Rep. Leibowitz: The Maytag Man probably makes more than $600 a month during the session

After 147 days of the 81st legislative session, the air under the dome is getting thin as the hours weigh heavy.

As Rep.Valinda Bolton put it, the good part of being an Austin rep is that you leave the Capitol and can sleep in your own bed. The bad part is that when you get out of bed, there’s the Capitol.

Could be worse: On Thursday, Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, was in western attire, complete with cowboy shirt and leather boots. Was it bolo tie day? “No, I’ve just run out of clean shirts,” he admitted.

There’s also been a fair share of hijinks, not least the seemingly daily theft and return of Houston Dem Al Edward‘s hat from his desk. That said, the constant pirate impressions whenever Rep. Rene Oliveira, D-Brownsville, gets near the mike have gotten a little old (he’s not even wearing the medically-required eye patch any more.)

In general, good humor prevails. After the passage of House Bill 821, the TV recycling. Bill author Rep. David Liebowitz, D-San Antonio, very politely asked members to stop bringing their old sets to his office because he’s not a licenses recycler. “Does this look like the Maytag man?” added Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland.

This article appears in May 29 • 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.