January 31, 2007
Jim Dunnam Keeps Caucus Leadership Role
while Farrar Wins Group's Number Two Post
State Rep. Jessica Farrar of
Houston has replaced State Rep. Dawnna
Dukes of Austin as the second highest-ranking
member of the House Democratic Caucus as State
Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco enters
another term as the group's leader.
Dunnam was re-elected to a third two-year term
while Farrar won the vice-chair's post at a caucus
meeting on Tuesday. State Rep. Terri Hodge
of Dallas was re-elected as the caucus treasurer
while State Rep. Veronica Gonzales
of McAllen won another term as caucus treasurer.
All four caucus officers were unanimous choices.
Dukes had been the group's vice-chair since she
and Dunnam were elected to the top two caucus
offices four years ago. But Dukes drew the wrath
of some Democratic legislators and activists when
she and 14 other House Democrats broke ranks with
their support for Speaker Tom Craddick's
re-election bid at the start of the regular session
this year.
Farrar - on the other hand - was one of only
three House members to vote against Craddick the
first time he was up for re-election as speaker
in 2005. Farrar and the other three caucus officers
backed Republican State Rep. Jim Pitts
in his bid to unseat Craddick in this year's speaker's
race. Dunnam, Farrar and Hodge cast no votes against
Craddick after Pitts had withdrawn from the contest
while Gonzales and other Democrats voted to re-elect
the Republican leader once the challenge had fizzled.
While caucus leaders fell short in their bid
to overthrow Craddick, they scored a key victory
this week when they blocked a move by the Republican
leadership to suspend a constitutional prohibition
against legislation being heard on the House floor
for the first two months of the regular session.
The leadership needed four-fifths support - or
120 votes - to suspend the constitutional order
of business. The measure went down in flames when
half of the Democrats that were on the floor and
one Republican voted against the move to begin
hearings on bills early.
With four months still to go in the regular session,
caucus leaders face the challenge of restoring
unity among Democrats who've been sharply divided
by the speaker's election and subsequent battles
over the House rules and procedures. Dunnam vowed
to improve channels of communications for Democrats,
who picked up six House seats in last year's elections.
While Republicans still hold a 12-seat advantage
in the 150-member House, the Democrats believe
they have a superior message with a pledge to
fight for public schools, children's health care
and ethics reform.
Dunnam and Hodge have been members of the lower
chamber for the past 10 years while Farrar is
a 12-year House veteran. Gonzales is in the midst
of her second House term.
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