From the Texas Tribune:
“The regular session overall was collegial and productive. We saw bipartisan work for the benefit of public education, water infrastructure and other priorities,” he said. “In contrast, the special session appears to be largely about partisanship and scoring political points. I think that’s unfortunate.”
Democrats can’t do much about it. Republicans have a 95-55 majority in the House and a 19-12 advantage in the Senate. Though Senate Democrats normally can block controversial legislation using the so-called two-thirds rule that gives the minority party real power, Dewhurst — who presides over the upper chamber — is dropping that procedure for the special session.
Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin and a Texas Tribune pollster, said Perry’s recent moves highlight a “fairly shrewd use of his position” and are likely to play well with Republican voters who have controlled the outcome of statewide races in Texas for years.
While his power is somewhat limited in regular sessions, the governor can call an unlimited number of special sessions and has the sole discretion to decide what goes on the agenda.
“He’s taking full advantage of the moment in which he has optimal leverage,” Henson said. “It burnishes his image as a leadership figure in the party.”
Its well past time to consider the governor's office to be weak. Perry has been able to determine how to expand his power and implement his agenda. Of course it helps if you have been elected to office repeatedly.
