3:45 -- Whatever....

The Texas Senate was supposed to reconvene at 3:45 to try once again to suspend the Senate rules and take up HB 3 on 3rd reading. It was 4:27 at posting time -- and nothing yet. Senators walk in -- Senators walk out -- nothing happens. If all this sounds like more fun than a barrel full of monkeys -- then you too can experience the rush by watching on-line.

Stay tuned.

Brimer Lowers the Boom...

It's been about an hour since the Senate took some time off to make sure GOP Senator Mike Jackson understands that he REALLY needs to vote to suspend the rules on this bill. The chamber had grown quiet -- as reporters sat idly by -- waiting for something to happen. All of the sudden Fort Worth Republican Kenneth Brimer dropped the gavel to announce another delay. The noise was so sudden that about half the press table jumped -- yours truly included. The Senate is now out until 3:45. No word on how close the GOP leadership is to actually getting the 21 votes needed to bring the bill up.

Round One...

The Texas Senate has failed to suspend its rules to bring up House Bill 3 on third reading. The motion failed on a 20 to 11 vote. With two Democrats(Armbrister and Madla) voting to suspend -- while one Republican(Jackson) voted against. The Senate has now recessed while the arm twisting starts up again. Obviously -- not passing HB 3 would be a huge blow to the Perry Tax Plan. HB 3 creates a new broad-based/low-rate business tax. The tax would include several new types of businesses and professions -- including retailers, doctors and lawyers.

stay tuned -- Round Two can't be far away.

Killing Time...

The Texas Senate has recessed until 12:45(or so). It appears there aren't enough votes to bring up House Bill 3 on third reading. The bill passed on 2nd reading Monday by a 18-13 vote. BUT -- 18 votes aren't enough to suspend Senate rules to bring the bill up on 3rd reading. It takes 21 to do that. And it looks like the 13 that voted against the bill aren't too keen on letting it come up for final passage. But of course -- arm twisting IS an Olympic sport at the Capitol.

Hook'Em Horns

The UT-Austin football team was honored on the floor of the Texas Senate today. I know -- I know -- the Longhorns won the title back in January. BUT this is the first time the Legislature has been in session since the win -- and so the speeches about Longhorn greatness had to wait until now. Austin Senator Gonzalo Barrientos presented the resolution on the team -- and gave a LOOOOONG recap of the USC game -- for anyone in the gallery that didn't already know what happened.

The Week Ahead...

Most of the action is in the Senate this week. The Senate Finance Committee continues its work on the House tax bills. The big news today: The committee has substituted HB 1 -- which in the House JUST buys down property taxes -- with a bill that provides a $2,000 teacher pay raise along with some school reforms. These reforms are NOT on the call for the session -- but could be added soon.

The Senate as a whole is expected to take up House Bills 2, 3 and 4 today. Those bills could be passed without amendment -- which means the bills could bypass a House/Senate Conference Committee and head to the Governor's desk by the middle of the week.

Weekend Work

Friday the Senate will start working on its versions of bills that lower property taxes -- create a new business tax -- and increase funding for public schools. The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to take up:

House Bill 1(the bill that lowers property taxes by spending part of the state surplus)
House Bill 2(the one that dedicates all future surpluses from the state's business tax to property tax reduction)
House Bill 4 (the one that changes the way the state collects its motor and vehicle tax)

The Finance Committee could also take up HB 3 sometime over the weekend. HB 3 creates Governor Perry's new broad-base/low-rate business tax. It could also take up HB 5 -- which raises the tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1.05 -- IF -- the House passes the bill out when it meets on Thursday.

All's Quiet...

Nothing much has happened at the Capitol since Monday night -- when the House passed 4 of the 5 bills that comprise the Perry Tax Plan. The first real event since will come today at 1:30. That's when Perry will hold a press conference to "discuss progress of legislation on property tax reduction and reform of the franchise tax."

Lt. Governor Dewhurst has already said the Senate plans on passing tax legislation that includes increased funding for the state's k-12 public schools. But so called "School Reforms" are still NOT on the call for the special session. And Governor Perry has repeatedly said he will NOT open the call to reforms until his tax bills have passed the House and Senate. So today's presser may be the first indication of who's going to blink.

The Debate Continues...

The final arguments on HB 3 have begun. It really sounds a lot like this wonderful poster from Despair Inc.

Two Down...

...you can do the math.

HB 1 passed to third reading this afternoon. The Bill would provide an immediate property tax cut of 17-cents(per hundred dollars of property value) The bill provides 3-cents of discretion at the local level -- to get out from under the Texas Supreme Court ruling that said the state provided NO discretion since just about every school district had bumped up against the state mandated $1.50 cap. Once those three pennies are added -- the bill requires voter approval for each addition tax increase -- no matter how little or great.

Now on to HB 3 -- the bill that creates the new broad-based/low-rate business tax designed by the Texas Tax Reform Commission and its chairman John Sharp.

More later...

One Down...

...4 to go.

The Texas House has passed one of 5 bills that make up Governor Rick Perry's tax plan. The plan would lower local school property taxes while creating a new business tax.

The only bill passed so far is HB 2. The bill would dedicate future revenue surpluses generated by the state's business tax to additional property tax cuts. The bill generated a surplus of anger among Democrats -- with many saying the bill would handcuff future Legislative spending plans -- AND -- restrict any legislation that would direct surpluses to teacher pay raises.

The bill passed on a mostly party-line vote 81 to 65.

Get plenty of sleep this weekend...

If you like watching every fascinating minute of floor debate in the Texas House -- and I know you do -- then make sure you catch some Z's over the weekend. The House is slated to take up 5 bills tied to Governor Rick Perry's new tax plan. The bills would lower local school property taxes -- create a new business tax -- and tie all future revenues from that tax to property tax reduction.

House Speaker Craddick would like to get through all 5 bills on Monday. The word on the street -- and by street I mean the hallway that leads to the Capitol Grill -- is that debate could last until 2 in the morning.

The More Things Change...

Houston Democrat Scott Hochberg has once again filed his school reforms bill in the House. Hochberg says the HB 83 is very similar to plans he's filed over the last couple of years. One difference -- this bill has NO provision for lowering the current local school property tax rate. So it would have to be passed in tandem with a bill that DOES for the state to meet the Texas Supreme Court's ruling that the current school finance system is unconstitutional.

Hochberg's bill includes such golden oldie favorites as:

• an across the board teacher pay raise
• a health insurance stipend for ALL school personnel
• funding for textbooks, transportation costs and new facility funding
• AND -- an increase in the current homestead tax exemption from $15,000 to $45,000

Democratic leaders stressed that this plan received 80 votes on the House floor in August -- but is being blocked from consideration during this session by Governor Perry's narrow call -- and proposed House rules.

Hope Floats

At the moment -- the "Call" for the current Legislative Special Session does NOT include language that would allow school reforms(i.e...teacher pay raises -- increased school funding -- vouchers). Governor Rick Perry has said he is willing to open the call to such legislation once lawmakers pass his business tax proposal. That promise is good enough for some lawmakers. Major education reform bills have already been filed in the House and Senate. The Senate Education Committee even started debating their bill this morning. Some say the governor could have to open the call NOW to reforms -- just to get enough votes to pass his tax plan.

The Dome is for the birds?

If you're an Eklecticos listener you probably already know about John's obsession with the Capitol Hawks. A pair of Red-tailed Hawks are often seen surfing on the hot air billowing up from their legislative nest. As a result of this feathered activity the Travis Audubon Society held a "Name the Capitol Hawks" contest. The winners are in, but we thought you might enjoy a look at the names that didn't make it:

Names submitted drew on Texas history, such as "“Ma and Pa Ferguson" and "“Moses and Maria" (parents of Stephen F. Austin), on politics, such as "“Rick and Perry"” and "“Kinky and Carole,"” or were humorous, such as "“Mo and Toma,"” "“Tax and Spend," and "“Hawkeye and Hot Lips"” (from M.A.S.H.). Spanish-speakers nominated "“Azul and Roja"’ and "“Rojo and Panchita," among others. Another theme was inspirational, including the popular nomination of "Liberty and Justice."” (Release)

Oh and for the record, the winners: Lyndon and Lady Bird.

The Numbers Game

It takes 76 votes to pass a bill in the House. People working for Governor Perry and Speaker Craddick have been polling House members over the last few days to see how many votes they have on the floor. As of Wednesday morning -- it looks like that total is in the 50's -- well short of the magic number. Speaker Craddick will most likely NOT bring the collection of bills up until he's got his 76. There is still time to find the 20 or so votes needed. The House Ways and Means Committee is taking up the first of the 4 bills that make up the Perry tax plan today. Any changes made to the bills in committee could change the vote total. The earliest the bills could be debated on the House floor is Saturday.