Attorney General Greg Abbott to Review Craddick's Actions

Tom Craddick’s refusal to recognize members of the house had a serious and long lasting effect on Texas politics and the concept of democracy.
Days before the session ended in May 2007, a bipartisan group of lawmakers attempted to call for a vote on whether Mr. Craddick should finish the term as speaker or be removed and replaced for the interim.
Craddick escaped by refusing to recognize any member who wanted to make the "motion to vacate the chair," saying he had "absolute authority" to refuse to recognize anyone he chose.
A June 2007 article in The Dallas Morning News details how lawmakers from both parties question the validity of Craddick’s procedural logic. They have called for and received a review of Craddick’s actions from this past session from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.
The central principle of democracy is that we all have a voice and we all should be heard. And in a free market place of ideas the strongest and most sound ideas would rise to the top. Craddick’s administration of his duties as Speaker was an attempt to silence the elected representatives of thousands of Texans, in effect silencing a percentage of this great state’s citizens. If, in fact, it was the will of the members of the House that Craddick be removed, his removal would be a manifestation of the collective will of every Texan that voted and elected a representative. Had he allowed it to come to a vote, Craddick’s removal would have either been approved or rejected lawfully and the Attorney General would not currently be wasting his time and the states money investigating this slick politician’s methods. By refusing to allow a vote, Craddick denied us all the due process of government.

With Steroid Bill Government Oversteps Its Bounds

The "steroid bill" that has been championed by State Sen. Kyle Janek, R-Houston, appears to be an example of government trying to do the job of parents. The Texas House of Representatives voted 140-4 to send the steroid bill to Governor Perry. Perry then signed the testing program into law last month. According to the current bill, testing would be performed randomly on athletes participating in UIL sports. Do we really want the state singling out our children and examining a very private aspect of a minors life? I would say no. What other purposes does this testing serve? If other substances besides steroids are found, what will be the protocol in that situation? High school athletes are amateur athletes. They do not play for money, only for the love of the game. They take all the responsibility and risk upon themselves. As studies have shown, there is a small percentage of athletes who do seek the aid of steroids. It is a mistake, but one that can hopefully be overcome. By involving the state in a very private aspect of an individual and their families relationship, we are asking the bureaucracy to treat our children with compassion and understanding during a very sensitive situation.
What happens when the test is wrong, all tests have a percentage of error. How will the state be able to replace the time lost from the sports season or the reputation that will be tarnished. Even Sen. Janek has admitted that the program has flaws. "The state should consider holding back on testing if concerns about over-the-counter supplements causing positive test results are not satisfied by the fall."
Perhaps educating athletes, coaches and parents of the dangers of steroids and other drugs would help prevent steroid use. If a coach or parent noticed sudden mood swings or quick massive growth, I hope they would at least stop to talk with the student to see how they are doing.
Spending millions of dollars a year to randomly test high school athletes is absurd. The bottom line is that we do not want the government testing our children and infringing on their right to privacy before they are even of legal age.


View articles about this bill at: http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/gen/ap/FBH_High_School_Steroids.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/highschool/news/story?id=2937357 .