By Erin Mulvaney
During the 2009 legislative session certain lawmakers managed to shine through the whirlwind of legislation and partisan politics that delayed productivity during the 140 days.
The session was called unproductive overshadowed by partisan politics and an upcoming gubernatorial Republican primary between Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Gov. Rick Perry.
But some state lawmakers made strides for higher education measures including a top 10 percent cap making funding available to add tier-one universities in the state and gaining substantial funding for the hurricane-ravaged University of Texas Medical Branch.
After each of the last 36 legislative sessions
Texas Monthly Magazine has chosen the Ten Best and Worst Legislators" of the year. Those lawmakers who topped the list were honored Thursday at a banquet.
State Rep. Craig Eiland R-Galveston made the magazines prestigious Top 10" list. Although much substantial legislation never made it to the House floor Eiland managed to reach his lofty expectations to raise funds for
UTMB.
He raised more than $550 million in funds through three different pieces of legislation to restore the coast and also reestablished a state windstorm insurance fund.
Our expectations were met and we were extremely happy to be home after the session and see the peoples attitude changing knowing that UTMB is going to be back" Eiland said.
Galveston and the medical branch were devastated by the storm and Eiland said his top priority during the session was to ensure that the island would make a comeback. Hopes of that happening were not always guaranteed for the island particularly when the UT System Board of Regents considered moving the medical branch from the island to a new location on the mainland.
Sherri Greenberg UT lecturer and former state representative said the session came as they all do to a screeching halt."
She said although the legislators are only technically required to pass the state budget there are many other important and necessary bills that were swept under the rug because of the House Democrats efforts to chub" the voter ID legislation.
The voter ID bill seemed to control the session from start to finish" Greenberg said. It started off with the Senate suspending the two-thirds rule and only doing so for the voter ID bill which I thought set a very contentious tone in the Senate and it was quite dicey in the House."
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Story originally published on The Daily Texan
