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October 29, 2009
TV ad on property-rights proposition doesn't violate law, agency says
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples won’t be on Tuesday’s ballot, which consists of proposed constitutional amendments. Still, Staples taped the commercial below which the Texas Department of Agriculture says is being run, at no charge, by TV stations — like any public service announcement.
The ad:
I asked an agriculture department spokesman to elaborate on the agency’s conclusion that the spot doesn’t edge into outright advocacy in favor of the proposition.
Bryan Black, the spokesman, gave his preliminary summary Wednesday:
The ad is a public service announcement for educational outreach and we worked with TDA attorneys to ensure we adhered to state law. In this PSA, Commissioner Staples does not tell Texans to vote for or against Prop. 11. He informs voters of an important issue facing Texas and ask(s) voters to go to the polls to ensure their voices are heard. There was no cost for production, since the producers offered in-kind services, and cable stations are running it free of charge since it is a public service announcement.
Other lawyers might have their own interpretations of the ad, which to my eyes lacks any information that might prompt someone to vote against the proposition. My sense is that if it was considered advocacy, there’d be a political disclaimer in the video and stations would charge for the air time — meaning it wouldn’t be airing much at all.
There’s a solid political punch line to this episode.
Staples, who could be seeking a second term next year, coincidentally landed this TV spotlight at no cost to his political kitty, and at a time no other statewide elected officials are showcasing themselves in TV advertising.
At the least, that’s crafty. And maybe — just maybe — it signals that Staples is as eager as any Republican for a chance to move on to another high office. If I was forced to bet, I’d single out lieutenant governor.
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Cathie Adams' rise to GOP chairmanship prompts group to compile her past comments
I write in today’s column, posted here, that the new chair of the Republican Party of Texas could prove exciting for all of Texas.
For the Texas Freedom Network, which has tangled with Adams over school textbooks and sex-education instruction, Adams’ chase of the party leadership post fueled an online compilation of some of the Dallas activist’s past comments.
In my column, I refer to two moments singled out by the network.
In 1994, Adams reacted to Gov. Ann Richards charging the “radical right” with taking over the GOP by calling Richards an “anti-religious bigot… Most Texas women are ladylike and God-fearing. Ann Richards has none of those qualities.”
And before the 2008 presidential election, Adams questioned whether then-Sen. Barack Obama had a relationship with Jesus Christ “because that is the only HOPE that any of us have to obtain eternal life. I personally see NO evidence that Obama has that kind of ‘saving faith.’”
Network spokesman Dan Quinn reacted this week: “Who died and gave her the right to judge the religious beliefs of other people?” (Peek at other compiled Adams-isms here.)
Adams, who has said she’ll be relinquishing her long-held job of president of the Texas Eagle Forum to focus on leading the GOP, told me that generally, she isn’t looking back. “I’m looking forward,” she said.
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September 8, 2009
Capitol security boosted after keys disappear
A set of keys unlocking more than 100 legislative offices and rooms in the Texas Capitol were lost Monday night in a possible grab-and-run theft that triggered beefed-up security and mandatory ID checks in the historic statehouse complex, officials just confirmed.
By late afternoon today, locksmiths were busy replacing locks on many offices and conference rooms in the underground Capitol Extension and all offices on the first floor of the State Capitol except those of the governor, officials said.
In addition, three legislative offices in the basement of the Victorian-era statehouse were being re-keyed.
Because changing the locks is expected to take until the end of the week, officials said in an e-mail to legislative staffers, “substantially increased trooper presence … will be in place 24/7 until all compromised locks have been replaced.”
“During this time, DPS will be closely checking the identification of individuals in the hallways,” the memo states, calling the theft a “serious security issue.”
“Expect that everyone will be asked to show an identification after hours. You are strongly urged to carry your employer-issued identification with you at all times.”
Tom Vinger, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said the keys were reported “either misplaced or stolen” by custodial staff Monday evening. “We immediately launched an investigation and increased security,” he said.
