By Jennifer Bendery and J. Lyn Carl
Austin, TX –
State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn sat stoically in the House chamber today, applauding politely on occasion, as Gov. Rick Perry delivered his State of the State address before a joint session of the Texas Legislature.
But it didn't take long for her to unload on the governor and his speech after the event ended.
"When I delivered my biennial revenue estimate three weeks ago, I said there was not a shortfall in the budget this session, but a shortfall in leadership from the governor," said Strayhorn. "If that observation was going to prove false, it should have happened today. It did not."
The comptroller, widely thought of as a challenger to fellow Republican Perry in the 2006 gubernatorial race, said the ideas Perry expounded in his speech are "about surface shine and not about depth," adding that after the speech ended, "we still have no clear idea of where the governor wants to go on public education, how he wants to get there and what he thinks we'll have when we arrive." She said if Perry were to apply to his vision for the state's future the same accountability standards he seeks from teachers, "I believe he would fail."
Strayhorn expressed her concerns that the governor has neither put forth a school finance plan nor restored Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) benefits that were cut during the last legislative session. "In a time that cries out for substance, this governor's speech is a stone skipping on the surface of the state's most critical issues," said Strayhorn. "This is not leadership."
Several House Democrats came away with that same degree of skepticism over how much the governor will "deliver" after today's speech. Perry's speech was "wonderful" in tone, said Rep. Garnet Coleman (D-Houston). "If it had been on a different day, he might have been a nominee for best actor at the Academy Awards."
The governor is "pretty much an open book," said Coleman, noting that Perry's vision for Texas is "economic development, economic development and economic development." But people also play a part of the system, he said. "The governor believes in investing in CITGO. I believe in investing in our children." Coleman noted the irony of Perry's speech highlighting new jobs in Texas while his draft budget was filed with 6,000 fewer state jobs.
The real question, said Coleman, is what makes good public policy. He noted that Perry last session cut $25 million from at-risk youth prevention programs and $35 million from protective services. It is a step in the right direction for Perry to focus on children and education, said the Houston legislator, "but it was forced." He said U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Strayhorn are "nipping at his heels" amid their rumored plans to run for Texas governor in 2006. With that in mind, Perry had to make sure today's speech did not convey "a mean-spirited approach" to public policy, which Texas voters don't like, said Coleman.
While the State of the State hit the high points and the low points of the state's public school system, it did not lay out how to move forward on improving education without additional funds, said Coleman. "All schools have said they need more money or they will have to cut critical services like transportation." Perry's speech also didn't address that 1.4 million children in Texas are without health insurance, said Coleman. The governor's renewed support for dental and vision coverage for all children is something House Democrats have been advocating for two years, he added. "I'm glad he's coming around to our point of view."
Rep. Jim Dunnam (D-Waco) called attention to discrepancies in Perry's claim that Texas' business climate is the best in the nation. "It's amazing how the governor continues to offer these kinds of statements but never delivers." Texas is lowest in the nation in private health insurance, he said, while highest in uninsured children per capita. "We've had enough of clicking the heels and hoping everything will be okay."
The Waco legislator said charter schools are the "biggest whopper" for the governor. Two years ago, Perry said state leaders needed to "shut them down without delay," said Dunnam, adding that Perry has been governor for four years and done nothing about the problems many charter schools have encountered. Dunnam suggested pulling out one of Perry's speeches from two years ago to see if he was making the same statements then.
Ultimately, Perry's State of the State reflected "a disconnect between the reality of the last two years and now," said Dunnam. "He appeared to be trying to revise history." Dunnam called attention to the fact that Perry signed a bill last session to cut 140,000 children from CHIP, resisted efforts to shut down charter schools and reduced $30 million in mentoring programs, which he outlined as a priority in today's State of the State. The Waco legislator added that he was "surprised" that the Texas Enterprise Fund was emphasized so much in Perry's speech. It is important, he said, but not the priority for the state. "Fixing our schools has to be the priority."
Rep. Juan Escobar (D-Kingsville) said he was "pleased" that Perry is pushing for funding for the Irma Rangel College of Pharmacy at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Perry "has always been a strong supporter" of the Rangel College, he said, and "proved that again in his speech today."
The governor's call for full funding for the pharmacy school does not guarantee that the money will come since the Legislature still has to include it in the General Appropriations Act. But Perry's endorsement of the college "as a critical investment" in creating "a healthier border region" will be a major boost to the effort, said Escobar. "I can't tell you how happy I am to be able to name 'Rick Perry, Governor of Texas'" to the list of co-authors on the pharmacy school bill, he added.
Taking exception to Perry's claim that passage of Proposition 12, a constitutional amendment that allowed for caps on certain damages in civil lawsuits against physicians and health care providers, has improved the state's health care climate was Alex Winslow, executive director of Texas Watch, a statewide consumer advocacy and research organization.
He said the facts do not bear out Perry's statement. "Doctors are still waiting for lower malpractice insurance premiums, patients are still waiting for improvements to their health care and families have been stripped of their ability to hold a wrongdoer accountable," said Winslow. He said data indicates doctors are still paying "inflated" premiums for medical liability insurance and two-thirds of the state's doctors have not had any relief in their malpractice rates.
He said there is no evidence that the "cost, quality or access to health care has improved for Texas patients," and the state continues to lead the nation in the rate of people without health insurance. Winslow labeled Perry's push for reforms "empty promises."
While some House Democrats joined Strayhorn in picking apart the governor's speech, fellow Republicans in leadership roles in the State Legislature sang Perry's praises.
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst applauded Perry's speech, and commended the governor's "resolve to reform school finance, to improve the quality of care in Child Protective and Adult Protective Services, and to consider innovative ideas to grow our state economy." He said the Senate is poised to partner with the governor to "improve public education, protect essential services for the vulnerable in our society, and pursue the fundamentals necessary to bring more jobs to Texas."
Perry's calls for improvements in public education, Child and Adult Protective Services, workers' compensation and continued economic growth are all "significant issues" that must be addressed, according to House Speaker Tom Craddick.
He also applauded Perry for his work on the state budget. "It appears as though he generally agrees with the proposals laid out by the Legislative Budget Board, along with some additional items to consider," said the Speaker. He said he would ask the House Appropriations Committee to study and review each budget item.