Some House D’s Form “Democrats For Reform”

Saying that the past two years have set Texas down the wrong track and highlighting a wide-ranging agenda, ten House Democrats held a press conference in the Capitol today announcing formation of a new group, “Democrats for Reform.”

Without exception, each of the ten Democrats who participated in the press conference were among the group of House Democrats who supported Tom Craddick’s re-election as Speaker and, more specifically, were among the 15 Democrats who voted against the Geren Amendment, which would have allowed a secret ballot in the race for Speaker of the Texas House.

The members were: Aaron Pena (D-Edinburg), Ryan Guillen (D-Rio Grande City), Kino Flores (D-Palmview), Ruth Jones McClendon (D-San Antonio), Joe Deshotel (D-Beaumont), Dawanna Dukes (D-Austin), Kevin Bailey (D-Houston), Norma Chavez (D-El Paso), Robert Puente (D-San Antonio), Helen Giddings (D-De Soto), Chente Quintanilla (D-El Paso) and Sylvester Turner (D-Houston). All but one were African American or Hispanic House members (Bailey).

Turner, who took the lead at the press conference, summed up the group’s mission as follows:

The past few years have sent our great state off on the wrong track. Today and for the rest of the 80-th Legislature, we “Democrats for Reform” are making a commitment to each other, to our constituends back home, and to millions of families all over Texas. We commit to working in both our individual and collective capacities toward common, specific legislative goals that will get Texas back on the right track and moving forward.

Turner also said that other commitments have been received from legislators in both cambers to take part in the group:

Already we have commitments from members in the House and Senate, and fully intend to pursue further commitments from both those in the House and Senate. Neither do we care what part of this great state you hail, nor the color of your skin. Our focus is placed squarely on bonding together Democrats that all agree: Texas is at a crucial point and that we must act, and act now.

In a handout outlining the group’s “reform” agenda, several progressive ideas were actually mentioned, including tuition deregulation:

•HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
•Restore full funding of CHIP
•Reform Medicaid eligibility
•Increase Medicaid reimbursement rate for Doctors
•Protect “Personal Needs” allowance of $60 for seniors in nursing homes

•EDUCATION
•Oppose public school vouchers
•Maintain the “Top 10%” rule for Institutions of Higher •Education
•Fund a cost of living adjustment for retired teachers
•Restore the TEXAS Grants scholarship fund
•Repeal tuition deregulation
•Urban education reform

•PUBLIC SAFETY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE
•Enhance border security
•Support alternatives to new prison construction
•Rehabilitation
•Intervention & Diversion
•Substance Abuse Treatment

•ENVIRONMENT
•Fund $109 million for State Parks
•Increase funding for vehicular emissions retrofit program
•ELECTRICITY
•Create safeguards against high utility rates
•Restore the System Benefit Fund

During the press conference, Turner was asked several pointed questions concerning whether the “Democrats for Reform” group signaled a division in the party over ideaology or whether there was any significance between the fact that the group was made up of many people percieved as Craddick allies.
Turner responded to one question as follows:

“We don’t want to divide it between conservative and liberal. We are united on good ideas and believe there are things we need to do to improve the state of Texas…”

And another by saying:

We don’t want to get caught up on ‘your politics vs. my politics.’

Another reporter asked Turner if the group represented the “has beens” of the Democratic Party as a result of recent legislative events like Craddick’s re-election. He responded noting:

We’re good Democrats. Just because some may not be standing here doesn’t make them bad, worse or better, and it doesn’t make us better. We don’t want to get engaged in the rhetoric. We don’t want to engage in the division.

At present, it is unclear what impact the “Democrats for Reform” group will have on the House Democratic Caucus, which has been very united in the weeks following the November elections—save on some instances concerning the speaker’s race.