Another Davis filibuster? "Not likely," she says

  The special session is heading for a finale on Wednesday, but Sen. Wendy Davis says she has no plans for a  replay of the dramatic final-day filibuster that forced lawmakers into overtime nearly a month ago. 

 "Not for me, and I don't think for any of my colleagues either," says the Fort Worth Democrat, when asked about the prospects for a replay.

   Davis filibustered for more than an hour at the end of the 140-day regular session to block passage of a revenue-and-school-finance package that would implement reduced state education assistance to school districts.  Gov. Rick Perry called the special session the next day to deal with the bill and later added several other items to the agenda.

   Lawmakers are on track to pass a revived version of the bill, which contains $4 billiion in state education cuts,  in the final hours of the session.   Davis says she will likely raise questions about the bill when itl comes to the Senate flloor but is "not likely" to wage a filibuster.

   "Another special session on that question isn't going to achieve a different result," she said.   But, she adds: "It's awfully tempting when, once again, the super-majority of Republicans (in the Legislature) can't seem to get it together enough to get what are considered the important bills of the special session passed in a timely fashion.

   "The vacuum of leadership here is quite apparent," she said. 

   Davis came under criticism from Perry and other Republicans for forcing the special session but she has said that the filibuster achieved its intended result by focusing public awareness of the education cuts and their impact on public schools.  

   -- Dave Montgomery             

Comments

[Keith]

Davis has already gotten her good-ol'-boy back slaps from the 'rats. Her payoffs will continue through her short tenure.

[Zooey]

re: keith ...yea cut 4 billion from your children's and all Texan children's education and then make a snarky comment about democrats, way to look out for our long-term progress buddy. I voted for Davis because she is smarter then all the "good-ol'-boys".