has no web feed so no one outside the room can see what’s going on over the internet.
On the first concern, Chisum basically said, tough luck. As for the second, he went ahead and moved the meeting back to the appropriations room – and then refused to broadcast it anyway.
When Dunnam asked House Speaker Tom Craddick if he could make a motion on the House floor to require a public hearing on the resolution – thereby forcing people to make a decision to vote against their party or to vote against a public hearing – Craddick said no.
Would have been an interesting vote to watch. Whether you agree with his answer or not, Mr. Craddick's decision apparently protected the resolution's supporters from a tough vote - since, given the kvetching that went on after the House adjourned, those supporters didn't want the resolution to get a public hearing.