[Texgreen] Should Tx Greens join this coalition?

[Roger Baker]

[This didn't come with the URL. Roger]

We deserve better
By MARIO X. PEREZ
Special to the Star-Telegram

Texas is a great state, and Texans have earned a reputation for  
kindness, honesty and plain-spokenness. Unfortunately, at times we  
have not had government that matches our reputation. It is time that  
ordinary Texans band together to demand transparency and  
accountability in state government.

To that end, a coalition of statewide organizations including Common  
Cause Texas, the League of Women Voters, Texans for Public Justice,  
Gray Panthers of Texas, Public Citizen Texas and the Texas Baptist  
Christian Life Commission have launched the "Texas Reform Agenda:  
Making Democracy Work" initiative.

These diverse groups have agreed upon five important reforms for the  
80th session of the Legislature.

Nearly 400 questionnaires have been mailed to candidates for Texas  
House, Texas Senate, governor and lieutenant governor. We hope that  
they will commit to support all or portions of the Making Democracy  
Work reforms, and we will work in a bipartisan fashion to enact them  
into law when the Legislature convenes.

The Texas Reform Agenda comprises:

Placing a $100,000 aggregate limit on individual contributions in a  
two-year political cycle. Texas is one of a handful of states with no  
limits on the size of campaign contributions. The failure to adopt  
some reasonable limits on contributions has created a class of "mega- 
donors" who wield a disproportionate amount of political power.
During the 2004 election cycle, 87 individuals or couples donated  
more than $100,000 each to state candidates and political committees.  
These contributions amounted to nearly $30 million and accounted for  
10 percent of all political donations. We support limits modeled  
after federal campaign laws that cap the aggregate amount an  
individual can contribute to federal candidates, political action  
committees and political parties at $101,400 per two-year cycle.

Although the courts have ruled that campaign contributions constitute  
political speech, it is important that we regulate to ensure that a  
few moneyed individuals do not drown out the voices of everyday  
citizens.

Closing the revolving door between the Legislature and the lobby.  
Most Texans would be shocked to learn that legislators have been able  
to resign their seats and immediately "cash in" on a lucrative career  
lobbying their former colleagues. Unlike the majority of states and  
Congress, Texas places no restrictions on lawmakers and key staff  
members who choose to leave public service and become paid lobbyists.
The laws that restrict directors, key staff and board members of the  
state's regulatory bodies from immediately lobbying their respective  
agencies do not apply to the Legislature. Yet the potential conflicts  
of interest are as great, if not greater, for legislators and their  
staff as they are for regulators.

We support a two-year "cooling-off" period before legislators and key  
staff can lobby the Legislature for compensation or serve as staff or  
consultants for registered lobbyists or lobby firms.

Keeping judges independent by appointment and retention elections.  
Texas is one of the few states that elect justices and judges by  
political party. This system opens the door to the perception that  
justice is for sale when lawyers and litigants contribute large sums  
of money to candidates. Texans deserve a judicial system free of  
political and special-interest influence.

Some 30 states have adopted the nonpartisan retention and election  
system (merit election) that combines both appointment and election  
in which judges, after a specified period of years, will stand in  
uncontested retention elections seeking voter approval based on their  
records. This system would strengthen public confidence in the  
judicial system.

Recording all nonceremonial legislative votes. This issue has gained  
support steadily in recent years. Citizens have a right to know how  
their elected representatives vote on bills. Texas does not routinely  
record how individual legislators vote, especially on major  
controversial issues. Forty out of 50 states require legislators to  
record their votes. Although the Texas House and Senate strengthened  
their respective rules regarding the recording of individual votes  
last session, those rules can be changed.
A constitutional amendment would ensure that each lawmaker's votes  
would be recorded at each legislative session.

Creating an independent redistricting commission. The commission  
should be appointed, small in size, bipartisan, odd in number and  
reflect the diversity of the state. The commission would be  
responsible for holding hearings around the state and then drawing  
district lines.

The Legislature would be responsible for final approval of the  
redistricting plan. Specific provisions would be made for automatic  
court review.
The further that redistricting can be removed from the direct  
participation of legislators, the less likely it is that incumbent or  
partisan interests would hurt the process. We might not be able to  
take the politics out of redistricting, but we can darn sure take the  
politicians out.

Enacting these sensible measures will help restore lost trust in our  
institutions and help democracy work in Texas. Then perhaps our  
state's reputation for straightforward honesty will unquestionably be  
shared by our state government.


Fort Worth attorney Mario X. Perez is chairman of Common Cause Texas.