Sen. Shapleigh: Better committee position deserved
February 3, 2009
Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, had been removed from that committee by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for the 2007 legislative session. Many believed it was political punishment after Shapleigh broke unwritten protocol by supporting the opponent of an incumbent state senator.
Written by Editorial, The El Paso Times
It was disappointing but not overly surprising that our lone member of the Texas Senate did not regain a seat on the powerful budget-writing Finance Committee.
Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, had been removed from that committee by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for the 2007 legislative session. Many believed it was political punishment after Shapleigh broke unwritten protocol by supporting the opponent of an incumbent state senator.
Or it could well be that Shapleigh is an outspoken Democrat and Dewhurst, who presides over the Senate, is a Republican.
This time there's speculation Shapleigh remains an outsider because, on the first day of this 2009 session, he compared Dewhurst to the deposed -- some said tyrannical -- Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick.
Now that's a definite dust-up starter.
Shapleigh has served in the Texas Senate since 1996; he's a true veteran who should have more clout, even though Democrats remain in the minority.
It's important that El Paso have a strong voice in Austin, especially since two of our five state representatives are freshmen and will carry little weight this time around.
Shapleigh has been a tireless worker to help Texans gain better educations and have much better health care. He has worked hard on U.S.-Mexico trade, including the modernization of infrastructure at our ports.
Dewhurst, instead of reinstating Shapleigh to the powerful Finance Committee, kept our senator in his previous seats: vice chairman of Veterans Affairs & Military Installations and chairman of the subcommittee on Base Realignment & Closure; Health and Human Services; Nominations; and Transportation & Homeland Security.
Whereas it's good Shapleigh is still in the health and transportation mix, a person of his experience -- and his being a tireless hard worker -- should have merited appointments to more powerful committees.
Next up new Speaker of the House Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, doles out committee and chair posts to our five state reps.
El Paso got so-so treatment in the Senate. Let's hope we fare better in the House.
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