Gridlock Grips Texas Legislature in Final Days

Texas lawmakers opened the 2009 legislative session with an angry rules fight, partisan finger-pointing and a bitter debate over election law reforms. From the looks of things Saturday, they're poised to end it that way, too.
 
For two days running, House Democrats have used parliamentary tricks to block a slew of bills, leaving Republicans fuming that the signature reforms are going down the tubes as the session winds down.
 
The meltdown brought to mind the theatrics of January, when the GOP tinkered with Senate filibuster rules and sparked a furious storm of protests from Democrats.
 
Then, like now, the flap did not arise after some weighty debate about taxes or insurance rate relief. It's all about voter ID legislation that would require voters to furnish more identification before being allowed to cast a ballot at election time.
 
The fireworks began months ago in the Senate, where Republicans engineered a filibuster rules change so that the voter ID bill could be brought up with a simple majority instead of a two-thirds vote. The sole Republican who opposed the change, Sen. John Carona of Dallas, said that it set the stage for what is happening in the House now.
 
"This is just the byproduct of a really bad proposal early in the session," said Carona, who otherwise supports the underlying voter ID bill. "We're now reaping the results of that, and it's just tragic."
 
It remained unclear Saturday how much damage the partisan wrangling would inflict. College tuition relief, insurance reform, curbs on government condemnation power and tax relief for disabled veterans were among the items hanging in the balance as the extraordinary showdown entered a second day.
 
Also unclear is whether newly minted Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, can right the rudderless ship that the Texas House of Representatives has become.
 
Straus has been largely absent from the House speaker's rostrum as Democrats have seized control of the agenda. They've done it via filibuster -- using the rules to run out the clock so voter ID legislation can't be brought up for debate. By law, the session must end June 1, though Gov. Rick Perry can call an unlimited number of 30-day special sessions.
 
That was emerging as a possibility as Saturday wore on.
 
For his part, Straus said he has been huddling with members to ease the logjam and expressed a glimmer of hope that a deal can be reached.
 
"There are a lot of conversations," Straus said. "Conversations come first, then the agreement."
 
The speaker, who began his job in January, made it clear that he is taking a hands-off approach to leading the House. It presents a stark contrast to the long shadow cast by his predecessor, Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, whose iron-fisted approach eventually led to his ouster a few months ago.
 
Straus noted that the House is almost evenly divided between the two parties. With the absence of Rep. Edmund Kuempel, R-Seguin, who suffered a heart attack a few days ago, the Republican majority now stands at 75-74.
 
"It's just one of those spots you get in in a closely divided place," Straus said. "But we'll get through it. I think we've done really well all session."
 
Democrats are demanding that the GOP change or pull down the bill tightening voter ID requirements. The legislation, in its current form, would require Texans to show a photo ID or two non-photo alternatives before voting.
 
Republicans say the bill is needed to prevent fraud. Democrats say it would keep marginal voters away from the polls so the GOP can maintain its electoral advantage.
 
If neither side blinks, scores of bills will die ahead of a Tuesday night deadline for the voter ID bill to come up for debate. The question seemed to be who would get blamed for the legislative fiasco. Democrats say they're willing to take up any issue except voter ID, but the only way they can keep that bill off the table is by holding pages and pages of bills hostage.
 
"They have given gridlock to this place," said Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham. "The whole session is going to go down over one bill."
 
The Texas Legislature, required to meet for only five months every two years, is known for its last-minute drama. So if lawmakers can put the partisan genie back in the bottle, an 11th-hour rescue of endangered legislation remains possible.
 
Veteran Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, has seen his share of fights since he was first elected to the Legislature in 1972. He said he hasn't "hit the panic button yet."
 
But Whitmire said there was little point in trying to compromise on voter ID. Like redistricting, it splits pretty evenly along party lines.
 
"I think they're going to find that there's no middle ground," he said. "There is no in-between."