Session is on, is there a Speaker in the House?

Session is on, is there a Speaker in the House?

Game on today as the House and the Senate introduced their versions and visions of what the budget should be.  Strikingly, the Senate has proposed a leaner budget for once.  The Senate has posted a $186.8 billion budget, while the House came in slightly higher with a $187.7 billion budget.  The real question is how willing will some legislators be about restoring the $5.4 in cuts made in the 2011 session.  Before anyone does anything however, both chambers have a little speed bump because they need to pass an almost $6 billion supplemental budget (one which covers pending expenditures against the state) to deal with bills from the last legislative cycle.

And speaking of speed bumps, Joe Straus  (R-San Antonio) seems to have recovered from challenges to his leadership, and he was re-elected Speaker of the House, but he still has a rough road ahead.   As Speaker, his main duties are to conduct meetings of the House, appoint committees, and enforce the House Rules.  Or maybe not because it looks like Straus’ battles are not over.

Each new biennium (the 140 day legislative session that meets in odd-numbered years) the Texas House elects its leader for the session.  It’ virtually guaranteed it will be a Republican given 95 Republican-55 Democrat split, but the question often becomes whether there will be an internal party challenger (someone who is not the incumbent in the position).  Straus—a third term incumbent (existing holder of a political office)—seemed  to be the choice after the 2012 elections, until David Simpson (R-Longview) and Tea Party supporter accused Straus of not being conservative enough.  Simpson put forward a challenge, but at the last minute pulled out right before the vote.

Simpson may have had other goals in mind.  He wants to alter the rules of the game and limit the speaker’s power by altering the Speaker’s appointment authority and the rules governing procedures if a member opposes House leadership.  One of the more controversial proposals mandates that if a bill has 76 (51%) or more co-authors, the Calendars Committee must send it to floor debate within seven to 10 days-effectively allowing a bill to bypass the regular process.  The committee appointment power is also important because the chairs of the committee can kill legislation by never having it considered by the committee.  That’s critical because the Speaker makes appointments and expects his committee leaders to help pass his agenda, but that won’t happen if Simpson and conservatives who want to see a decentralization of power are able to change the rules.

Get ready, it’s game on.