Other officials said the keys were in a locked box in a small custodial office on the first-floor of the underground Extension. A supervisor left the office for a few minutes to make a cell phone call and when he returned they were gone.
John Sneed, executive director of the State Preservation Board that manages the Capitol, referred questions on the investigation to DPS. Vinger and other officials said no specifics could be discussed because the investigation was ongoing.
Capitol officials with knowledge of the investigation suggested the keys were probably taken by someone who spotted the box through an open door, and thought it contained money.
Sneed said the contract custodial service will be responsible for the costs of re-keying all the locks. He and other state officials said they had no estimate of the cost.
Vinger and other officials said security cameras in the Capitol were working. They declined to discuss details, including whether anyone was caught on footage taking the box.
Security at the Capitol and its environs has been at issue off and on for more than a year.
In June 2008, an arsonist torched the historic Governor’s Mansion just across the street, and DPS officials later acknowledged security lapses and broken electronic-surveillance gear was a contributing factor.
Earlier this year, additional security gear was put into use to protect Capitol driveways, but equipment malfunctions caused several weeks of delays until bugs could be worked out of the automated barriers.
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September 1, 2009
AT&T announces fix for Capitol's cell phone dead zone
The notorious blackout zone for some cell phone users in the underground Capitol Extension, where lobbyists and lawmakers have cussed dropped calls, may be a thing of the past.
AT&T announced this morning that it has upgraded its 3G mobile broadband service in the underground building with the installation of a distributed antenna system — also called DAS.
With 3G speeds, the company predicted that customers will be able to surf the Web and download files faster, and also experience the latest interactive mobile applications.
According to the company, the new antenna system in the underground portion of the historic statehouse consists of eight unobtrusive antennas installed throughout the annex that will give customers more uniform coverage on both 2G and 3G networks.
This is especially helpful during large capacity gatherings like legislative sessions, AT&T said. Because of historically spotty reception in the steel-and-concrete, below-ground Capitol Extension, lobbyists and lawmakers often cluster to make calls in an open-air rotunda and in hallways near skylights where dropped calls and bad reception is not such a problem.
Three years ago, AT&T said it installed a 2G system in the Extension.
“This should help (wireless card customers who transmit data) really see a difference,” said Mike Barger, an AT&T spokesman.
State officials said other cell carriers also have antenna systems in the Extension, but those systems have not been upgraded to 3G.
House Speaker Joe Straus applauded the service upgrade. “The goal of this project is to continue to keep Texans better connected whether they’re at home or on vacation visiting our historic Capitol building,” Straus said in an AT&T press release.
For the record: AT&T has one of the largest lobbying teams at the Capitol and its political action committees also are big donors to state political campaigns.
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August 19, 2009
Austin "tea-party" group hosting speaker on health care Saturday; Democrats decline invitation to join audience
Austin Tea Party Patriots, the self-described conservative grass-roots group that has organized two tea-party rallies this year, is hosting a health care town hall meeting from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday in the Texas Capitol Extension Auditorium in E1.004. Tickets are available for free on a first-come, first-serve basis; send an e-mail to having.anaustinteaparty@gmail.com .
An e-mail invitation states: “We at the Austin Tea Party Patriots are stressing to all attendees that this Town Hall is a time to leave our ‘for’ and ‘against’ signs at home and to focus on learning about real alternatives.”
The speaker is Clare L. Gray, a founder of Physicians for Reform, which he pitches as intent on protecting the physician-patient relationship while warning of a push for socialized medicine. Gray also advocates for patients to control their own health-care dollars—both a salute to health savings accounts and a call for everyone to be offered access to a basic health plan funded from pre-tax dollars paid by an employer or, for low-income Americans, federal tax credits.
Is the event a chance for Austin-area residents to hunt common ground? That’s already touched off disagreement.
The Texas Democratic Party didn’t respond to an invitation to send members to the event. The organizing group offered half the seats in the auditorium to the Democrats.
