 "Photo: Andrew Rogers; The Daily Texan")
Proposed House rules that were released Monday will limit the power of the speaker and may draw more attention to certain committees during the session.
The House of Representatives experienced partisan brawls in past legislative sessions but is predicted to come to peace under the leadership of newly elected Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio. The rules are expected to be discussed behind closed doors today and debated on the House floor Wednesday.
Sherri Greenberg, a UT lecturer and former state representative, said House rules are of great importance.
“The rules set the tone as far as the number of committees and their jurisdiction,” Greenberg said. “They also set the tone with two particular sections that harken back to the speaker situation last spring.”
Many of the amendments or proposed changes were reactions to the problems at the end of the 80th legislative session, including the House division created by former Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland.
When a delegation proposed ousting Craddick from leadership, he refused to hear the motion to vote on a new speaker. To prevent this use of absolute power, a new amendment would reduce the speaker’s power by forcing the speaker to hear a resolution if enough member signatures are collected.
During the attempt to unseat Craddick, the parliamentarian of the House resigned, and Craddick appointed a replacement without House approval. A new amendment would require a majority vote to fill the vacancy in the event of a resignation. The parliamentarian ensures that members abide by the House rules and eases the speaker through daily activities.
In 1993, the House rules were revised under former Speaker Pete Laney after members expressed concern about undemocratic procedures.
The rules also would make it more difficult to kill a bill on a point of order, requiring an analysis by the Texas Legislative Council to determine its clarity.
The rules dictate the power of certain committees and can therefore emphasize certain issues. The proposed rules would consolidate some existing committees, cut the regulated-industries committee and create a technology and workforce-training committee. Committees assigned large jurisdictions receive more chairmanships.
“The new committee was created in light of the state of today’s economy to highlight the importance of the workforce,” Greenberg said.
One of the most coveted committees is the appropriations committee, which holds jurisdictions over all bill-appropriating monies out of the state treasury. An amendment rejected a policy that called for spots on the appropriations committee to be saved for senior members.
Greenberg said the speaker would have the power to appoint the members and would not be restricted by senior status.
“[The former rule] gave less latitude in way of [the members’] expertise,” Greenberg said.
The appropriations, state-affairs and ways-and-means committees are highly sought after, and the speaker appoints them with chairmanships.
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