House Democrats Aiming to Get Back Into the Game
Joe Straus became the speaker of the Texas House in 2009, when Democrats and Republicans had nearly even numbers in that body.
Every deal had to be brokered. Party lines were soft.
Republicans clobbered the Democrats in the 2010 elections and ran over them in Straus’ second term as speaker. They had a supermajority, and they acted like it.
As a bloc of votes, the Democrats were broken. Demoralized, they never coalesced behind any particular leader. They had a caucus head in Rep. Jessica Farrar of Houston. And they had a brawler, Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio. But ...
Comments (12)
mike adams
Any Texan that would support a Dem is 100% crazy! And this is coming from an objective independent!
Anya Khan
I think any straight party is silly. Hopefully we dems can take the party back from the extreme views it currently has to what is best for the state.
mike adams
If Texas is taken back in the future by Dems, our great state will become a failure like California, and I do not have to name names of the wack jobs that run Cali into the ground, do I?
Robert Chapman
Outnuumbered 95-55, about 9-5, the Dems in Texas simply cannot afford to become an opposition party.
The Texas GOP is clearly divided and the split is betwen civic minded Republicans who understand the need for effective government and TEA Party types who simply demand at continuation of their privileged status in society.
In supporting sensible, effective, value adding measures taken up in the House, the Democrats will serve the people of the Lone Star State, the job they were elected to do.
The Dems best strategy in Texas, as elsewhere, is simply to support measures that lead to good governance and to let the political chips fall where they may.
donald baker
The Democrat party is a malignant evil intent on destroying every principle this country was founded on. They are proponents of every perversion known to man, view our constitution as toilet paper, despise freedom, embrace Marxism and constantly lie to achieve their anti American agenda. Voting for a Democrat is voting for treason and is un American.
Rudy Gonzales
It's not Republican successes that count, but the people of Texas successes that count! TEA-quest-traitors have been put on notice and many understand a blue shade is coming and they must change to enjoy the fruits of Texas. Arrogant, confrontational and polarizing, Ted Cruz is Ditch Mitch's attack dog and will also have to change if he wants to keep his seat. His arrogance and caustic attitude has soured both parties as his total allegiance is to the TEA party. The Mexican-American Legislative Caucus must choose their battles carefully and stay on the side of the people. Texas is still awaiting outcome of the challenge to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, section 5, in Alabama. That provision has not outlived it's purpose and in fact should be spread out across the entire nation given the actions of many states who have passed numerous state laws abridging voters in a multitude of ways from photo ID's to limiting amount of time or days to vote. The phrase, “an insidious and pervasive evil which had been perpetuated in certain parts of our country through unremitting and ingenious defiance of the Constitution” holds true today just as much as it did back then. In Alabama, because the city had not obtained pre clearance from federal authorities, it could not revise its voting list using utility records. Nor could it use a municipal redistricting plan enacted by the City Council that had concentrated black voters, who are in the majority, into just two of the five districts, limiting black voting power. Voting should be in proportion to the ethnic diversity of the state and abridging this concept should not be allowed. In fact, this provision does pick on the south, and should be utilized in every state across the board when this type of action is attempted. New data should be considered as states have abridged time, requirements and certification requirements for one to vote. Any methodology to infringe on voter restrictions by any means should be singled out and brought to trial if necessary. Voter intimidation has no place on our society and perpetrators should be singled out and brought to justice if applicable. The south has changed slowly and many pockets of prejudice and discrimination persist in these same states. We well know the truth of the concentration of wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer people and the concentration of power in stricter, less compassionate hands. "Sweep the Texas state Capital CLEAN....in 2014" "Sweep the House CLEAN....in 2014" "Sweep the Senate CLEAN....in 2014"
R L
Rudy, I completely agree with you that the Capitol should be swept CLEAN in 2014......absolutely NO Democrats should be left standing.
EyesOfTX
"Republicans clobbered the Democrats in the 2010 elections and ran over them in Straus’ second term as speaker. They had a supermajority, and they acted like it."
What were Speaker Straus and the Republicans supposed to do in 2011 - act like the voters had created an even split and make sure half the bills passed were authored by Ds? The voters in 2010 pretty clearly endorsed heavily Republican government, and there was precious little change to that endorsement in the 2012 elections. Seems to me that the Speaker has bent over backwards to be even-handed in his governance, despite his almost 2/3rds majority.
It would sure be nice if every article on this subject weren't written exclusively from a Democratic point of view.
Mac Mcclure via Texas Tribune on Facebook
You know what I would like to see is the Texas Tribune do an article about the Democrats. TT seems to report nothing but stories about how the Republicans whipped the Democrats in the last two elections.
James Cartlett
I just want to say one thing:
I love California. California is projected to have record surpluses and job growth during the next five to ten years.
I hope the EPA cuts down on all that ground, water, and air pollution that affect 2/3's of all Texas residents, even if it means crashing the Texas economy - just like the Republicans want to see Obama fail at all costs.
Here in California, I earn plenty of money to own a home, three cars, and have a Starbuck's latte every morning, with my banana. We don't get offended if two men are holding hands here in California. Our strong business partners in Asia and Europe ensure that we have a GDP of $2 trillion a year - and rising. That makes California the 8th largest economy in the world. Yeah, we don't mind paying taxes at all. There are nearly 700,000 millionaires living in our state. Everyone from across the globe wants to come here, live here, and work here. Texas, on the other hand, is an epic failure that's just waiting to happen. No one wants to live there. I lived there (in Houston) for 13 years and it sucked. You got to be crazy to live in Texas, unless you fail at business.
The weather is absolutely beautiful out here. The women are beautiful and not fat, like they are in Houston. The air is cleaner, and the water quality is better than it is in the Lone Star state. I've lived in Houston, and had to choke on that air for 13 years. Your idiot governor, "Slick" Rick Perry, isn't doing anything to regulate the pollution that's going to kill your state in the end. I hope Obama's regulation (and Hillary Clinton's as well after 2016, since 2/3 of voting Americans would vote her her) will put you Texas HeeHaw conservative rednecks into check. Sure, you've got a good thing going now, but all good things must come to an end. And in the end, California will A-L-W-A-Y-S be superior to that lonely Lone Star state.
Anya Khan
Robert Chapman: Excellent Post
Rudy G and Don B: you are both idiots that do nothing but damage the state.
raffaele cafagna
@Rudy Gonzales : not long ago someone told you to GO BACK to Mexico and at the Borders Leave your Green Card if you got one : Remember ???????? Just a reminder .