“We have enough information from them to know this is a one-sided initiative, featuring just one speaker whose agenda opposes Democratic efforts to reform our broken health care system,” said Kirsten Gray, the party’s communications director. “Given this organization’s history, we aren’t going to encourage Democrats to attend an event that’s rife with shouting and intimidation and discouraging of meaningful dialogue.”
Austin lawyer Greg Holloway of the Austin Tea Party Patriots said: “I am surprised and disappointed that the Democrats have rejected our offer. We have heard consistently from those who favor the government health care plan favored by the White House that conservatives are interested only in saying no and that we offer no constructive solutions. That is not the case. This town hall is focused on learning about one such constructive solution.”
Judy Holloway, Holloway’s wife, said she chose the Capitol auditorium to ensure a classy gathering. “We are saying leave your signs at home; this is a time to sit down and ask questions,” she said.
On a separate front, Austin lawyer Lou McCreary said he’s given up on organizing a local “civil debate” of the health-care issue partly because U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, couldn’t fit the envisioned forum into his schedule. He noted that Doggett has been featured in some national cable and network TV news coverage of the topic.
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July 4, 2009
Sen. Cornyn booed at Capitol "tea party"
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn drew boos from a crowd outside the Texas Capitol this afternoon as he spoke at a “tea party” rally organized by the Texas office of Americans for Prosperity.
Cornyn was booed at the start and close of his remarks, which assailed actions in Washington; there were no boos while he awarded a Purple Heart to a Copperas Cove resident injured in Iraq in 2006.
“You’re the problem,” a crowd member hollered.
Another crowd member yelled that Cornyn voted for the initial federal bailout of Wall Street approved by Congress last year, the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Cornyn was the first elected official to speak, though Gov. Rick Perry and others are expected to have turns. UPDATE, 4:04 p.m.: Perry drew scattered boos, notably from crowd members aware of his advocacy of toll roads to relieve traffic congestion.
Cornyn, a Republican elected to his second Senate term last year, said before today’s gathering that he wasn’t sure what kind of reception he’d field.
“I don’t yet know exactly what it’s going to be like,” Cornyn said Wednesday.
He said he’d agreed to “come and talk about my belief that local government including state government is closest to the people and more likely to be responsive to their needs. And we’ll see how it goes.
“What do you think?” he asked a reporter. “You think it’s going to be OK? I’m waiting to see.”
“I didn’t want to come some place that I wasn’t wanted.”
Permalink | Comments (178) | Post your comment Categories: Capitol, Comings and goings, Military, Republican politics, U.S. Senate
July 2, 2009
Locals rally to show support for Sotomayor
City government, business and community leaders rallied in front of the Capitol this morning to support the nomination of federal judge Sonia Sotomayor. If confirmed, Sotomayor will be the first Latina justice on the country’s highest court and only the third woman on the Court.
“I believe whole-heartedly that she can, and will be, a fair and effective justice,” Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell said.
Lulu Flores, former president of the Hispanic Bar Association said those who focus solely on Sotomayor’s personal story are “glossing over” her strong judicial record and and legal experience.
“Her life story is very compelling, but it’s not her only qualification for being on this court,” Flores said.
Watch video of the gathering here.
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June 11, 2009
UPDATED: Berman could drop bid for governor if Perry embraces ideas combating illegal immigration
East Texas Rep. Leo Berman lunched with Gov. Rick Perry today—as previewed in my Thursday column here—and gave him four bones to chew on that could lead Berman to cancel his declared plans to run in the 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary already expected to be headlined by the Perry face-off with U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Berman, R-Tyler, said afterward that if Perry embraces his suggestions related to illegal mmigration, “it would satisfy many of the people who have asked me to do this (run for governor). He’s got the money, the name, the position. I would probably endorse him and get out of the race myself.”
Berman has otherwise said he’d declare for governor around July 4.
UPDATE: Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle later confirmed the meeting, adding that Perry plans to get back to the representative.
