December 2, 2014 3:24 PM

Bearse: Legislative Transparency

From the Right: Quorum Report’s conservative columnist Eric Bearse argues there should be a real “record of how important bills pass or die.”

We are in the midst of that great democratic tradition known as the transition of power, which in Texas only occurs among Republicans. The incoming governor, Attorney General Greg Abbott, has to make a number of important decisions, starting with selecting staff. In his case, he must choose which talented people to bring along from both his campaign and state office, while ensuring there is enough institutional memory within the office to carry out important functions.

This is harder when the transition involves a change in parties. I am told the legislative process for Governor Ann Richards was in such disarray her first session that dozens of bills were simply lost, and became law without her signature. Having a bill clerk who knows what he or she is doing may seem like a small thing until it is not.

The Texas Senate, which has been the body most immune to change until recently, not only welcomes a new lieutenant governor, but a number of new senators on top of the inordinate number of new senators elected two years ago. There is a lot of discussion about the two-thirds rule, and whether Lieutenant Governor-elect Dan Patrick will try to scrap it or modify it. I am less concerned about that debate than other traditions I don’t like in the Senate and Texas House that fly in the face of transparency, and harm our democratic process.

The complete column from Eric Bearse is available in today’s R&D Department.

By Eric Bearse