Anchia (l) and Isett: Reaching across the aisle to fix a wrong

The consensus opinion about how the Texas House of Representatives handled Friday’s budget debate is that it was an object model in passing major bipartisan legislation. More than one lawmaker confided that it was like the good old days of Speaker Pete Laney, or even Gib Lewis. But one little incident shows that there really can be some good things that come out of the lege when the parties work together.

During the debate, Reps. Carl Isett, R-Lubbock, and Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, were searching for House Democratic Caucus Leader Jim Dunnam: An amendment was in trouble, and they wanted to make sure it didn’t get forgotten.

This wasn’t some local investment they were trying to protect: It was to provide cash for
House Bill 1736, more commonly known as the Tim Cole Bill, which will speed up compensation payments for people who are wrongly jailed.

Currently, if someone is wrongfully convicted in Texas, they are compensated $50,000 for every year that they were imprisoned. But between legal fees in trying to get that cash and the delays that court cases create, exhonorees and their families can be left in penury. The bill (currently with the House Calendars Committee, awaiting debate) cuts out the need for lawsuits by appropriating cash straight to the comptroller, and ups compensation to $80,000 per year.

The $680,000 contingency appropriation in the Isett-Anchia amendment had got caught up in the complex to-and-fro of the budget process. If the money wasn’t in the budget and HB 1736 does pass, then the exhonorees would still have to wait until the 2011 session, and neither Isett or Anchia was willing to wait for that.

After a quick consultation with Dunnam, the problem was fixed, the amendment brought back up, and the money became part of the 2010-11 budget.

Catching up with Isett on the floor today, and he was clear on why this was important. Firstly, it cleared up the administrative and legal minefield: But secondly, and most importantly, everyone agreed that it was just the right thing to do.

This article appears in April 17 • 2009.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.