By not running, Berman could spare the incumbent from losing the votes of voters greatly concerned about illegal immigration—a big deal if the March primary proves tight.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment Categories: Capitol, Comings and goings, Governor, House, Immigration, Republican politics
May 29, 2009
The highlight reel
A sage once noted that if you expect anything much more than entertainment from your elected leaders you might be headed for disappointment.
With that in mind, let’s take a light-hearted look back at great moments from the regular session of the 81st Texas Legislature. Its 140-day run ends Monday.
And God bless Texas.
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May 26, 2009
Lawmakers and their cars
Somehow, some way (generally as a result of their real jobs), many Texas lawmakers seem to be able to afford nice cars on their $600-a-month state paycheck.
Let’s take a walk around the Capitol and look at - and in - some of the cars with the SO (state official) plates.
Today’s lesson - based on what you will see between the front seats of a pickup truck in this video - is that you may want to be careful before you make a single-finger gesture at somebody driving a car with SO plates.
Enjoy, and consider yourself duly warned.
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May 20, 2009
UPDATED: Perry warns of immediate special session if windstorm plan doesn't pass
Gov. Rick Perry told legislators this afternoon he could call a special session immediately after the regular session ends June 1 to work on a plan patching up the fund that provides windstorm insurance coverage to property-owners in 14 coastal counties and a sliver of Harris County.
UPDATE, 6:49 p.m.: Perry spoke hours before a House panel advanced a negotiated version of the Senate-approved Senate Bill 14 by a 7-2 vote with Democratic Reps. Senfronia Thompson of Houston and Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio voting no. The two each asked for more time to review the revised take, which had been hammered out by Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, who chairs the House Committee on Insurance, and three coastal state representatives.
Smithee said action was needed tonight to ensure floor consideration before Tuesday’s deadline for House action on Senate measures.
To be seen: How insurance rates could change depending on distinct House and Senate approaches to windstorm coverage and how insurance companies would be affected under the competing versions.
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May 18, 2009
Anthony Ortiz honored at the Capitol
Mariachi Corbetas plays the Texas Capitol Rotunda after Anthony Ortiz is honored for making it to the finals of a national accordian competition.
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May 15, 2009
Legacy art for Capitol gets boost
The Texas Capitol is loaded with historic paintings of dozens of Lone Star icons from the 19th Century such as Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, “Three-Legged Willie (Robert McAlpin Williamson), even Confederacy President Jefferson Davis.
And if a bill passed by the Senate this morning becomes law, the domed landmark could get a new collection of contemporary and so-called “legacy” artwork, as well.
Senate Bill 2177 by Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, would authorize the State Preservation Board — which maintains and oversees the pink-granite statehouse — to establish and operate an affiliated non-profit organization to raise money to buy artwork.
“The purpose is to acquire unique legacy art for the Capitol, not with state money, but with money raised through this nonprofit,” Shapleigh said. “It would be major pieces of art by Texas artists … legacy art that Texans for generations could see at their Capitol.”
Shapleigh said the proposal is patterned after New Mexico’s Capitol Art Foundation, created in 1991 and which New Mexico officials say has become one of the most endearing features of the New Mexico statehouse.
Approved unanimously by the Senate, the bill now goes to the House for consideration.
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Last call for House bills on House floor
A bit of the flavor on the House floor late Thursday night as members churned toward the midnight deadline for action on House bills. The legislative session ends June 1, but any House bill that did not make it to the floor by midnight is dead.
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April 21, 2009
Sponsor says sovereignty not related to secession
Some interesting moments late Tuesday night as the House State Affairs Committee heard testimony on HCR50, the proposed resolution proclaiming Texas’ sovereignty. Some folks have used the bill as a rallying point for secessionist talk.
First interesting moment on video below: Sponsor Rep. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, says his resolution has nothing to do with secession. It’s aimed, he said, at protecting against an overbearing federal government.
Next interesting moment on video below (and please excuse the less-than-network quality camera work): Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, tells Creighton that federal mandates can be a good thing, including ones that opened up opportunities for minorities in Texas.
