2-4, Local: Committee wishes granted to some lawmakers

www.news-journal.com By GLENN EVANS

AUSTIN — Two of four Northeast Texas lawmakers got the committee assignments they asked House Speaker Tom Craddick for last week.

Longview Republican Tommy Merritt wasn't one of them.

Merritt, who was allied with Democratic former speaker Pete Laney during the 2001 legislative session, was not granted his wish by the new speaker, a Midland Republican. Merrit, an oil field service businessman, fell off the Energy Resource Committee, where he had served since his first term in 1997 and which he led for a few months after being named chairman by Laney last fall.

Merritt declined to speculate whether he was bumped from the energy committee by Craddick as payback for his loyalty to Laney.

"I can't answer that," he said. "I don't speak for Speaker Craddick. I just know that some speakers like to move their people around. I would like to believe it's because of my relationships in international and border affairs, and my relationships in state and military affairs."

Merritt was optimistic about his new assignments on the Border and International Affairs Committee and the Defense and State-Federal Relations Committee. Those panels will tackle issues from business relationships with Mexico, including traffic from the North American Free Trade Agreement, to coordination with the new federal Homeland Security Agency.

"Now our committee will pick up that important issue," Merritt said, referring to terrorism. "This had enough priority that the governor did establish a home security committee. And I know my qualifications are well-suited for that."

Merritt said his relationship with Tony Garza, a former Texas railroad commissioner who is the new U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, will help the legislature work with that country and all Latin nations.

"My good friend Tony Garza being in Mexico will be not only an asset to the United States, but help us working with the ambassador of Venezuela in establishing a better working relationship with Texas," he said of the major oil producing nation that has been all but paralyzed by strikes.

And Merritt held out hope for his oil field study bill, which is designed to show drillers the best way to recover the last drop of oil from below East Texas.

Gov. Rick Perry said the bill cost too much when he vetoed it after the 77th Legislative Session in 2001 but Merritt said his membership on the state-federal committee will help him secure federal Department of Energy money for the bill.

"It just opens another door," Merritt said. "I think there's a chance for the oil field study."

Mineola Republican Bryan Hughes — who represents Harrison, Marion, Upshur and Wood counties — could be the poster child for Craddick's pledge to give the 36 freshmen a voice in the Texas House.

"He promised to be inclusive, and he's following through," Hughes said of the new speaker. "As the majority, we're basically saying that we're sharing our power (with Democrats)."

Hughes asked to be placed on the Committee on Judicial Affairs, a request that Craddick obliged for the attorney.

That committee will deal first with any bills affecting how judges are seated, whether by partisan or nonpartisan election, appointment or some other method.

Hughes also was placed on the Committee on Rules and Resolutions, which he described as a housekeeping committee.

Paris Democrat Mark Homer did not get appointed to the transportation or natural resources committees as he'd hoped. But he did get a promotion from member to vice chairman of the Committee on Economic Development.

That appointment should help his bill to stop the use of local half-cent sales taxes to help bring retail establishments that will compete with existing businesses. Hughes also joins Homer on the economic development committee.

"Economic development is something I ran on," Hughes said.

Homer was a little more more candid about Craddick's appointments than Merritt was.

"He obviously punished some of those," Homer said. "Any who were longtime loyalists of the former speaker, the (new) speaker didn't do them any favors. ... I thought he was very kind to me."

Homer, who also was appointed to the Licensing and Administrative Services Committee, had wanted to be on natural resources so he could keep an eye on the proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir in Red River County. Local timber interests, landowners and others oppose the lake, which water planners in the Metroplex say they will build with or without local support.

Homer does not oppose the lake outright, but he has insisted it be put on hold until its economic and environmental impacts are known. Homer's District 3 includes Titus and Franklin counties.

Chuck Hopson, who represents Rusk and Panola counties in District 11, was reappointed to the Committee on Corrections that oversees prisons, this time as vice chairman.

There are five prison units in Hopson's district, including the Bradshaw State Jail near Henderson and the Skyview psychiatric unit outside Lufkin.

He also was reappointed to the Committee on Financial Institutions. Chief of Staff Dennis Speight said Hopson, D-Jacksonville, serves on a bank board and wanted on the financial institutions committee.

"The home equity issue will be important in this session," Speight said.

Glenn Evans can be contacted at gevans@coxnews.com.