Speaker Bonnen's betrayal of Texas gun-owners

[SewTexas]

as for "why are certain people chairs...?"
my husband says that apparently in Texas the chairmanship goes to the most senior person in the committee, personally I would say that it should go to the most senior person in the majority, but ...well, that's me....

[Scott Farkus]

as for "why are certain people chairs...?"
my husband says that apparently in Texas the chairmanship goes to the most senior person in the committee, personally I would say that it should go to the most senior person in the majority, but ...well, that's me....

I absolutely agree. What's the point of having a political party if not this at the very least? And again, it's not like the Republicans just barely hold a one or two seat majority - they've had basically 2/3 of the House for like 15 or 20 years. It's ridiculous.

I don't know one way or the other about the seniority thing but I looked up Nevarez and he's only been a state rep since 2013. So if five years is the most senior member of a committee, I don't know what to think.

[SewTexas]

as for "why are certain people chairs...?"
my husband says that apparently in Texas the chairmanship goes to the most senior person in the committee, personally I would say that it should go to the most senior person in the majority, but ...well, that's me....

I absolutely agree. What's the point of having a political party if not this at the very least? And again, it's not like the Republicans just barely hold a one or two seat majority - they've had basically 2/3 of the House for like 15 or 20 years. It's ridiculous.

I don't know one way or the other about the seniority thing but I looked up Nevarez and he's only been a state rep since 2013. So if five years is the most senior member of a committee, I don't know what to think.

wow, I thought Poncho had been around for longer than that.
I don't know....I'm honestly just repeating what my hubby told me. I suppose it could work some other way, maybe someone will come around and correct me.

[Charles L. Cotton]

as for "why are certain people chairs...?"
my husband says that apparently in Texas the chairmanship goes to the most senior person in the committee, personally I would say that it should go to the most senior person in the majority, but ...well, that's me....

I absolutely agree. What's the point of having a political party if not this at the very least? And again, it's not like the Republicans just barely hold a one or two seat majority - they've had basically 2/3 of the House for like 15 or 20 years. It's ridiculous.

I don't know one way or the other about the seniority thing but I looked up Nevarez and he's only been a state rep since 2013. So if five years is the most senior member of a committee, I don't know what to think.

wow, I thought Poncho had been around for longer than that.
I don't know....I'm honestly just repeating what my hubby told me. I suppose it could work some other way, maybe someone will come around and correct me.

Some committee appointments are "seniority appointments," but the chairman and vice-chairman are solely the Speaker's choice. There have been freshmen chairmen and vice-chairmen.

Chas.

[Ruark]

Where is TSRA, David Stroud, et. al. in this picture? I went to the TSRA legislative web site and there's not even a mention of this.

[mojo84]

Posting this without comment in the event some may find it of interest. Also, I realize the Statesman is a liberal biased rag.


http://www.statesman.com/news/20190125/ ... ate=ampart

"There's a stronger control element with him than there was with Straus, and that's not a criticism," said longtime lobbyist and political consultant Bill Miller, who works with Republicans and Democrats. "He wants a tight operation and a strong operation."


Some of the moves that observers say will help Bonnen amass power are arcane — such as preventing chairs of other committees from sitting on the agenda-setting Calendars Committee — but the primary reason many expect a stronger speaker is his personality. Bonnen is famously combative, whereas Straus was unwaveringly genteel.

Bonnen's aggressive approach could help to cement his grip on the chamber by keeping disgruntled legislators in line and also increase his stature among members when he employs it to defend the House's priorities against those of the Senate or the governor.

<snip>

"People were comfortable with his ability to hold his own with the governor and the lieutenant governor," said Zerwas, who chaired the budget-writing Appropriations Committee under Straus in 2017 and will do so again under Bonnen this year. "He can carry the body's water in that venue among the three of them."


Bonnen also will be able to wield power more freely than Straus because he will likely be able to sidestep the GOP infighting that has dogged the House for the last several legislative sessions, Rice University political scientist Mark Jones said.

Bonnen, for instance, filled the Calendars Committee, an enormously influential body that decides which bills advance to the floor and when, with rank-and-file members. Under Straus, the panel included chairs of other committees and lawmakers with significant influence in their own right. The effect of the change, Miller said, will be that the committee's members this year owe the speaker for much of the power they wield.

"If you're on Calendars and you're a chairman, you've got real juice," Miller said of the committee under Straus. Under Bonnen "it will be a smaller group that doesn't necessarily have a power base of their own. That makes them beholden."

[Beiruty]

Next election, we will make sure he will not get re-elected. I despise liars and traitors.

For God, sake if that seat would be lost to Dems so be it, if GOP is elected for replacement better be hard core 2ndA fundamentalist.

[The Annoyed Man]

Bonnen also will be able to wield power more freely than Straus because he will likely be able to sidestep the GOP infighting that has dogged the House for the last several legislative sessions, Rice University political scientist Mark Jones said.

I would argue that a large part of that GOP infighting was a direct result of Straus's deliberate hamstringing of his own party. Perhaps it is more the case that Bonnen was removed the knife from the GOP hamstring, than it is that he is "sidestepping" any infighting.

All of that said, it LOOKS like Bonnen has taken the knife from the hamstring, and applied it to the jugular. I sure hope he knows what the hell he is doing.

