Holy smokes – the House is in full meltdown tonight, following Speaker Tom Craddick‘s announcement that he might not (update: won’t) recognize a motion to vacate his chair, nullifying any challenge to him. To howls, he left the House at rest after the announcement, just recently reconvening at 11pm. In the interim, the House parliamentarian and her assistant resigned (i.e., left after Craddick refused to follow her advice saying he had to recognize a motion to vacate), to be replaced by former Reps. Terry Keel and Ron Wilson – with opposition members in high dudgeon over the selection. We’re late to the party, so get more background and coverage at Burnt Orange Report and the Houston Chronicle blog; cable viewers can watch the House live on Channel 17. We’ll just note this exchange:
A moment ago, Rep. Pete Gallego put forth a parliamentary inquiry over the selection of the speaker; swatting it down, Craddick said, “We’re gonna follow the House rules.” To thunderous applause, Gallego responded, “When?”
It’s an incredibly volatile and historic night.
Update: Rep. Fred Hill has made a motion to vacate the chair. Craddick is refusing to recognize his motion, citing his “absolute discretion” to recognize any member – with no appeal. All his lines are being fed to him by his spanking new parliamentarians. It’s an incredibly bleak scene. C’mon, Terry Fucking Keel? If that’s not the face of a hired hack, what is? Obvious conflicts-of-interest he has were pointed out earlier (representing Rep. Harold Dutton on his driving under the influence charge, leading the challenge against Rep. Hubert Vo’s narrow election victory), to no avail.
This evening has been an obscene farce, rife with the most dictatorial, anti-democratic impulses you could imagine. If this isn’t a low point in Texas history, what the hell is?
This article appears in May 25 • 2007.