The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for the week of 30 January 2015 INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 30 January 2015 INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 30 January 2015 INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 30 January 2015 Will lawmakers broaden handgun laws this session (check all that apply)? • "The best defense is a strong offense." • "We're Texas, would you expect anything less?" • "Maybe the biker lobby can hold a seminar for the constitutional carry • "Open carry will still be limited where groups on how to lobby." businesses object." • "Lt Gov. Patrick has a choice to make. • "This is a lose/lose proposition. Who leads the Senate — him or Legislators will still get beat up on this Jonathan Stickland? The bullying tactics issue, no matter how they vote." aren't just coming from the gun nuts. Their friends at the Capitol are also • "Unless cooler heads prevail in the willing to push past the limits of House." acceptable behavior." • "And parents will peel away from • "Constitutional carry is maybe the Republicans who confirm cray cray!" worst idea I've ever heard." INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 30 January 2015 • "We have open carry — people who • "Campus carry will die, somehow." get to do it are called cops!" • "Straus will not let it happen" • "Buy stock in firearms and holster manufacturers. " What is the prognosis for legislative approval of public vouchers for private schools this session? • "If tax relief gets done then vouchers • "A toss up between ‘will pass’ and on anything other than a small scale ‘Senate, but not House’" will not be a top priority. DOA in the House." • "Do we really want to expand government into the lives of private • "It's nuts to continue feeding the citizens who choose to send their kids education bureaucracy that's FAILING to private schools. Do we really want to our children." expand the nanny state to private education? School vouchers supporters • "With the additional funding the ... ahem, scholarship supporters, better budget is providing for public schools watch what they are asking for. If state they will have less to complain about as dollars are allowed to pay for private far as the impact of vouchers." school education, additional state regulation will be needed to ensure that • "House leadership still believes in money is being spent wisely." public schools" • "And will be part of early childhood • "Hard to see the House passing it, but and comprehensive education budget hard to tell at this point." that will be historic for first term Governor Greg Abbott." • "Based on Lt. Gov. Patrick's passion for the issue, there will be significant • "Perhaps some limited form of gains in the House; time to stop vouchers to appease the ‘base’?" protecting the educational industrial complex." • "A trimmed down pilot program appears the most likely route." • "At some point, the issue of the current bill being a ‘camel's nose under the tent’ creating a multi-billion dollar expense and, raising the issue of significant new state taxes, down the road will give people pause. Taxes trump vouchers." INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 30 January 2015 A raise in legislators’ per diems this session would allow lobbyists to spend more on lawmakers without reporting it in detail. What's the best overall policy? • "I think increasing per diem is a • "Man, that's a tough question. Makes dangerous political move in the long us all look bad. Maybe I ought to start run." thinking about getting my old job back playing piano in a whore house." • "Transparency should be more than a campaign promise." • "This question seems to imply that reporting levels for lobby spending is • "Disclosure is best" the issue, but I thought the hurdle was that legislators did not want to be seen • "I'm a lobbyist and I report increasing their daily pay. " everything. Anything less is corruption. " • "More transparency would result from a reasonable salary." • "The key is timely reporting. Let the people have access to who's accepting • "Report, report, report. Enough said!" what (or who's paying what to whom) — they're smart enough to vote out • "Your statements in your article are rotten apples who abuse the system. basically correct except for a limit per No, seriously, they are..." year..." • "Paying Texas Legislators a full time • "Anything $50+ should be reported in wage is the best solution." detail. " • "Where's the Tea Party on this issue? • "Dinner buys a legislator these days?" For all the rants they make on guns and government transparency, they sure • "Lobby reporting is simply a game of are suspiciously silent on this issue." gotcha. The detailed reporting threshold is lower on a real basis than it • "I am always amused to see this was 10 years ago. What's the big deal?" question arise; necessitates an answer based on implication, bribery is against the law, is and always