By Senator Kirk Watson
I know youre all excited about this weeks special encore of the 81st Texas Legislative Session. Its sort of like an encore at a concert but after the main set didnt go very well and nobody applauded when it was over. Well the Governor announced the agenda for the Special Session last week. Lets just say it stretches the definition of special".
I wrote a couple of weeks back about some things the legislature should look at since were coming back to the Capitol this summer stuff that real Texans care about and that would make a difference in Texas right now or down the road.
The legislature will get another shot at a bill that was dropped most egregiously a safety net" bill that will preserve the status quo (and keep the lights on) at the Department of Insurance Department of Transportation and other agencies that badly need to be reformed.
Were probably going to authorize $2 billion in transportation bonds that inexcusably failed to move through the process last month.
And the legislature will consider re-authorizing the law allowing the construction of privatized toll roads even as the leadership doggedly refuses to provide other financing options to Texas voters.
Get that?
No work to provide better health coverage to children and seniors or to actually pass a bill that was allowed to die during the session to expand the Texas Childrens Health Insurance Program.
No effort to reform the
Texas Department of Insurance so that it serves customers instead of corporations or to provide any relief at all to homeowners and ratepayers.
No further attempts to improve schools or pass the pre-kindergarten improvements that the Governor vetoed this month.
And no discussion of bringing down skyrocketing utility bills or preparing the state to lead in the 21st Century energy economy.
Texas Constitution allows the Governor to call the legislature into session at any time it isnt meeting regularly. During these special sessions he has total control over the agenda.
This year his main goal seems to get the band on and off the stage as fast as possible.
In other news
As I reported last week my wife Liz and I just celebrated 30 years of marriage. You may ask Whats the secret?"
Well heres one: If a prominent person suggests you ought to run for Governor of Texas and it results in lots of media coverage you really really need to be the first to tell your wife.
Liz took our youngest son Cooper on a quick trip out of state and missed most of the news from this past week. Shes not one of those folks who gets up each morning and first thing logs on to the computer so that she can catch every little piece of political news. (She finds it one of my great failings that I need to do that when Im not at home.)
So Liz missed hearing about my friend and colleague Senator
Leticia Van de Putte suggesting in a very public way that I should run for something besides re-election next year. Liz missed the stir that Senator Van de Puttes support created in the media. She even missed my statement about all of that which you can read by clicking here.
Shes now completely up to date. Due to my strong efforts it looks like well make it to 30 years and two weeks.
Ill have more to say about the 2010 elections sometime soon. But Liz Senator Van de Putte and so many other Texans are absolutely right that the state has endured a crisis of and frequently vacuum in leadership for far far too long.
That sentiment has been echoed repeatedly over the last few days by so many people from so many backgrounds and philosophies that anyone who counts themselves among the states leadership should feel as much grief as fear. Im very flattered by the significant encouragement Ive received.
If absolutely nothing else the 2010 campaign should give Texans a chance to evaluate the path that this state has taken under this leadership. Weve got to have candidates who will give voters the clearest vision of where Texas needs to go for all of those who are here and those who are coming.
Its an honor to be considered as one such potential candidate.
So Liz missed hearing about my friend and colleague Senator Leticia Van de Putte suggesting in a very public way that I should run for something besides re-election next year. Liz missed the stir that Senator Van de Puttes support created in the media. She even missed my statement about all of that which you can read by clicking here.
Shes now completely up to date. Due to my strong efforts it looks like well make it to 30 years and two weeks.
Ill have more to say about the 2010 elections sometime soon. But Liz Senator Van de Putte and so many other Texans are absolutely right that the state has endured a crisis of and frequently vacuum in leadership for far far too long.
That sentiment has been echoed repeatedly over the last few days by so many people from so many backgrounds and philosophies that anyone who counts themselves among the states leadership should feel as much grief as fear. Im very flattered by the significant encouragement Ive received.
If absolutely nothing else the 2010 campaign should give Texans a chance to evaluate the path that this state has taken under this leadership. Weve got to have candidates who will give voters the clearest vision of where Texas needs to go for all of those who are here and those who are coming.
Its an honor to be considered as one such potential candidate.
