The pace of the local & consent calendar in the House has suddenly sped up. Democrats have stopped chubbing, and are whipping through the bills quickly now. They’ve delayed long enough that they’re hoping to squeeze in a few major bills before the midnight deadline, but cutting it close enough to kill SB 362, the voter ID bill.
Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, made a parliamentary inquiry to ask when, at the new pace, L&C might be finished. Around 10 or 10:30pm, he was told.
Asked if some sort of agreement had been reached with Republicans, Rep. Elliot Naishtat, D-Austin, said no, it was the Democrats’ doing. “It’s just time to speed up,” told me. “We’re hoping to get to the unemployment insurance bill.”
Now the Repubs are making some more parliamentary inquiries; I suspect they’re trying to knock out all the L&C at once and create another hour or so to possibly squeeze voter ID under the deadline.
This article appears in May 22 • 2009.