The Evolution of the Texas Speaker

[niccolos_smile]

I recently read Patrick Cox and Michael Phillips' The House Will Come to Order. This isn't so much an analysis of the evolution of the Speaker's power as an examination of legislative history as seen through the Speaker's office and the House. However, it does provide some insight into the development of the Speaker's power since 1846.

The Speakership began as a revolving post with each Speaker holding office for one term. Not until the 20th Century did Speakers begin to hold consecutive terms in the office, but the real development of the Speaker's power began after the Sharpstown scandal with the Speakership of Billy Clayton. Clayton, Gibbs, Laney and Craddick all held multiple terms in the Speaker's chair. They also worked on expanding staff, setting the agenda for the House and generally expanding the power of the Speaker. These things had been done before, but they were not sustained until Clayton, et al ascended to the Speaker's chair.

http://wanderingreveries.blogspot.com/2010/06/evolution-of-texas-speaker.html

[sonias]

1. Speaker's Race, Anyone?

Texas Tribune 6/8/10
Speaker's Race, Anyone?
Joe Straus has been speaker of the Texas House for less than a year and a half — long enough to see that in the fanatically competitive world of the Legislature, there's always somebody after your job.

Nobody's openly campaigning right now, but there's talk of who might succeed the freshman speaker if he stumbles. Attribute the speculation to inertia: The House's top job was in play for at least four years before Straus won it in January 2009, and members and the lobby and the press and other gawkers have been trained to study every new complaint, slight, reward and compliment for signs of a coup. While he appears to be on solid ground going into his second session behind the podium, don't erase the possibility of a contest. It's an uncertain environment: It's an election year, Straus is green and the House is full of people who are constantly looking for a better deal than the one they've got.

Straus isn't worried about it. "I'm concerned with the work of the House," he says. "As far as politics goes, I'm focused on protecting our Republican incumbents and helping Republicans in the open seats. ... I'm focused on retaining and expanding the Republican majority in the House."

The beginning of a real race for speaker of the House looks the same as a dud; it's just about impossible to tell the difference at the outset. Straus looks safe right now. He closed the last session — about a year ago now — saying he had pledges from 123 of the 150 members in the House, including 62 Republicans and 61 Democrats. That's changed some, with some members leaving and others, not yet elected or sworn in, who've apparently told him he'll have their support. Some, undoubtedly, have told him they don't want to sign pledge cards. Straus isn't releasing a list. But he's got a supermajority if everybody keeps their promises and if the elections don't bring a political earthquake.

Straus is no Craddick but he's hardly a "leader" We'll see how the next session plays out. The Ds who essentially helped Straus unseat Craddick are none too happy with him. And his own wing nut Rs don't trust him one bit either.

:shrug: