Parental ‘bill of rights’ stirs controversy
By JENNIFER McKEE, Helena
Independent Record
House Republicans will unveil one of their signature bills
tomorrow, a measure to amend the Montana Constitution to further
enshrine certain rights of parents. The bill faces some
opposition, with the head of Billings Public Schools calling the
measure potentially “dangerous,” and others, including the
leader of Senate Democrats, saying the rights of Montana parents
are not under major attack and they wonder why the measure is
necessary. The bill will be the subject of a hearing in the
House Judiciary Committee. House Bill 312, by Rep. Mike Lange,
R-Billings, would add four sentences to the Constitution,
stipulating that parents have “right to the custody of their
minor children and the right to control and direct their
education, religious training, social training and contacts, and
general upbringing.” The government cannot infringe upon those
rights without a “compelling state interest of the highest
order.” Lawmakers cannot change the Constitution, but they can
propose Constitutional changes that must be approved by the
voters. Such bills require 66 or more votes to pass, not a
simple majority.
GOP refuses to cede borders
By Jennifer Brown, Denver Post
Republicans are unwilling to let the illegal immigration
issue die this legislative session, even as they admit their
proposals are probably headed nowhere. But keeping the debate
alive in the Democratic-controlled statehouse, in part, is
strategy for the next election - illegal immigration typically
rises near the top of issues in voter polls. "Believe me, we are
keeping count and we will roll that out at the end of the
session," warned Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument. The freshman
lawmaker charged that her bill, which would prevent illegal
immigrants arrested in criminal cases from getting released on
bail, was purposefully sent to a committee that would kill it.
House Speaker Andrew Romanoff called that a "ridiculous,
unfounded, poisonous suggestion." "This is not a game," he said.
"You can spend your time playing politics, or you can solve
problems."
Underdogs in Senate won't heel
Five Republicans break with tradition on confirmation votes
By SABRA AYRES, Anchorage Daily
News
The five Republican members of the state Senate's minority
started their feisty campaign as this year's unlikely political
underdogs on the opening day of the legislative session. Instead
of agreeing to vote unanimously to confirm fellow Republican
Sen. Lyda Green of Wasilla as Senate president, the minority
group members broke tradition and asked for a full floor vote
and then voted no. On the vote to confirm Sen. John Cowdery,
R-Anchorage, as chairman of the Rules Committee, the five
members of the minority again asked for a floor vote and again
voted no against their fellow Republican. In the end, both Green
and Cowdery were confirmed, 15-5. But the minority group's no
votes had already set the precedent for what could be an ongoing
struggle in this year's unusual political landscape. The
majority in the Senate, which was formed in November after that
month's general election, is made up of six Republicans and nine
Democrats, leaving five Republicans -- Minority Leader Gene
Therriault of North Pole, Con Bunde of Anchorage, Fred Dyson of
Eagle River, Gary Wilken of Fairbanks and Thomas Wagoner of
Kenai -- as a small minority. It's an unusual setup for a state
where the Republican Party has dominated in the executive and
legislative branches for years.
Cigarette sales on fire across Wyoming state line
“They’ll start in the morning and come as
late as 9:30 at night. It’s an all-day event”
By Kevin Woster, Rapid City
Journal
Cigarette sales were sizzling here Monday as South Dakota
smokers crossed the state line to escape higher tobacco taxes at
home. Two weeks after the state’s new $1-per-pack tax increase
on cigarettes took effect, vehicles with South Dakota license
plates — Lawrence County mostly, but also Pennington and Butte —
came and went from the Stateline Station often enough to keep
manager Kathy Drentlaw hustling throughout the morning and into
early afternoon. “They’ll start in the morning and come as late
as 9:30 at night. It’s an all-day event,” Drentlaw said. It’s
also a money maker for the Stateline convenience store. Drentlaw
has had to increase her normal cigarette orders to keep pace
with increased demand. She typically ordered about 100 10-pack
cartons a week for the store but had been increasing that level
leading up to the Jan. 1 effective date of the new law. And last
week, she ordered 900 cartons. “I know I sold at least 700 or
800 (cartons) last week,” she said. “I had to do two emergency
orders because I was totally out of Marlboros and Camels, and
some different odd cigarettes.”
