Carona's threat works, Pickett pulls TXDOT Sunset bill (updated)

Rep. Joe Pickett said Sen. John Carona's threat to filibuster the massive TXDOT Sunset bill has left the bill "heaving and weaving."

With 15 minutes to go before the House hits itst midnight deadline, preventing it from voting on any more bills, Pickett said he wasn't going to bother to bring the bill up for a vote.

"It'll die a death over here and he won't have to filibuster," Pickett said.

"If the House kills it, they made my job easier," Carona said. "It's what we've said all along. Chairman Pickett has come to realize and admit that we had the votes. He would rather destroy the bill and see us prevail on local option taxes."

-Dave Montgomery and Aman Batheja

Comments

[David Smith]

This is sooo funny! Sen. Carona, long the champion of the transportation lobby, actually killed his own legislation, the TxDOT Sunset bill, because it didn't contain his SB 855 language authorizing County Commissioners to vote to increase taxes locally. As Sen. Carona is on the record saying, "There are many Legislators (likely himself included!) who don't like the prospect of returning to their Districts saying they raised taxes." So in other words, Sen. Carona was in favor of killing the bill because it didn't allow him to "punt" to local officials!!

Way to go, John!! I'll bet Cintra just LOVES you right about now.