By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX – The waiting game continues in the Texas House, but Speaker Tom Craddick says the gig could be up in a couple of hours.
Craddick, speaking from the House floor at 9:45 p.m. Monday, said approximately 40 of the more than 50 House Democrats who staged a walkout that ground the House legislative agenda to a halt today, have been located at a Holiday Inn in Ardmore, OK., and at the moment of his announcement were having dinner at a Denny's restaurant.
"The DPS (Texas Department of Public Safety) should be arriving at that hotel right now," he said. "They have no way to arrest those members outside this state," said Craddick. However, he added DPS officials are asking for that authority through the federal government.
If the DPS officers are successful, transportation will be available to bring the lawmakers back by automobile or by air. Craddick said he has offered to provide a plane. "If they came back by plane," he said, "they could be back in an hour and we can go on about the business of the state."
The speaker said the House could realistically have a quorum on the floor within two to two and a half hours.
The speaker said those members who have been in the House chamber since the Call on the House at approximately 10:30 this morning "need to stay here" under the terms of the call. The call authorizes the House Sergeant to detain all members in the chamber, but also to allow incoming members into the chamber.
Craddick said he will try to give updates on progress on securing a quorum every half hour.
He said the members left behind have agreed among themselves that they should stay "as long as it takes to get a quorum present." To cheers and applause, Craddick thanked those members - and particularly the Democratic members who stayed behind.
"I think that (Democrats) Vilma (Luna), Sylvester (Turner), Ron (Wilson) and Roberto (Gutierrez) are more interested in what's best for the state than what's on the six o'clock news," said Craddick, "and that took a lot of courage." A rousing round of applause erupted for the four Democrats who chose not to participate in the walkout.
"The bottom line for the process," said Craddick, "is whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, if we allow this to happen today, the next week it may be the budget, and the next week school finance."
"I've been here 30-odd years," he said, "and I've never walked off this floor and hidden somewhere. It's up to us to uphold the process of the state."
The remaining members of the House remain under the Call on the House, awaiting arrival of enough members to constitute a quorum.
The walkout centers mainly on Democratic objections to a Congressional redistricting plan that was slated for debate on the House floor today.