Rep. Mike Krusee to Retire

State Rep. Mike Krusee R-Round Rock will not seek re-election next year.

Krusee 48 is set to announce his retirement effective at the end of his term in January of 2009 in a written statement released later today.

Krusee who had served in the House since 1993 had been rumored to be in line for a gubernatorial appointment possibly to the Texas Transportation Commission because of his legislative work on toll roads. But a source close to the situation says state law forbids the appointment of a legislator to any job requiring Senate confirmation during his term in office.

That would mean Krusee would not be eligible for most state appointments until the end of his term.

Krusee had already attracted a Democratic opponent Round Rock Diana Maldonado and there was speculation that Speaker Tom Craddick a Midland Republican would recruit a Republican to run against him.

In May as both Republicans and Democrats rebelled against Craddick Krusee delivered a speech criticizing the speaker’s refusal to recognize any motion to remove him from his leadership post.

“Questioning leadership is the highest privilege this body has” Krusee said that night as Craddick looked on. “And it belongs to the body not to the presiding officer.”

Yet this summer Craddick attended a Krusee fundraiser raising speculation that the two former allies had settled their differences. On several occasions this summer Krusee insisted he would be running for re-election.

Over the past 14 years Krusee had a rollercoaster career primarily because of his relationship with House speakers.

Krusee blamed then-Speaker Pete Laney D-Hale Center for his slow start in the House. Krusee was never part of the leadership team because he and Laney disagreed over how to finance public education.

In 2003 when Republicans took control of the House Krusee backed Craddick’s election as speaker and became a key figure in the leadership team.

As chairman of the House Transportation Committee Krusee was a legislative champion of the state’s use of toll roads as a means to finance new highway construction.

He remained committed to that transportation policy during this year’s legislative session even as many of his colleagues including Craddick distanced themselves from it because of a public backlash against letting private companies build and operate the toll roads.