Perry sticks by immigrants' tuition breaks
"I'm for leaving the law like it is
because I think it serves a good purpose"
By Clay Robison the San Antonio
Express-News
Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday he'll oppose efforts to repeal
a law, which he signed six years ago, giving tuition breaks to
undocumented immigrants attending state universities. "I'm for
leaving the law like it is because I think it serves a good
purpose," he said. State legislators have filed at least four
bills to repeal the measure, which grants lower, in-state
tuition to the children of [illegal] immigrants.
Craddick prevails
Speaker retains power
By CHRISTY HOPPE, Dallas Morning
News
The iron-fisted Tom Craddick became the iron man Tuesday,
winning his third term as House speaker and – with the help of
Democrats – turning back challengers from his own party who said
he was too autocratic and partisan to continue as their leader.
Craddick wins power struggle
Rival drops out after bid for secret ballot fails
By JAY ROOT and JOHN MORITZ,
Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick survived a
political coup attempt Tuesday, cruising to a third term
after his challenger abruptly gave up the fight to take
control of the chamber on the opening day of the 2007
legislative session.
Craddick re-elected speaker in landslide
Challenger Pitts abruptly bows out after colleagues kill a
resolution to make voting secret
By LISA SANDBERG and PEGGY
FIKAC, Houston Chronicle
Tom Craddick, the iron-fisted 38-year House veteran from
Midland, was re-elected Tuesday evening to a third term as
speaker of the Texas House after fending off a bitter
challenge from a fellow conservative Republican who was once
part of his leadership team. Craddick emerged victorious
after his opponent, Rep. Jim Pitts of Waxahachie, abruptly
withdrew from the race as the nominations for speaker were
to begin. By then, it was evident Pitts did not have the
majority he needed. After a lengthy debate, his House
colleagues killed a resolution that would have kept the vote
for speaker secret until after the speaker made committee
appointments.
Senate rejects end to two-thirds rule
GOP freshman calls procedure stifling, but he finds no agreement
By TERRENCE STUTZ, Dallas Morning
News
The Senate, convening for its regular 2007 session, Tuesday
killed a long-shot bid by a new Republican member to scrap a
decades-old rule that requires a two-thirds vote of the chamber
to take up legislation. Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, one of five
new members this year, argued for the change as senators
considered operating procedures for the session – including the
so-called two-thirds rule. But the freshman lawmaker, a
conservative radio talk-show host, found no support for his
position as the rule was preserved on a 30-1 vote.
A decided edge in Capitol
Democrats had to move furniture and staff out of their caucus
room to make space for six additional members...their GOP
counterparts had room for a coffee bar
By Andrew Garber and Ralph Thomas,
Seattle Times
Rep. Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham, was struck again by the
magnitude of the Democrats' election victory when she walked
into the House chambers Monday and sat down in a seat formerly
held by a Republican. Linville was surrounded by other Democrats
now sitting at desks occupied by the GOP last year. "After I got
over there, I almost felt bad," she said. The election, which
gave Democrats a 62-to-36 majority in the House and a 32-to-17
advantage in the Senate, made itself apparent in many ways
Monday as the Legislature convened for a 105-day session. In the
House, Democrats had to move furniture and staff out of their
caucus room to make space for six additional members. Their GOP
counterparts had room for a coffee bar.
No abortion ban expected
But 2007 Legislature might consider bills to restrict procedure
By Megan Myers, Sioux Falls Argus
Leader
While South Dakota lawmakers, abortion foes and
abortion-rights advocates don't expect abortion to become a main
theme of the 2007 legislative session as it was in 2006, all
agree the issue isn't going away. The 2007 Legislature might be
free of abortion bans such as the one passed last year, but a
similar measure could be put to voters in the 2008 elections, a
state legislator said last week.
Legislature's opening day offers a salute to the
future
Legislators launch session with talk of meeting yearly
By STEVE LAW, Statesman Journal
Oregon lawmakers are setting the state on course to begin
annual sessions of the Legislature. On opening day of the 2007
session Monday, the Senate passed a resolution committing to end
the session by June 29, then return Feb. 4, 2008, for no more
than 25 days. House Speaker Jeff Merkley, D-Portland, said his
chamber will support the experiment in annual sessions, making
the Senate resolution the first bill to go to the House floor.
Napolitano acts fast to push plans for Arizona
By Matthew Benson, Arizona Republic
Gov. Janet Napolitano signed six executive orders on the
first day of her second term, toughening air-pollution
regulations, creating a plan to improve long-term care
facilities and adding a financing scheme for water projects.
