By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX – Senate Republicans took this morning's non-session as an opportunity to remind the public and their 11 missing Democratic colleagues that removal of the traditional "blocker bill" in the current second called session is not a "first" in the Senate.
Senator after senator rose to question Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst regarding previous sessions in which the blocker bill was abandoned.
The blocker bill is a long-standing tradition that puts a usually innocuous bill at the top of the regular order of business. That "blocker bill" must be taken up before other bills are considered or unless two-thirds of the senators vote to suspend the rules to take up other bills out of order.
The 11 Democratic members of the Senate who Monday fled the state to New Mexico have repeatedly said they did not leave because they are opposed to redistricting, but because they are opposed to Dewhurst changing a long standing tradition and removing the blocker bill.
Dewhurst has repeatedly noted the blocker bill has been removed in numerous legislative sessions in the past. Today, his fellow Republicans drove home that notion, citing specific sessions when it was removed.
Sen. Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) asked Dewhurst on the Senate floor today if the blocker bill was removed during the first called session of the 62nd Legislature in 1971. Dewhurst responded that it was.
Sen. Todd Staples (R-Palestine) asked if the blocker bill was removed during the first called session of the 67th Legislature in 1981 and was advised by the lieutenant governor that it was.
"Was there a quorum to conduct business?" asked Staples. Dewhurst replied that there was. "So members stayed and did what they were asked to do?"
"The members stayed and did their duty," said Dewhurst.
Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-Plano) asked if there was a blocker bill in the third called session on redistricting in the 72nd Legislature in 1992. Dewhurst said there was not.
"Was there a quorum present to deal with redistricting?" she asked.
"There was a quorum present," said Dewhurst. "All of the members stayed and worked."
Dewhurst cited a number of other legislative sessions in which the blocker bill had been removed and yet there was still a quorum and business was conducted.
Point made.