Capitol Annex: Best & Worst Of The 80th Legislature

Following the bloodbath that was the 80th Session of the Texas Legislature, Capitol Annex has reviewed our archives (after, of course, a healthy dose of anti-nausea medication for all those moments that made one run for the nearest trash can, hand-over-mouth) and made our picks for the Best & Worst of the 80th Legislature.

The Best

Best Legislators: Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio) & Sen. Mario Gallegos (D-Houston).

The latter seems an obvious choice: Sen. Gallegos risked his life to be in the Texas Senate to stop disasterous Voter ID legislation from passing. That alone earns him a top spot in this session’s “Best & Worst.”

The choice of Rep. Villarreal should, to any observer of the legislative process this year, also be an obvious choice.

A few sessions ago, progressive Democrats were ready to write Villarreal’s political obituary as a result of a few votes and his being seen as part of Speaker Craddick’s “leadership team.”

This session, however, he was one of our biggest champions.

From his work on equality issues (for which he was recognized by Equality Texas), to his courageous action to ensure that Democratic priorities would be addressed early in the session if the “60 day rule” were suspended, Villarreal has proven himself to be a true, progressive leader in the Legislature. He helped establish a coalition of urban and rural House members to help preserve the “Top Ten” rule which helps more Texas children have access to the state’s flagship universities, worked hard for increased teacher retirement without passing the cost on to current teachers, and was one of the few male members of the House who stood with Rep. Jessica Farrar and other female House Members arguing on the House floor in favor of vaccinating Texas children against HPV.

He passed over 30 floor amendments during the session, and has seen some of his legislation already signed into law, including legislation to regulate predatory Refund Anticipation Loans.

Either as stand-alone legislation, or through amendments and “fold-ins,” this session Villarreal was successful in ensuring that it was easire for employers to safely set up child care centers at work places, improving workman’s comp requirements, improving railroad safety near schools, expanding access to pre-kindergarten for foster children, and increasing the availability of nursing education.

Honorable Mention, Best Legislators: Reps. Garnett Coleman (D-Houston); Jessica Farrar (D-Houston); Trey Martinez Fischer; Senator Leticia Van De Putte (D-San Antonio). 

Coleman: As always, State Rep. Garnett Coleman can be counted on to take a lead on all issues of a progressive nature. Coleman is a bulwark standing firm against bad legislation which harms children and the elderly. Further, a new website he launched this session revolutionized the way in which legislators communicate with their constituents and the public.

Farrar: From the HPV vaccine to the Border Security Bill, Farrar showed tremendous leadership this year both for her constituents and on progressive issues at large.

Martinez Fischer: Though his gas tax holiday didn’t survive all the way to the governor’s desk, his proposal of it was timely and one of the few actions taken by the legislature which would provide financial relief for working and middle class families in a session where minimum wage bills stalled out in committee for the most part.

Van de Putte: She provided great leadership in the Senate this session for Democrats and held together Democrats to kill vouchers and Voter ID.

The Worst

Worst Legislators: Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston) and Rep. Warren Chisum (R-Pampa) & Rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler). Patrick’s exploits are well-known and they served to damage the reputation of his chamber. His childish acts such as his “list” of tons of savings for the state budget and his million-dollar press conference are not appropriate for a sitting senator.

Chisum makes the “worst” list because he single-handedly carried more water for the religious right this session than any other legislator. His Bible bill and the “memogate” involving his reproduction of a memo from a Georgia lawmaker diverted the attention of legislators from many other issues which were more important.

Berman did his best to make this year’s legislative session all about one thing: illegal immigrants. From his misplaced legislation which wold have denied lawful citizens their rights to his floor speech in which he blamed illegal immigrants for everything from Polio to the Plague, he demeaned the House.

Honorable Mention, Worst Legislators: Reps. Jodie Laubenberg, Vicki Truitt, and Betty Brown. From Laubenberg’s screaming fit over her amendment to knock down perinatal CHIP services to Truitt’s blogger bill to Brown’s hand in the Voter ID mess, these three legislators headed the crop of a long slate of legislators who could essentially be tied for “Honorable mention” in the “worst” category.

Tomorrow: Best & Worst Bills

Related posts:

1. Capitol Annex Readers’ Choice Best & Worst Of 2006
2. Vote In The Last Election Of The Year: Capitol Annex’ Readers Choice Best & Worst Of 2006 Awards
3. 80th Legislature: HB 2 On Third Reading, SCR 20 Before House Today
4. 80th Legislature: HB 1 Liveblogging
5. Missed Opportunities Of The 80th Legislature: A Right-Wing Agenda Above Real Reforms