Later, she used her State of the State address to call for
fundamental change in the way Arizona grows, educates its
children and prepares for the new economy. In doing so,
Napolitano answered questions about how she would govern in a
second term. Her flurry of executive-order signings caught GOP
legislative leaders by surprise.
Otter's modest budget includes one-time splurges
By Gregory Hahn, Idaho Statesman
Gov. Butch Otter wants to give tax breaks and college
scholarships to low-income Idahoans. He wants to spend $37
million to help train Idaho nurses, almost $11 million to boost
the Idaho dairy industry and $865,000 to build a detox center in
the Treasure Valley. In his first State of the State address
Monday, Idaho's 32nd governor outlined a plan for a more modest
and more "user-friendly" state government. His big spending
ideas are all one-time proposals, and his budget includes plans
to privatize and limit some government activities.
Speaker fight hinges on how
Open voting may favor Craddick; Pitts, others seek to avoid
retaliation
By KAREN BROOKS, Dallas Morning
News
The House takes two key votes today: First, how to elect the
speaker of the House. Second, whom to elect speaker of the
House. Lawmakers have spent the last several days – and plenty
of emotion – fighting over both. At issue: whether the divisive
and uncertain race between incumbent Speaker Tom Craddick,
R-Midland, and challenger Jim Pitts, a Waxahachie Republican,
should be decided by a public vote or a secret ballot.
Election eve, no one blinks
Craddick, Pitts appear headed for rare House floor fight
By W. Gardner Selby and Laylan
Copelin, Waco Tribune
On the eve of a rare floor fight over who'll lead the Texas
House, neither Speaker Tom Craddick nor challenger Jim Pitts
blinked Monday amid uncertainty about whether the pivotal vote
will be public or secret. Craddick, R-Midland, stayed out of
view as he has since the speaker's race surfaced just before
Christmas. Also out of sight was Pitts, R-Waxahachie. He
accepted an invitation to speak to the 69-member House
Democratic Caucus this morning, according to the caucus
chairman, Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco. But Pitts was described as
huddling with members and talking to them by telephone.
Pitts confident he has enough votes for speaker
seat
By LISA SANDBERG and GARY SCHARRER,
Houston Chronicle
Rep. Jim Pitts said today he thinks he has enough votes to
topple House Speaker Tom Craddick, a fellow Republican, after
the Legislature convenes at noon. A spokeswoman for Craddick,
however, said the speaker was confident of being re-elected to a
third term. Pitts declined to release the names of any
additional supporters, and a Republican lawmaker and Pitts
supporter said the race was extremely close. The House member,
who asked not to be identified, said the race was "going down to
the wire."
Texas revenue forecast coming today
But spending cap looms over expected budget surplus on the eve
of session
By PEGGY FIKAC, Houston Chronicle
Texans who care how much the state has available to spend on
public schools, highways, prisons, universities, health care for
struggling families, tax relief and just about everything else
might want to pay attention today, the eve of the legislative
session. That's when state Comptroller Susan Combs releases her
estimate of the revenue that will pour into state coffers over
the next two-year budget period. Her projection will set the
stage as lawmakers head into a session that has been marked
before it even begins with fireworks over a challenge to House
Speaker Tom Craddick. Combs' estimate will be the formal
successor to an estimate that Texas has $15.5 billion in extra
general revenue, made by Craddick.
Craddick loses support as vote nears
Laredo Democratic Rep. Richard Raymond criticizes House
speaker's ethics
By the Associated Press, Dallas
Morning News
Powerful House Speaker Tom Craddick faced more defections
Sunday ahead of a high-stakes meeting meant to shore up support
for a third term. Laredo Democratic Rep. Richard Raymond, who
had been listed publicly as one of Craddick's supporters,
deserted him Sunday, blasting the speaker's ethics in a lengthy
letter. Republican Reps. Charlie Geren and Edmund Kuempel, who
had supported Craddick in the past, also joined forces with his
opponent, Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie. Another South Texas
Democrat publicly withdrew his support of Craddick on Saturday.
Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, spoke at the
swearing-in for Comptroller Susan Combs last Thursday in Austin.
When the Texas Legislature convenes Tuesday, the House will vote
on whether to keep Craddick in charge. But Craddick also picked
up an endorsement from Democrat Rep.-elect Eddie Lucio III.
Craddick supporters insisted the speaker had enough votes to
stay in office, despite the weekend hemorrhaging. "We have more
than enough pledges to win the speaker's race on Tuesday," said
Craddick spokeswoman Alexis DeLee.