has been." What was the biggest surprise in the Senate's committee appointments? The biggest winner? The biggest loser? • "No real surprises. A lot of the same • "Not a surprise in the entire line up." folks in the same jobs." • "Biggest loser — Jose Rodriguez. • "Nelson — winner Estes — loser" Based on his attempts to be a voice for INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 30 January 2015 the Ds, his status is greatly diminished • "Larry Taylor — Ed; winner — Eltife; for his constituents with this sessions’ loser — Estes for being courageous" assignments." • "How did Watson get on Finance?" • "Winner — Lucio ... Loser — Ellis" • "Craig Estes — dead man walking" • "Whitmire!" • "I can't say I am surprised by any • "Perry as chair of Ag with jurisdiction appointments. Lt. Gov. Patrick was an over water?" unknown in this position and no committee assignment is a surprise. " • "Sen. Campbell Chair of VA & Military ... Sen. Estes no chairmanship" • "Senator Estes proved that just showing up might be 80 percent of life, • "Lucio=winner, Estes=loser" but it's 0% of getting appointed a chair in the Texas Senate" • "Estes got busted. Zaffirini busted from both her chairmanship and • "Paul Bettencourt gets a coveted spot Finance" on the Finance Committee big winner" • "Biggest Winner: Charles Perry — • "A freshman chair? WTF? Does the Freshman Chair. Biggest Loser: Craig new senator even know about the Estes — Lost his chair. Biggest Surprise: secret restrooms located next to the Kel Seliger — Non-Tea Party Retains copy room and across the hall from the Chair in Hi Ed" elevator behind the chamber?" • "Winner: Kevin Eltife. Loser: Craig • "Lt. Governor appointed two (2) Estes" Democratic chairs. Senator Lucio was the biggest winner while Senator Estes • "Kirk Watson on Finance — a big deal was the biggest loser." for pension issues." • "Winner: rightwing nut cases. Loser: • "Biggest surprise is the horrible The people of Texas." appointments to border security. Freshmen Repubs are the biggest • "Biggest surprise, a freshman winners, Estes and Garcia biggest committee chair and freshman vice- losers." chairs. Biggest loss, not using the institutional knowledge of Judith • "Larry Taylor at education-surprise, Zaffirini" surprise, surprise! Loser — qualified intelligent Democratic Senators. Winner • "Biggest loser is Chuy Hinojosa. — Republican wackos" Senate Pro Tem and not even. Chairmanship, even to a subcommittee. • "Perry appointment was the biggest We all know who won most is Sen. surprise, but appropriate in a Senate Lucio with a chairmanship by turning with 8 freshmen. " his back to the Democrats. " INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 30 January 2015 • "Taking a stand based on principles is • "Frosh as Chair, followed by 6 Frosh never a losing proposition." being Vice Chairs — all 7 were rewarded more than in the past." • "Biggest winner: Charles Perry. Biggest loser: Estes" • "Poor Craig Estes ... he was the biggest loser. He stood up for his convictions ... • "Will miss Estes as a Chair. Perry was and got penaliZed. The biggest winner a surprise as a freshman securing a was Charles Perry, who was just chairmanship." another freshman until Estes stepped in it!" • "Schwertner wins. Estes Loses." • "No surprises" • "Naming any D chairmen; Huffman- State Affairs; Estes" • "Campbell not getting education — surprise. Freshman C Perry — winner. • "There weren't any real surprises." Estes — loser" • "Loser Z and Estes" • "Perry as Chair. Perry. 2/3's rule." • "Losers: Z & Estes. Winner: Social • "There will be no surprises in the Conservatives" Senate ... the Lt. Gov. has already told you what he is going to do...." • "Easy to see that Craig Estes was going to be AG & Water until his no vote • "No surprise" on 2/3rds rule change. Troy Fraser seemed to get a lot of important issues • "Biggest winner Seliger. Biggest loser under his newly formed committee." Zaffirini." • "Biggest Winner is Lucio who got • "Estes was biggest loser" immediate payback for the ‘bipartisan’ effort to eliminate the two-thirds rule. • "The appointment of a freshman as Whitmire is the biggest surprise as the committee chair was the biggest Lt. Governor campaigned on having no surprise. Biggest winner — tie — Kelly Democratic chairs. I guess you can't Hancock & Larry Taylor. Biggest loser ignore subject area mastery." — Craig Estes; right on policy (weakens rural Texas), wrong politically." • "None" • "Biggest surprise was Perry getting a • "Educ chair as surprise; chair. Taylor biggest winner and Estes winners=freshmen; losers=D chairs" biggest loser." • "Kel Seliger keeping Higher Ed was • "Taylor getting education" the biggest winner and the biggest surprise," • "Estes was a big, fat, loser, if you'll pardon the expression." INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 30 January 2015 • "Biggest surprise: freshman rural R • "Birdwell was the biggest winner! chair over experienced rural R chair.