Senate Sees First Filibuster - But It's Short-Lived
The first filibuster of this year's session was launched Tuesday afternoon by an unlikely senator - Mario Gallegos of Houston - who had a liver transplant earlier this year and only recently returned to the Senate. The bill that brought the Democrat to his feet was a measure to restrict the ability of the City of Houston to regulate air quality outside its boundaries.
Houston Mayor Bill White has been working on a plan to restrict emissions from refineries and other industrial plants not only in his city but also in neighboring suburbs and communities. His proposal has drawn opposition from some of those cities and led Sen. Mike Jackson, R-La Porte, to carry a bill that would stop Houston in its tracks. Under the measure, Houston's power to regulate air quality would stop a mile outside its city limits.
Sen. Gallegos began filibustering the bill Tuesday afternoon, bringing Senate business to a halt for nearly two hours before he gave up his effort. The chamber then tentatively approved the measure 20-11, with all Republicans voting yes and all Democrats voting no. The legislation must still win final approval of the Senate on Wednesday. Under a long-standing Senate tradition, any senator can keep talking to delay action on legislation as long as he can remain standing at his desk and confine his remarks to topics related to the bill.