Texas State House GOP Votes Against Open Government

The super majority of Texas Republicans in the new State Legislature already managed to break campaign promises in the first month in session.

House Democrats proposed common sense rules in regards to open government, spending, etc for this session and every single item was voted down by the Republicans. Here is a list (with the sponsoring house member in parentheses):

• Ensuring the public can monitor meetings of conference committees- small groups of hand-picked lawmakers who are able to make last minute changes to legislation. (Rep. Lon Burnam)
• Requiring every bill that costs the state money to be considered after the budget has been finally passed. (Rep. Jessica Farrar)
• Giving every House member access, upon request, to budget documents given to the Appropriations committee, and any Appropriation subcommittee. (Rep. Pete Gallego)
• Empowering House members to detail the impact of the projected budget cuts to their own home county. (Rep. Roland Gutierrez)
• Banning unfunded mandates to local government. (Rep. Donna Howard & Rep. Garnet Coleman)
• Requiring an estimate of how a bill would impact either the creation or destruction of jobs in the private sector. (Rep. Marc Veasey)
• Allowing a five-day layout period for the final version of the budget, giving time for everyone, lawmakers and the public, to review and understand it. (Rep. Armando Walle)

It makes you wonder why they would reject such rules? Things that make you go hmmmm.

++++Editor's Note

A commenter wanted citations to the votes in question. And one was corrected to reflect the proper House member. Here you all go.

The votes in question correlate to amendments to the House Rules, or HR 4 (http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=82R&Bill=HR4).  Links to the pages in the House Journal that show the text of the amendment, and the individual record votes by each House member.

The Burnam Amendment (Amd. 28): http://www.journals.house.state.tx.us/hjrnl/82r/pdf/82RDAY07FINAL.PDF#page=144

The Farrar Amendment (Amd. 24): http://www.journals.house.state.tx.us/hjrnl/82r/pdf/82RDAY07FINAL.PDF#page=137

The Gallego Amendment (Amd. 32): http://www.journals.house.state.tx.us/hjrnl/82r/pdf/82RDAY07FINAL.PDF#page=151

The Gutierrez Amendment (Amd. 25): http://www.journals.house.state.tx.us/hjrnl/82r/pdf/82RDAY07FINAL.PDF#page=138

The Howard/Coleman Amendment (Amd. 21): http://www.journals.house.state.tx.us/hjrnl/82r/pdf/82RDAY07FINAL.PDF#page=128

The Veasey Amendment (Amd. 13): http://www.journals.house.state.tx.us/hjrnl/82r/pdf/82RDAY07FINAL.PDF#page=120

The Walle Amendment (Amd. 31): http://www.journals.house.state.tx.us/hjrnl/82r/pdf/82RDAY07FINAL.PDF#page=137