Texas Senate Republicans trying to dump two-thirds voting rule

by Vince Leibowitz of Capitol Annex

Republicans in the Texas Senate are expected to meet in a closed caucus this morning in an attempt to plot strategy on a measure that threatens to paralyze the chamber before any legislation even hits the floor: the longstanding two-thirds rule.

Right-wing Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston) is leading the charge to abolish or change the longstanding senate practice, which has been adopted as part of the Senate’s rules for decades and is rarely challenged.

During the 80th Session of the Texas Legislature in 2007, Patrick staged a one-man challenge to the rule, which went nowhere.

All hell broke loose in the chamber yesterday, after Republicans caucused to discuss the matter about an hour before gavel down.

The Republicans are essentially divided into three camps on the rule. One camp, led by Patrick, wants to abolish the rule in its entirety. Another camp, to which Lt. Governor David Dewhurst evidently belongs, wants the rule amended to become a “three-fifths” rule, meaning that 19 senators would be required to prevent a measure from coming to a vote as opposed to the current 21. Under such a rule (which Dan Patrick is also quoted as supporting), it would essentially mean that as long as the Republicans would simply have to keep their 19 senators in line at all times.

A third segment of members is also reportedly in favor of amending the rule to allow only voter identification and redistricting to be excepted from the current two-thirds rule.

Abolishing the two-thirds rule, which has become a plank in the Republican Party of Texas Platform in recent years, would likely lead to a much more partisan atmosphere in the Senate.