Air Quality Caucus Asks Dewhurst, Craddick To Establish Interim Committee

The bi-partisan Air Quality Caucus has asked [letter, .pdf] Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick to appoint an Interim Special Committee on Electric Energy Generation Capacity.

The legislature unanimously passed House Bill 2713 during the 80th Regular Session which would have required the appointment of such a Committee. However, Governor Perry vetoed the bill, ignoring the will of the Legislature on the grounds that, “The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality already reviews existing generation facilities to ensure they meet the environmental quality standards set forth in state law.”

However, as signers of the letter note, “the Governor did not seem to understand the intent of [the legislation].”

Since the Governor noted that, “The Speaker and Lieutenant Governor can independenly assign interim studies to their standing committees if they so chose,”  Legislators are now going this route since Perry has thwarted the Legislature’s original intentions.

It’s unclear if, or when, Dewhurst and Craddick will act. I’d suspect Dewhurst would agree since he’s always ready to one-up Perry. Craddick, who is already skating on thin ice, has nothing to lose and everything to gain by helping the members of his Chamber actually override the Governor.

Bookmark It