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It's 20 minutes after midnight and the gallery is hushed as first Todd Smith of Euless and then Fred Hill of Richardson tease out the Craddick rationale for saying he doesn't have to recognize any motion to vacate the chair.

It's essentially this: The speaker is a constitutional officer and could only be removed by a two-thirds vote, presumably after some sort of due process.

Hill: "The body has been in turmoil. And we are all your colleagues."

Mr. Hill then asked if Mr. Craddick would recognize him to move to vacate the chair.

Craddick: "I will not recognize you for that motion."

Mr. Hill then asked if he could be recognized to appeal the chair's ruling.

Craddick: "The speaker's discretion to recognize any member on any matter is unappealable."

Mr. Hill persisted. He cited congressional and constitutional authority, but Mr. Craddick, primed by Terry Keel, rejected the dissident's reasoning. And the speaker rejected further attempts by Mr. Hill to appeal the ruling of the chair.

Craddick: "There is no ruling by the chair becausee you were never recognized for the motion."

Then the thing sort of fizzled. And incongruously, Mr. Hill said, "I thank you for your time" and walked away from the back microphone.