Texas Scorecard by Jeramy Kitchen July 15, 2021
“There needs to be 76 members who decide who our next Speaker is, and more than 60 are not there.”On Thursday, in response to Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan removing Democrat State Rep. Joe Moody (El Paso) as the House speaker pro tempore, the leaders of the various House Democrat caucuses issued a joint statement condemning the action.
“We know first hand that Speaker Pro Tem Joe Moody has done more than any other member on the House Floor to protect our Chamber and the institution of the Texas House. It’s unfortunate that Speaker Phelan has been unable to do the same.”
They went on to add, “We are a coequal branch of government. When Governor Abbott decided to defund the whole legislature, Speaker Phelan was silent. There needs to be 76 members who decide who our next Speaker is, and more than 60 are not there.”
The joint statement was issued by State Rep. Rafael Anchia (D–Dallas), chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus; State Rep. Chris Turner (D–Grand Prairie), chairman of the House Democrat Caucus; State Rep. Nicole Collier (D–Ft. Worth), chairman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus; and State Rep. Garnet Coleman (D–Houston), chairman of the Legislative Study Group.
Also on Wednesday, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan released another statement, saying, “In an effort to further compel House Democrats to return to the State of Texas, I am chartering a plane that will be on standby in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. I am demanding all of our colleagues in D.C. to contact my staff immediately in order to secure their seat on the plane and return to Austin in order to do the state’s business. The State of Texas is waiting.”
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/house-democrats-remind-speaker-of-the-coalitions-that-put-him-there/