[SewTexas]

as for "why are certain people chairs...?"
my husband says that apparently in Texas the chairmanship goes to the most senior person in the committee, personally I would say that it should go to the most senior person in the majority, but ...well, that's me....

I absolutely agree. What's the point of having a political party if not this at the very least? And again, it's not like the Republicans just barely hold a one or two seat majority - they've had basically 2/3 of the House for like 15 or 20 years. It's ridiculous.

I don't know one way or the other about the seniority thing but I looked up Nevarez and he's only been a state rep since 2013. So if five years is the most senior member of a committee, I don't know what to think.

wow, I thought Poncho had been around for longer than that.
I don't know....I'm honestly just repeating what my hubby told me. I suppose it could work some other way, maybe someone will come around and correct me.

Some committee appointments are "seniority appointments," but the chairman and vice-chairman are solely the Speaker's choice. There have been freshmen chairmen and vice-chairmen.

Chas.

thanks Mr Cotton, that's good to know.

[K.Mooneyham]

I emailed the Governor and my representative, Drew Springer. For now, all I have gotten from both are autoreplies that mention high volumes of email, etc. However, the one from Representative Springer says that his office will contact me on the issue "as soon as possible", if that even means anything. Not sure what's going to happen this session, but I do trust Mr. Cotton on these matters, his experience level is about as good as anyone can get.

[Ruark]

So we're a "small handful of gun rights fringe groups." Our concerns are "hateful and uneducated vitriol." So condescending.

As I understand it, it's irrelevant that a committee has a 5 out of 9 Republican membership, because the chair has total control over what bills are reviewed in committee. Would Nevarez and Collier stop a bill banning 30 round magazines? Would they approve a bill expanding places where LTC holders can carry? Oh, OK.... Bonnen expects them to support bills that are "reasonable." No comment.

I suppose it's POSSIBLE that Bonnen might be planning some kind of quid pro quo - "let this pro-gun bill through, and I'll allow your district's new airport" - but I'm not holding my breath. At least, Bonnen seems to be aware that he has stepped in it, and he's being closely watched.

[rtschl]

On it's face this statement from the Speaker is problematic and let me point out a few that immediately stand out.

The fact that some fringe groups can’t count to 5 for a 9 member committee is really not my problem.

• Charles has been working with the legislature on Texas Gun laws and issues with the NRA and TSRA for a very long time. If he considers Charles (and in essence the NRA and TSRA) fringe, we're in trouble.

• It is problematic if the Speaker doesn't know how Committees in the Texas House works with regards to the power of the Chair

And I trust in my Committee Chairs to allow reasonable bills

• "Reasonable bills" as well as the infamous "common sense gun laws" are dubious phrases used by anti's to try and make them seem acceptable. Very poor choice of wording here by the Speaker. He needs to walk this one back.

I read his above statement from SRO1911 one time and those things jumped out immediately. I haven't sat here for hours trying to parse his words.

He is right about a couple of things:

• Gun rights won't be infringed - because they won't get past both chambers nor signed by the governor

• We won't know how things turned out until the end of the legislative session - true enough

Meanwhile two years have been wasted and gun rights will not advance. Texas may turn a little more blue in that time - especially with the help of 58,000 illegal votes from non citizens.

Since apparently I lack the ability to post pictures, including screenshots, on here - I give you a copy past from Bonnens official FB.
"Dennis Bonnen
16 minutes ago
It has come to my attention that a small handful of gun rights fringe groups have called my leadership into question.

Let me set the record straight.

For 22 years I have been an advocate for Texan’s 2nd Amendment Rights. I have not wavered at any point. I have not changed my mind in the last two weeks. To suggest otherwise is asinine.

I have an A Rating with the NRA and plan to keep it.

I have appointed committees in the Texas House which represent diverse views — just as any well functioning democracy should. However, as part of that appointment process, I placed a majority of members on committees of jurisdiction which reflect Texas’s long standing pro-gun stance. The fact that some fringe groups can’t count to 5 for a 9 member committee is really not my problem.

I trust in my colleagues in the Texas House. And I trust in my Committee Chairs to allow reasonable bills which reflect the values of Texans to find their way through the legislative process — not just on gun related legislation, but on ALL the many and varied issues of importance which the two committees in question will hear.

Our democracy and our state deserve better than the type of hateful and uneducated vitriol which some people feel compelled to spread.

But as they say, talk is cheap... So the final test will be what does or doesn’t happen when the gavel falls at the end of the 86th Legislative Session. I’ll bet my critics an AR-15 that their gun rights won’t be infringed. In the meantime I’ll be working with the tried-and-true gun rights organizations to see if we might be able to actually strengthen the rights for those of us who are responsible gun owners.

Thank you. And God Bless Texas!"

[ELB]

Starting off with “a small fringe” is pretty condescending and says to me that either A. he doesn’t get it or B. he doesn’t care that he “doesn’t get it.”

[mojo84]

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics ... s-doghouse

the Dallas Morning News seems to think the dems won.

Looks like he's trying to make us think a majority in a committee can push a bill out of committee by majority in spite of what the chairman of that committee wants. based on him doubling down and speaking of gun owners as a fringe group and then touting his NRA ratings pretty much confirms my suspicions. None of this surprises me.

I wonder if the NRA plans to change his rating based on his actions or will they just stick with looking at his votes even though he is now in a position to hide behind not voting.

I am very disappointed we are starting off this session with more Republican in fighting rather than being more united.