http://impactnews.com/georgetown-hutto-taylor/342-government/13545-at-the-capitol--july-2011

With the state budget fully designed and its funding plans passed to the governor, Williamson County’s delegation in the Texas House of Representatives said the surprise special session has been an overall success. But what caught the most attention were two prominent Republican priorities—arguments that became more fueled as deadline after deadline continued to pass.

The Lege’s highest priority, said freshman Rep. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, was to balance the state budget without raising taxes. The Legislature did that, but it took longer than expected; a spartan budget plan was passed in May along party lines, but it took the impromptu special session to solidify funding mechanisms determining how funding for health care and public education would be divided. Of special note is a bill granting more fiscal flexibility to local school districts, which will be allowed to reduce pay of teachers and administrators or institute furloughs instead of layoffs.

“I think we sent a message to the nation that Texas, at least, is going to live within its means,” said Schwertner, who was also a member of the House budget writing committee. “We prioritized the spending of Texas and lived within our budget, without raising taxes, and that’s an important statement that the rest of the nation needs to hear.”

The Legislature also passed a bill adjusting funding plans for the troubled Texas Windstorm Insurance Agency, which works with hurricane victims.

Left undone were conservative initiatives on so-called “sanctuary cities,” or municipalities with lax enforcement policies concerning undocumented immigrants, as well as a bill banning invasive pat-downs by Transportation Security Administration officials at airports. Supporters called the pat-downs akin to groping. Both bills disintegrated in the final days and hours as Republican leaders in the House and Senate could not agree on dueling versions and conflicting amendments that had been added to each bill.

“The anti-groping bill really became a phenomenon in the last few days, especially since so many horror stories began coming out of airports,” said Rep. Larry Gonzales, R-Round Rock.

Both bills were added midway through the special session by Gov. Rick Perry; originally, only the funding mechanisms had been mentioned. As the special session continued, lawmakers grew absent, to the point that the House could not reach quorum twice. House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, sparked controversy in his chamber by publicly criticizing the TSA bill. When the Senate adjourned before the House, a number of Representatives accused the upper chamber of stifling debate and dooming both pieces of legislation.

Gonzales said that despite the lockdown over the TSA and “sanctuary cities” bills, the special session was worth the time.

“The days don’t matter so much to me. If it takes a little extra time to get it right, then so be it,” Gonzales said. “We took the extra days we needed, we tied up a few loose ends, and made things a little bit better.