Dems and Repubs tell Craddick: Let us do our jobs!

Link: Craddick faces fight on race-funding bill But Democrats may force floor vote instead.

So what happens when a bi-partisan group (92 in fact) of House of Representatives want a bill to leave committee? Nothing if the Speaker does not want it get out.

House Speaker Tom Craddick, under a cloud of investigation about campaign finance practices, today faces a possible showdown over the issue with Democrats.

Facing the threat of a rare floor maneuver from Democrats, Craddick said late Wednesday a House committee will vote on a controversial campaign-finance reform bill next week. But Democrats said that would be too late, in effect, killing the bill unless Craddick promised a floor vote on House Bill 1348.

The bill would tighten restrictions on the use of corporate and union money in political campaigns.

Earlier in the day, Democrats raised the specter of a floor vote to force the bill out of the House Elections Committee, where it has stalled, despite having the backing of 92 House members.

House Bill 1348 would bar anonymous money paying for any ads that target a candidate in the final weeks of a campaign, Waco Rep. Jim Dunnam, who leads the House Democratic Caucus, was not impressed by the promise of a committee vote next week.

House Bill 1348 would bar anonymous money paying for any ads that target a candidate in the final weeks of a campaign, Waco Rep. Jim Dunnam, who leads the House Democratic Caucus, was not impressed by the promise of a committee vote next week.

[...]

The maneuvering to free the bill began Wednesday when Dunnam asked House Parliamentarian Denise Davis whether the full House could force a committee to send legislation to the Calendars Committee, which schedules bills for votes on the floor.

Davis said a simple majority of House members could vote to rescue a bill from committee, but that Craddick could stop that effort by refusing to recognize the motion to do so.

UPDATE:

From the Quorum Report ~

HOUSE REJECTS MOTION TO COMPEL ACTION ON CORPORATE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS BILL

As expected today, supporters of HB1348 took the extreme step of trying to use House rules to yank HB1348 out of the Elections Committee where its demise was foreordained and accelerate its drive to the floor.

The bill has 89 sponsors.  The bill clarified the prohibitions on corporate and union dollars in state elections.

The motion was made by Rep. Tommy Merritt (R-Longview) who had unique experience with concealed corporate contributors.  The Governor's political consultant, Dave Carney, used concealed corporate dollars through the mysterious Americans for Job Security to attack Merrritt in last year's special election to replace Bill Ratliff.

[...]

The motion failed 36-95.