In light of Rep. Chuck Hopson’s intention to switch from the Democratic party to the GOP, the TDP has come out with some harsh words against the member:

“It takes strength and integrity to stand against the special interests – and while some members have that strength, others like Chuck Hopson, apparently do not,” said Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie. “In the Democratic Party, there is room for members who are conservative and progressive – the only reason anyone would leave is for crass political reasons and a refusal to stand up to special interests.” 

Richie is holding a press conference today to speak out more against the switch.

After breaking his collarbone in a cycling accident, Gov. Perry returned from the hospital to a gift.. a set of training wheels. He included a note saying, “Sorry you got hurt. Too bad they don’t make training wheels for a legislative session.” He was referring the need for a special session, after the legislature failed to pass a bill that would reauthorize state agencies like TxDOT.

If you didn’t get enough of the Legislature in the 140 days allotted, then get ready for another 30 days when the Governor calls all of the lawmakers back to town sometime this summer. He said it is to address the authorization of state agencies, but he has full power to bring back any legislation he wishes. He said at this time it wouldn’t be good strategy to give that away..

Word has it a bipartisan group of House members worked out a deal to pass the sunset safety bill and avoid a special session without having to suspend the rules. It is going to come in under a technical correction (in some shape or form) from the Senate so it will only take a majority vote and not a 2/3rds vote to suspend the rules and bring it up.

Apparently, 70 year old Rep. Joe Crabbe has a strong spiritual and … err…physical relationship with his wife. They have, in fact, “celebrated” their marriage (which has lasted more than 40 years) in every state but one, North Dakota. So, today the House presented him with round trip tickets (private money used) to North Dakota. His wife can now color in EVERY state on their map of the great ole’ U.S.A.

Good news for lawmakers: the governor seems confident there will not be a special session. Today, he said if members would get to work, they can accomplish the “work of the people.”

As for his schedule over the next four days: he’s heading to a fundraiser with Rush Limbaugh tonight and he called this weekend his “baseball weekend.”

When asked if this was the right time for travel, he said four days is plenty of time to get the work of the people done.

The country club chamber doesn’t adhere to the same rules as the “people’s house.” Hundreds of bills died when the clock struck midnight in the House on Tuesday.

The Senate decided to ignore that little deadline tonight by simply unplugging the clocks two minutes before midnight. I guess we found the answer to eternal youth and somehow I’m spending mine hunched over a computer on the Senate floor.

It looks like the showdown in the House didn’t deter Straus for looking at another run for Speaker. After several meetings House members last night and pow-wows in the back room, Straus filed the papers for Speaker this morning. In an impromptu interview, Straus said he believes he’ll be elected Speaker again or he wouldn’t have filed. As far as his characterization of the his term as leader of the House, he said “it’s not over yet.”

House Democrats have finally let up on the chubbing and they’re hoping to get through local and consent in time to bring up the unemployment insurance bill that was tabled before the chubbing began.  However, Republicans will have none of it. They are the ones who are now asking questions to run out the clock.

“We didn’t go through all of this just to give them a bill that we don’t want,” said one Republican lawmaker.

In a personal privilege speech, Rep. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo, told lawmakers this morning he would continue stalling in order to prevent a vote on voter ID. Holding up a poll tax receipt owned by his father, Raymond said he could not stand by and see history repeat itself. He’s prepared to question every local and consent bill for the allotted time, 9 1/2 minutes.

Meanwhile, Rep. Dunnam says he has a point of order that will kill voter ID on a technical point. He says he’s waiting for the Speaker to come out of “hiding” so he can present the info to him and see if the Speaker will make voter ID ineligible.