Sine Die

The Texas Legislature ended its biennial session on Memorial Day this year. What an appropriate day to Sine Die!

According to the Texas Constitution, the “Leg” meets for 140 calendar days in odd-numbered years. At the end of that 140th day, the Legislature ends “sine die.” That means literally “without day.” They can’t do more even if the state has a real emergency.

So, what did our representatives and senators do with their precious time?

Not much. They failed to deal with the most pressing issue of public school finance and property tax relief.

They did, however, deal with a very troubling issue for humankind — they banned “lewd” cheerleading.

They also found time to “save” marriages (of which 53 percent end in divorce court) and name the chuck wagon as “the official vehicle of Texas.” That’s right, the CHUCK WAGON! How 19th century is that?

Let’s not forget the various honors they bestowed. They named Buda the “Outdoor Capital of Texas,” Navasota the “Blues Capital of Texas,” and lest we forget, Madisonville is now heralded as the “Mushroom Capital of Texas.” And all the while school children aren’t getting a decent education and some aren’t even getting enough to eat.

Our state deserves better! Texas has huge problems in education, child protective services, crime, mental health services, medical care for our children, tax relief, drugs, and the list goes on and on.

As usual in Texas, you need only look at the winners and losers to see where our representatives’ hearts and wallets are.

Five of six corporations and businesses paid no franchise taxes last year, telecom companies got their wish of very little competition, and the electric companies got to do away with a fund to help poor Texans pay for service temporarily, most of those being senior Texans who survive on their Social Security benefits.

But these are tough problems without easy answers (or answers that require more taxes). So, our capital wonks would rather retreat to their ideology of finding scapegoats (i.e., gays) than actually attempting to solve a problem.

After all, who has time for economic development, environmental meltdowns, transportation gridlock, education budget deficits, or any other of hundreds of other REAL problems we face when you can get votes by screaming at the boogeyman and creating fear of a minority group in society.

In the old days, it was called race baiting. Southern politicians could always get support by creating fear among white voters.

Same old tired song — different verse. And so it goes, the myriad real problems of Texas continue to fester and grow.

Until the next session in the next odd-numbered year for 140 calendar days.

Can everyone say “Sine die”?

— John Hitt is a government professor at North Lake College.