The Old Craddick?
House Speaker Tom Craddick just mowed down 17 proposed amendments to the budget bill with a ruling that incensed Democrats -- and a maverick Republican.
Mr. Craddick said 3 violated a calendar rule by trying to divert money from the State Highway Fund and 14 did so by seeking to siphon funds from the Enterprise Fund, Gov. Rick Perry's deal-closing fund on economic development projects. The logic? The speaker said the amendments messed with constitutionally dedicated revenues, a no-no. Irate Democrats questioned why amendment drafters at the Legislative Budget Board and Legislative Council didn't tell them the funds were off limits.
"I just want to know who is responsible," said Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston.
Mr. Craddick responded, "You're responsible, Mr. Eiland."
Things grew more tense when the speaker rejected Democrats' pleas that they be allowed to fix their amendments.
Rep. Tommy Merritt, R-Longview, seized the chance to settle an old score with Milton Rister, the head of the Legislative Council.
In late 2005, before he assumed his current state job, Mr. Rister was a GOP political consultant who specialized in opposition research. He was widely believed to be in cahoots with Dr. James Leininger's massive effort to defeat five anti-school voucher House Republicans, including Mr. Merritt. At the time, Mr. Rister declined to answer a reporter's questions about his work for Leininger-related political committees.
Back to the House floor today:
Mr. Merritt: What is (Mr. Rister's) background?
Mr. Craddick: The chair doesn’t have his resume.
Mr. Merritt: Is he an attorney? ... Does he have the background to do the job that we’re asking him to do today?
Mr. Craddick: Mr. Merritt, I think you need to ask him that.
Mr. Merritt: Are you familiar with his background as a political consultant doing research against the members?
Mr. Craddick: Mr. Merritt, that is not a proper parliamentary inquiry.
Postscript: Mr. Craddick ruled that "all of the funds in this appropriations bill relating to the Enterprise Fund" have been transferred outside of the state treasury, to special state funds maintained by the comptroller. They are dollars that can't be used by the comptroller to certify there's enough revenue to cover the budget, Mr. Craddick said. He cited last week's calendar rule, which says any amendment switching money from one purpose to another has to reduce a like amount of money from "funds against which the appropriation is to be certified." And the amendments didn't do that, he said.
Denise Davis, the House parliamentarian, said the Legislative Budget Board supplied the argument.
"We were all shocked by it," she said.
Comments
This isn't the old Craddick, just Craddick. Craddick has never been new. Old dog up to same old tricks. No surprise here.
Posted by: Common Sense | March 29, 2007 1:06 PM
Good strong leadership playing by the adopted rules. I love it. Where were these stories with Laney, et.al?
Posted by: Robert Pratt | March 29, 2007 5:45 PM
What Craddick knows about House Rules can be contained on the head of a pin. He regularly excels at making up rules as he goes along.
Posted by: Common Sense | March 30, 2007 12:42 PM