Hug it Out, Senators
May 5th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
The week ended with some especially unlikely sights at the Capitol, including a tearful David Swinford, a barking Kevin Bailey, and a surprisingly huggable Steve Ogden. The near-revolt in the House Friday morning was actually one of the less astonishing developments.
Rep. Swinford got choked up when he was forced to bid adios, yet again, to HB 13. A point of order ejected the long-suffering (and rightly so) bill back to committee Thursday night. There will be more on the blog this weekend about that odd interlude so check back later.
Rep. Kevin Bailey’s high-pitched barking came during consideration of a dog-fighting penalty enhancement bill. Members mostly ignored this breach of procedure (Bailey, while never one to roll over or play dead, was speaking from his desk instead of the back mic, and not on command).
But Democratic senators could hardly believe it when, in the middle of debate on a bill to weaken the top 10 percent college admissions law, Sen. Steve Ogden (R—Bryan), offered to throw a huge sum of money at students who finish near the top of their high school class.
Conservative senators spent most of the three-hour debate offering the expected barrage of amendments to throw out the top ten percent rule completely. (The rule forces Texas’ public universities to accept students who graduate in the top ten percent of their high school class.) These were the battles top 10 percent advocates like Sens. Royce West (D—Dallas) and Rodney Ellis (D—Houston) were geared up for; and the main fear going into debate was that one of those amendments would squeak through.
As many other members on the floor quit paying attention to the repetitive debate, and Lt. Gov. Dewhurst took a phone call, Ogden rose to offer his amendment, beginning by saying, “It’s time to change the nature of this debate a little.” He suggested the state cover the statutory college tuition (about $1,500 a year) for any student who graduates in the top 10 percent of their class. Hello! This was the Chairman of Senate Finance offering to foot the bill for student tuition!?!
Shapiro quizzed him on whether or not his aim was to re-regulate college tuition (he said no). Sen. Dan Patrick (who dug himself into a hole weeks ago posturing about all the ways he could trim the budget) asked some questions, but told Ogden he supported the amendment.
The deal did sound pretty good — shell out $25 million a year to help inner-city and rural students pay for college, but it was coming from Ogden. Ogden, Mr. Property-Tax-Relief-Over-Social-Services, Mr. Fiscal-Conservative-Unless-We’re-Building-Prisons. Ogden. What was the play?
Ellis rose to ask him if this scholarship would eliminate need-based grants Texas already offers. Wouldn’t that be tricky. No, Ogden said, we’d still fund those grants too. Slowly the realization crept across the floor. Sen. Eliot Shapleigh (D—El Paso) raised one finger high above his head and held it there, ready to vote in favor of the amendment. Ogden explained he was just very committed to the top ten percent rule. Then Ellis told him, “You’re doing good work,” and that set off the sirens in the conservative camp. West, Ellis and Austin Sen. Kirk Watson rushed on Ogden with wide open arms, all smiles and hugs.
After wrapping up his phone call, Dewhurst descended from the dais to speak with Ogden too, though he wasn’t looking for a warm embrace. For ten minutes, Dewhurst asked, very slowly, if Ogden really wanted to do this, and understood what it could mean. Most of the rest of the Senate membership huddled around Ogden’s desk.
When the meeting was over, Ogden professed his good intentions. “It will cost $25 million, and there are no black helicopters in this amendment,” he said. Only four Republican senators (Brimer, Seliger, Wentworth and Williams) voted against the amendment.
Attempts to re-regulate college tuition look to be going nowhere this session because they’re almost assured a slow death in the House at the hands of Speaker Tom Craddick. But Ogden’s amendment was a small step toward making college more affordable — one that just might get through the House, tacked onto the top 10 percent reform — and a refreshing change of pace in a week of tearful, howling law-killing at the Lege.
May 7th, 2007 at 6:57 am
[…] With three weeks to go in the legislative session, the long nights are surely taking their toll on our elected officials. While the most coherent among them simply complain of being tired, others have been reduced to muttering in the halls or barking like a dog. […]
May 15th, 2007 at 10:19 am
[…] and again during floor debate, Shapiro refused to accept more heavy-handed amendments from Sens. Dan Patrick (to limit […]
May 24th, 2007 at 11:29 am
[…] Senate finance chair surprised Democrats earlier this month, by amending the top 10 percent rule reform bill with a $1500 college grant for […]