May
4
Written by:
Mark Lavergne
5/4/2011 6:16 PM
Well, at the end of yesterday it looked like the Senate Republicans would stick to the regular order of business to take up the Committee Substitute to House Bill 1 – the Senate’s markup of the budget – without needing any Democratic votes.
Today, precisely that happened.
Senate Finance Chairman and bill sponsor Steve Ogden (R-Bryan) called the budget a “bridge to the future” that does not harm the Texas economy as it continues to recover.
Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio) told reporters afterward that there was “no way” Democratic senators could go home and tell their constituents that $11 billion in cuts (compared to last biennium’s budget) “would have no effect.”
Today’s vote was unusual for several reasons, including that the vote feel along party lines and sufficed to pass the bill without two-thirds support from the full body.
In the early afternoon, Dewhurst recognized Ogden on the bill. In a span of about five minutes, the Senate approved (on a party line vote) Ogden’s floor amendment stripping the Rainy Day Fund money out of the bill, and the bill was passed to third reading.
After suspending the rules to pass a few Senate Bills, the Senate adjourned, ending the legislative day.
About three minutes later, at 2:49 p.m., the Senate gaveled back in, beginning the next legislative day. Ogden brought the bill up again, still following the regular order of business.
Then, nearly every Senate Democrat rose one after another to speak against the bill, particularly the fact that the bill cuts $11 billion from the budget for 2010-11, including $4 billion from education spending. They also attacked cuts to health and human services funding.
”We can’t put a happy face on this budget, members,” said John Whitmire (D-Houston).
A handful of Republicans rose to rebut several Democratic claims. Running point were Education Committee Chairwoman Florence Shapiro (R-Plano) and Health and Human Services Committee Chairwoman Jane Nelson (R-Lewisville).
About two and a half hours after the debate ensued, the budget passed, 19 Republicans for and 12 Democrats against.
Another common Democratic theme was that this was the first time in recent memory that a budget came down to a party-line vote in both chambers. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst told reporters following passage that he believed the Senate had stretched to increase the spending in the budget, and he expected to get some Democratic votes as a result. He said he did not prefer to pass the budget without the two-thirds vote to suspend, but the rules were followed.