New power players take charge in Oregon's Legislature
Public-employee groups likely will gain
influence
By Steve Law, Statesman Journal
Democrats own the governorship, the Senate and the House for
the first time in 16 years. The change in partisan control, plus
natural turnover and new sidekicks to help Gov. Ted Kulongoski
navigate his second term, bring a crop of new power players to
the Capitol for the 2007 legislative session. Topping the list:
incoming House Speaker Jeff Merkley, D-Portland, and House
Majority Leader Dave Hunt, D-Gladstone, leaders of the gang that
brought Democratic control to the House. Close behind: Mary
Nolan, D-Portland, the House budget chief, who gets to shape how
$49 billion in state money is spent. They'll share power with a
trio of returning Senate counterparts: Senate President Peter
Courtney, D-Salem, Senate Majority Leader Kate Brown,
D-Portland, and Sen. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, the Senate budget
chief and reigning numbers-cruncher. Kulongoski returns as well,
with greater clout after a surprisingly strong re-election
victory, and after Democratic allies won back the House. The
biggest rising stars outside elected officials are a pair of
labor leaders who will have the governor's ear each day:
Kulongoski's newly appointed chief of staff Chip Terhune and
deputy chief of staff Tim Nesbitt. A newly appointed second
deputy chief of staff, former Pixelworks CEO Allen Alley, also
figures to be an instant power in Salem.
Owens to join Romney presidential team
By Christa Marshall, Denver Post
Outgoing Colorado Governor Bill Owens has joined the senior
advisory team of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is
gearing up for a 2008 presidential bid. Romney, 59, has not
announced his candidacy officially, but submitted paperwork this
week to form a presidential advisory committee, the first step
in a race for the White House. If elected, he would be the first
Mormon president. Owens, a two-term governor who worked with
Romney at the National Governors Association, revealed his
support for the Massachusetts Republican last night on the Hugh
Hewitt Show, a conservative talk radio program. "I think he's
(Romney's) one of the brightest people I've ever seen in public
office," Owens said on the show. "He's a businessman, he's a
manager. He is a conservative, he wants to cut taxes." Owens
added he had doubts about the conservative credentials of other
potential candidates and was impressed by Romney's organization
of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City before becoming
Massachusetts's governor the same year.
Majority of Utahns favor big tax cuts
It is clear that when lawmakers convene in
the 2007 Legislature Jan. 15, the majority Republicans in the
Utah House and Senate will be adopting some kind of a tax cut
By Bob Bernick Jr., Deseret
Morning News
Most Utahns want a significant tax cut this year, while just
over a third say they'd skip the cut if the money were instead
spent on needy state programs like education, a new public
opinion survey by the Deseret Morning News and KSL-TV shows. The
Dan Jones & Associates poll of 400 Utahns conducted this past
week shows that 38 percent of Utahns want a $100 million tax
cut, as suggested by GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. Nineteen percent
favor a $300 million tax cut, a number already approved by Utah
House Republicans. Together, 57 percent of Utahns told Jones
they want some kind of tax cut in 2007. But 37 percent said they
don't want any tax cuts this year. They favor just spending the
extra cash on state programs, Jones found. It is clear, however,
that when lawmakers convene in the 2007 Legislature Jan. 15, the
majority Republicans in the Utah House and Senate will be
adopting some kind of a tax cut — yet to be determined is how
much and which taxes are trimmed.
Utahns break from Bush on Iraq
Reddest state no longer behind war's
handling, split on 'surge'
By Matthew D. LaPlante, Salt
Lake Tribune
President Bush has lost majority support on Iraq from
residents of the reddest state in the nation. A Salt Lake
Tribune poll conducted last week shows Utah's support for Bush's
handling of the war in Iraq has taken a substantial plunge in
the past few months. Just 41 percent of Utahns say they support
Bush on Iraq - marking the first time a Tribune poll has found
fewer than half of Utahns in the president's war camp.
Meanwhile, the poll shows Utahns about evenly split on whether
to send more troops to Iraq. About 44 percent of Utahns back a
"surge" - an option Bush reportedly is considering, and which
has much lower nationwide support.