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Pending business: Bush resolution, Governor's Mansion bill
Some talk, no action today in a House committee today on a bill involving a former Texas governor and one that could impact future Texas governors.
Waco Rep. Charles Anderson’s revised resolution honoring ex-President Bush was left as pending business in the House Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism.
A March effort to win House approval for the resolution stalled due to opposition from Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, who said some of it sounded like kudos for Bush for waterboarding. No such intention, said Anderson, who nevertheless removed the passage about “new antiterrorism tools.”
No witnesses showed up to testify for or against the resolution.
The same committee also left pending Waco Rep. Jim Dunnam’s bill encouraging the state to try to buy back the Pease Mansion, also known as Woodlawn, a historic West Austin home. Dunnam wants the house coverted into a Governor’s Mansion, leaving the current Governor’s Mansion - now undergoing post-fire renovation - as a museum.
Rep. Brian McCall, R-Plano, said he has talked to Jeff Sandefer, the Pease Mansion’s current owner, about a possible sale to the state.
“He is not at this time ready to do that,” McCall told fellow committee members.
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April 20, 2009
Temporary tag flap
Glen Hagood of Jarrell says he has come up with a better system for producing weatherproof temporary tags for vehicles.
The problem is that current state rules require all temporary tags - even if they are weatherproof - to be put in plastic bags when they are put on vehicles. Hagood says few auto dealers want to buy his weatherproof plates if they still have to put them in plastic bags.
Texas lawmakers are considering a measure that would end the plastic bag requirement. See the story here.
And click below to hear Hagood’s story and see his process.
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April 19, 2009
Senate prayer disclaimer
There was an interesting preamble to the prayer offered Friday in the Texas Senate by Dale Schultz, senior pastor at Round Rock’s St. Philip’s United Methodist Church.
That’s him to the right. Here’s what he said:
“As we gather from different faith traditions, thank you for your tolerance that this prayer will be offered from a Christian perspective. I invite you to filter to receive these words within the context of your own faith tradition and if you have no faith thank you for your tolerance for those of us who do.”
Interestingly, he chose not to mention Jesus in the prayer. It is that mention that can cause consternation for non-Christians in the legislative chambers.
A smiling Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano and one of the Legislature’s few Jewish members, sought out Schultz after the prayer to express her appreciation for his words.
Those words included a gentle nod to legislative fallibility. Schultz noted that “even when they are at their less than best, (state officials’) intentions are good for those who they serve.”
See the prayer here. It comes up right after the Senate takes attendance, about a minute and fifteen seconds into the archived recording of the Friday session.
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April 17, 2009
Sen. Cornyn says Texas can't secede from United States
While a poll broke this morning suggesting Texans favor staying in the United States by more than 3-to-1, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said secession can’t legally happen.
A multi-media firestorm broke this week over Gov. Rick Perry insisting Texas could secede if residents wanted to do so, though he also said he doesn’t favor breaking away.
Perry stuck Thursday with his initial indication that Texas could quit the union. He’d said Wednesday that “if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that?”
Cornyn, the state’s former attorney general and a past member of the Texas Supreme Court, said in response to a question during a stop at the Texas Capitol that secession isn’t legally possible. “I understand the sort of frustration people feel about what’s happening in Washington. I share that frustration,” the second-term senator said. But as to secession being legally possible, he said, “the answer is no. Texas cannot, as a constitutional law matter, secede. I thought Sanford Levinson did a good job of answering that question,” a reference to a law professor quoted here in Friday’s American-Statesman.
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April 8, 2009
Wind knocks Capitol flags to half-staff
The U.S. and Texas flags on the south side of the Capitol appear to be at half-staff (or lower) today, but not because anyone important died.
The wind did it, according to the governor’s office.
“Due to the high winds, the lanyard on the flagpole on the south side of the Capitol has broken and the flags seem to be displayed at half-staff,” Katherine Cesinger, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry, wrote in an email. “In the meantime, since the flags cannot be displayed according to proper flag protocol, they will be removed from the south flagpole until necessary repairs have been made.”
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