More HR 4 Debate

Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) has asked if the rules can be suspended for individual bils.

Turner says that yes, it can be done but has to be done for every bill.

Thompson says the House passes resolutions all the time.

Turner: It would be difficult for me to vote against the resolution when I’ve voted for the same resolution each and every time. What is important is the perception we give to people who are looking at us on the Internet. People won’t understand the Texas House, unlike the Texas Senate, will postpone voting on bills for 60 days. If we are willing to delay our paycheck and per diem for 60 days, that may be an argument.

Paul Moreno up now. Turner yields.

Moreno: You say the people expect us to be here to listen to their bills? Did I hear you correctly?

Turner: Yes…

Moreno: That’s our proplem. These are not the people’s bills. What we are concerned about, is that this provision helps the minority representatives here, so we have the chance to listen, to make sure we are not ramroding.

Turner: If I felt like this was to ambush people, I would not be standing up here advancing this resolution….I can’t justify to the people in my district, postponing consideration on these bills.

Moreno: The way the constitution is now, we cannot hear any bills during the first 60 days…

Turner: Except the emergency bills by the governor.

Moreno: [If a necessary bill came up] Do you think that most of us would not vote to suspend the rules just for that particular bill?

Moreno: Assuming that a bill comes up [for the] uninsured, that is needed, don’t you think the memebrs would vote for that bill at that time so we could debate it?

Turner: That would be my hope.

Moreno: So what’s the problem?

Turner: If you vote on this today, this rational should apply this week and next week and the week after that. You should not have to pick and chose. I voted for this resolution under Speaker Gib Lews, I voted for this under Speaker Pete Laney and I voted for this under Speaker Craddick.

Moreno: Speaking to the time before you were here, Speaker Craddick and I both voted…

Turner: Since 1973, this resolution has only gone down…

Moreno: Before that…

Larry Taylor: If we don’t vote for this, we give control of this body to the governor for the first 60 days.

Turner: [Yes]

Turner also said no committee hearings in the first 30 days.

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