Gore's speech moved to bigger venue
The Associated Press, Salt Lake
Tribune
After about 1,500 tickets were snapped up in 10 minutes for
former Vice President Al Gore's speech later this month, Boise
State University has moved the speech to a larger venue and is
offering more tickets. Gore is now scheduled to appear at Taco
Bell Arena to give the keynote speech of a conference sponsored
by BSU's Frank Church Institute. The speech is set for 7 p.m.
Jan. 22 and is titled ''Global Warming: Beyond the Inconvenient
Truth.''
Pitts guarantees he'll dethrone Craddick
But he keeps pledge list under wraps; speaker's aides express
confidence
By ROBERT T. GARRETT and KAREN
BROOKS, Dallas Morning News
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Pitts guaranteed
Thursday that he has "more than enough votes" to oust Speaker
Tom Craddick but said the public will have to wait until next
week's election to find out how many and who they are. It is the
first time that Mr. Pitts, R-Waxahachie, claimed to be close to
victory in the week since he joined the race late. He called his
candidacy "history in the making."
Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie
(left) and Rep. Brian McCall, R-Plano, said at a news conference
Thursday that they fear pressure by Speaker Tom Craddick on
their supporters.
House speaker hopefuls talk deal
Dem supporter says Craddick's two GOP rivals might team up
By CLAY ROBISON, Houston Chronicle
Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick's two
Republican challengers have been in discussions with the
apparent goal of joining forces to unseat the presiding officer,
a Democratic supporter of one of the contenders said Monday. "I
don't think there is a deal. I know they have been talking and
continue to talk," said Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, who met
with the two insurgents — Reps. Brian McCall, R-Plano, and Jim
Pitts, R-Waxahachie — for lunch in Dallas on Sunday. Eiland
supports McCall, who claims he already has enough votes to
wrestle the speakership from Craddick when the Legislature
convenes Jan. 9. Craddick's camp, however, said the speaker
still had enough support to win re-election to a third term. The
votes of 75 House members will be necessary to win the
speakership.
Tom Craddick, the first
Republican to serve as Texas House speaker in modern times, has
built a reputation as an authoritative presiding officer who has
forced or prompted some of his fellow Republicans to vote
against the best interests of their districts.
Legislature has money, options
Lawmakers will have $15.5 billion in new state dollars available
when they write the budget for the next two years
By PEGGY FIKAC, Houston Chronicle
Austin, Texas -- Lawmakers expect to have billions more
dollars available when they write Texas' next budget, but the
interests competing for cash are just as big. And there's a
legal roadblock they'll have to get around if they want to spend
all the money. After considering basic demands like school
enrollment growth and making good on a highly touted promise to
lower local school property tax rates, there are choices to be
made. Loosen restrictions in public health care programs? Target
high college tuition rates? Lower property taxes further? Or
save for the future? "It's never going to be easy to write a
budget. There are many legitimate needs out there," Sen. Steve
Ogden, R-Bryan, Senate Finance Committee chairman, has said.
Three contenders for House speaker lining up support
McCall and Pitts resist push from Craddick backers to name who's in
their corner
By PEGGY FIKAC, Houston Chronicle
Austin,
Texas -- Incumbent Tom Craddick and two fellow Republican challengers worked
well into the holiday weekend trying to lure and solidify supporters in
the high-stakes race for the House speakership. Rep. Brian McCall of
Plano contended Saturday that he has enough support to topple Craddick
from the powerful post while the third candidate, Jim Pitts of
Waxahachie, said he is "getting there." The speaker, meanwhile,
marshaled supporters behind closed doors at the Capitol. Several
Craddick backers emerged from their meeting with the Midland Republican
with a challenge for would-be speakers to release their supporters'
names. The challengers so far have refused to do so, in part because
they don't want to put their backers in jeopardy with Craddick by
releasing names prematurely.
Republicans and Democrats differ on priorities
for surplus
By MATT GOURAS, Bozeman Daily
Chronicle
Helena, Montana -- Republicans and Democrats have different
ideas on how to spend the state's big surplus and disagree on
the job performance of Gov. Brian Schweitzer - but both sides
largely support coal development efforts, a survey of state
legislators shows. Democrats were most likely to pick K-12
education, higher education and human services as areas most
deserving of money from the state's projected $1 billion
surplus. Republicans most often selected property tax relief, an
income tax cut and saving the money as the best uses of the
surplus. Gov. Brian Schweitzer has laid out an agenda that touts
a $400-per-homeowner tax rebate, more education money and
spending increases for a number of areas. He has also said he
will support a tax relief package for new "clean and green"
energy development.
