Who needs a blocker bill when the Texas House has all-mighty, all-knowing Republican committee chairs? A bill creating a needle-exchange program for drug users appears dead this session.
House Public Health Chairwoman Dianne White Delisi, R-Temple, said Wednesday that she won’t bring the Senate-passed bill to a vote.
As noted in Lone Star Times here and here, this was a good bill and the right thing to do. So, why isn’t Rep. Delisi (R) allowing a vote?
“I have not been persuaded that the public health benefits outweigh the concerns of many members, myself included, of providing needles for those that are using illegal drugs,” she said.
She hasn’t been persuaded. Although she claims that “many” members aren’t convinced, the question is, would it pass if brought to a vote?
The House sponsor of the bill said she believes it would have passed the committee if put to a vote. “It’s a sad day in the state of Texas that we do not have the opportunity in this Legislature to save lives,” said Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio.
Yes, it is a sad day Rep. McClendon (D) when Republicans, the traditional champions of freedom and democracy, won’t allow bills to be voted up or down simply because a committee chair isn’t “persuaded“. Regardless of what you think of the merits of the bill, when committee chairs use their power to stifle debate it does not bode well for Republicans. The next time the Texas Legislature meets in regular session, Democrats will hold the majority. Thanks to politicians like Rep. Delisi (R).
In-depth coverage can be found at Gritsforbreakfast.
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The Honorable Chairwoman is an idiot! This is a pathetic example of how a Democrat might actually do a better job.
Simple
It’s really an ego trip for most of them. When Dan Patrick was profiled on a recent t.v. show, he read one of the bills he had authored. One unidentified woman on camera, looking down her nose, said she didn’t like the word “expand” in his bill. No reason why it’s a bad word, she just didn’t like it. (or him). I just assumed she wanted to show the junior Senator who was boss.
Diane White Delisi is the mother-in-law of Rick Perry’s chief of staff Deidre Delisi, by way of her son Ted Delisi, aka Rick Perry’s errand boy.
If Diane is blocking this, you can bet it has something to do with Governor Hairspray’s opposition to this bill as retaliation for the legislature overturning his genital warts vaccine decree.
Side note: Rep. Diane *White* Delisi is the Texas organizer for “Women in Government” - the shill group hired out by Merck to promote its HPV vaccination scheme, and Perry’s order. She was one of the forces behind securing it, then quietly shifted to the other side when it became clear that the legislature overwhelmingly opposed Perry’s order. And yes - the White in her name is there because she’s the heiress to the Scott & White Memorial Hospital fortune in Temple.
I would support a needle exchange program only if the needles being exchanged were loaded with arsenic.
Phil, ironically, Scott & White hospital SUPPORTED the bill at the House committee hearing! Anybody who has to pay for indigent health care costs likes needle exchange (except Rorchach, who apparently prefers his taxes high and his junkies infected).
Thanks for the linkage bigjolly.
No I prefer my junkies dead which LOWERS my healthcare costs. Digging a hole is cheap. Feeding and caring for someone who wants to live off others like a leech is expensive.
#5 - Interesting. To me, that suggests she was carrying Perry’s water on this one even if it meant going against her own personal interests (though not those of her son and daughter-in-law).
Then again, Diane has a long history of playing both sides of an issue when her personal interests are at stake. Just like Kerry and Iraq, she was for the HPV stuff before she was against it when the political tide turned.
Let the democrats have this country. I’m tired of fighting, hoping, writing, supporting, caring.
Phil, is anyone working on a list of Repubs that could possibly be taken out during the primary?
#8. You’re right. And they wonder why voter turnout is down. I write letters, make phone calls, vote every stinking time, and this is the crap I get.
I can’t wait for the primaries. Not that it will make a difference.
Recommended reading - Term Limits by Vince Flynn
#6-People like you are the reason I could never call myself conservative or republican.