Local legislators support change in Texas House speaker

Three Southeast Texas legislators are supporting a candidate who appears ready to shake up the power structure in Austin.

Democrats Joe Deshotel and Allan Ritter, and Republican legislator Mike Hamilton, are supporting State Rep. Joe Straus of San Antonio as the next Texas House speaker.

Straus held a news conference Monday in Austin and laid out his vision for replacing Tom Craddick. Craddick is giving up his position as speaker.

Straus says it's time for a new era of bi-partisan leadership.

Straus says he has the support of more than 90 representatives.

State Representative Allan Ritter told us Tom Craddick controlled the legislative process with a small group of supporters. Ritter said Straus will end that system.

"We live in a democracy and that's the way the mechanism is set up," Ritter told KFDM in a telephone interview.

"The budget will drive the session. Most everything will come back to it. We don't want to pass a budget that we'll end up in 2010, $15 to $20 billion short like California and some other states."

Ritter said under provisions of Sunset review legislation, a number of state agencies will be scrutinized to determine if they should continue to exist or whether changes should be made to make them more efficient and cost effective.  He says those agencies include the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Insurance.

The vote for speaker takes place January 13 when the legislative session begins in Austin.

AUSTIN (AP) - State Rep. Joe Straus of San Antonio today all but laid claim to the powerful office of Texas House speaker.

The 49-year-old Republican held a triumphant news conference at the Capitol and laid out his vision for a new era of bipartisan leadership in the Texas House.

The official vote doesn't take place until Jan. 13, when the Legislature convenes.

But fellow Republicans John Smithee of Amarillo and Dan Gattis of Georgetown late today released a statement saying they're bowing out of the race for Speaker.

Straus earlier said nearly two-thirds of the chamber members support his candidacy now that embattled Speaker Tom Craddick of Midland dropped out.

Straus says he'll meet with every House member to better understand the needs of their districts, and build trust and confidence.

Many members complained that Craddick ruled with an iron-fist and gave lobbyists too much influence.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AUSTIN (AP) - Republican Rep. Joe Straus, heir-apparent to the powerful job of Texas House speaker, vowed to reduce the influence of special interest groups in Austin and said nearly two-thirds of his fellow members support his candidacy now that current Speaker Tom Craddick has backed out of the race.

During an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Straus announced he had 92 of 150 House members backing him and said more would be joining his team ahead of the formal Jan. 13 vote. Moments later, the count had increased to 94, an aide said. Craddick, the longest serving Republican in state elective office, gave up his re-election bid Sunday night, making Straus the clear front-runner in the race to succeed him. Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, has mounted a long-shot bid to oppose Straus.

A wealthy San Antonio businessman, Straus was not measuring the curtains yet in the speaker's apartment. In fact, Straus, whose teenage daughters attend school in San Antonio, said he had no plans to even live in the spacious capitol residence. But he told the AP he was already looking ahead to the 2009 session and promised to heal wounds and push reforms in the badly divided House chamber.

Many members complained that Craddick, the first GOP speaker since the Civil War era, ruled with an iron-fist and gave lobbyists too much sway over policy deliberations.

"There's been this feeling that from time to time there's been undue pressure and influence from special interests and I want the members to know that I'm going to protect them to do what their districts want them to do on issues," Straus said. "The lobby plays an important role in forming public policy, but they shouldn't dominate and members should feel free to act in the interests of people who sent them here."

A core group of conservative Republicans, the bedrock of Craddick's old coalition, are backing Smithee over Straus. They complain that Straus is not one of them - that he's too liberal on abortion and gambling issues in particular. Straus' family has been in the horse racing business for close to 100 years, and anti-gambling forces fear he would use his powerful post to promote an expansion of gambling in Texas.

Straus, whose family holds a stake in San Antonio's Retama Park horse racing track, said he would take a hands-off approach to gambling bills and allow the chamber to exercise its will.

"I will not be involved in an issue, any issue, where my personal interests will be advanced," Straus said.

"I don't have a role in Retama," he added. "I have a small limited partnership interest ... I don't have any management or decision-making role in anything related to that industry."

As for abortion, Straus noted that he supports restrictions on the procedure, including a requirement that parents give their consent before their minor children terminate a pregnancy. But he also made it clear that he favors laws that give women abortion ights.

"I support existing laws on abortion," he said. "I believe the laws that are currently in place are not at this point a state matter."

By JAY ROOT and APRIL CASTRO

Associated Press Writers

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)