By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX – A whoop went up from the House floor at 10 p.m. Wednesday as it was announced that the last of several dozen remaining amendments to HB 1 had been withdrawn. The three days of wrangling over the House version of the state's budget bill had at long last ended.
Nearly 500 amendments were pre-filed last weekend as the House readied for the bill to come to the floor Monday. Members argued, debated and fought over provisions of the bill until the wee hours of the morning Monday and Tuesday and finally closed debate Wednesday evening.
When the debate ended, the speeches began.
Democrats were quick to assail the cuts that are part of the proposed budget
Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Houston) said that although there is new leadership in the state and in the House, there should still remain some common ground. He called the budget "insensitive" and said it does not meet the needs of Texas.
"We can do better," he said. He warned members not to balance the budget on the backs of Texas teachers, the frail and sick, the state's children, the state's education system. "We can do better; we ought to do better," he said.
"What about the people?" asked Rep. Yvonne Davis (D-Dallas). She said members had to ask questions and talk about the budget in order to represent their constituents. "We've got a transparent budget with all the cuts on the backs of the people who can least afford it." She said many lined up behind the leadership while turning the debate off because they didn't want to "be accountable." She warned them that they would have to defend their vote when they return to their districts.
"We've allowed this process to take over instead of doing government for and by the people," she said. "What about the people?" she asked again.
"It has been a hard time to digest what has happened the last few days," said Rep. Rene Oliviera (D-Brownsville ), "because it's been something I never thought would happen in our House." He said other states look to Texas because of its efficiencies in government. "What we're doing here today is dismantling that efficiency," said Oliviera, noting that the cuts will cause loss of federal dollars and are "cuts that don't make sense."
"This is not a time to further divide us...to set us up on party lines. I heard the promises of bipartisanship but I didn't see them this week. And that's what concerns me for our great state. We have always been able to find solace and comfort and reason with each other...to come to terms." He said that did not happen in this budget bill process.
"If you judge a society by how it takes care of those people who can't take care of themselves, today Texas would not be judged well," he concluded.
"This is a very difficult budget for a lot of us to vote on," said Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston). She said members were shut out of the process to some degree. Most members, she said, want to be able to go home after serving in the House and be able to do something to improve the lives of their constituency. She cited the impact the cuts would have on the people in her own district. She said for every one dollar cut, Harris County would lose $143 million.
"I believe to a large extent that some of us in this body may be shirking our responsibilities," by not protecting teachers, farmers, children, small business, physicians and others. "We protected the big dogs and threw the little dogs to the wolves. I feel ashamed for many of the things that happened."
Rep. Lon Burnam (D-Fort Worth) said he has experienced a lot of anger and frustration and wants to ask members, "Don't you see what you're doing to this state?"
"We've seen so many bad decisions along the way." He decried such issues as the composition of the appropriations committee from the beginning of the session to some members being called "obstructionists" during the budget process of recent days.
"We are doing untold damage," said Burnam. "I'm angry. I'm tempted to call us 'my fellow Mississippians,'" adding that it will take a long time overcome "the damage we're about to do."
"We have had strong debates on this floor and I think it's an indication we all care deeply about this state and the people we serve," said Rep. Helen Giddings (D-DeSoto). "My concerns are centered around the results of the actions we are taking."
Giddings said House members share a "common commitment and shared responsibility" to do the best they can for those who are trying but falling short in caring for their families. She said while the state does not owe anyone a living, "In this state we owe every man and every woman an opportunity to make a living. It is not time to give up on closing the gaps...or assisting the elderly...or to forsake those who are mentally ill...Now is the time for Texas to invest in human capital."
Giddings said the people of Texas deserve more. "I believe in the philosophy of the servant leader," she said and noted she asks herself each time she makes a vote if those she is here to serve will be better off because of each vote she makes.
Rep. Ray Allen (R-Grand Prairie) said he wished he had a magic wand to wave to be able to make an appropriation to cure the needs of every Texan, if money would solve their problems. But he added, "We can only spend those dollars that we take from our taxpayers, and that is an inescapable fact."
He said there are still three facts to remember - this is a process; members are bound by their oath to support the Constitution, which says the legislature must balance the budget; and "we're not magicians; we're not miracle workers. We can't print money. We can only spend the dollars we take from the people in our districts - rich or poor."
He said those who voted to table amendments "did not betray Texas" but only represented their districts.
"What you've got in front of you is not the budget," warned Rep. Pat Haggerty (R-El Paso). He said the House version will go to the Senate, they won't like it and it will come back and then it will go to conference. He said while he enjoyed the previous speeches, members should "Wait till you see what the budget is going to be" before making their speeches.
Rep. Garnet Coleman (D-Houston) followed, telling Haggerty and others the "process" allows for hearing others' priorities and what they think "collectively" should be done for the state, "That's what becomes the House's position when it goes to the conference committee."
There's not a single person in this body who should hang their heads" over the House budget process, said Rep. Fred Hill (R- Richardson). He said it is time to talk about the things the House did do, and with limited funds. "We did a lot and don't be ashamed of it."
Appropriations Chair Rep. Talmadge Heflin (R-Houston), who steered the bill through the House, said he would postpone his speech until after the bill comes back from conference, "because that's when you'll have a budget."
He said it was interesting to hear all of the comments, "Because each of you has had a part in the bill."
"We all use the services, every person in the state of Texas. We all pay the bill, every person in the state of Texas. We're all in this together."
With that Heflin moved passage to engrossment of the committee substitute for HB 1, with the bill passing to engrossment by a vote of 98-46 with two present not voting. Minutes later as midnight tolled a new day in the House, the bill was passed on third reading. Shortly after midnight, the House adjourned and reconvened in a new legislative day and passed the bill on third reading.