Bills aimed at restricting lobbyists die in Texas House
When meetings of the Texas House stretch late into the night, some legislators take breaks from the action by walking out the back of the House chamber, taking the elevator down to the basement and enjoying some food or a drink in what’s known as Club Geren.
In Room GW.15, the office of state Rep. Charlie Geren, lawmakers, staffers and lobbyists mingle behind closed doors as the people’s business is conducted two floors above. Sometimes Geren pays for the food and alcohol. Sometimes the lobbyists pay, Geren said.
The Fort Worth Republican, who first took office in 2000, is a trusted lieutenant of House Speaker Joe Straus, counted on to move legislation. But after he was tasked with quarterbacking a package of ethics reform bills demanded by Gov. Greg Abbott and swiftly approved by the Senate, three measures never made it to the House floor for a vote.
Straus “trusted Charlie Geren to do what the members would tolerate. No more, no less,” said Craig McDonald, director of the left-leaning ethics watchdog group Texans for Public Justice. “There’s no evidence that they went to bat for these bills.”
Read more: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/bills-aimed-restricting-lobbyists-die-texas-house/MBADBARJZA8PlCNRnw6G1K/
