Dem defections will hand GOP supermajority in Texas House

[WI_DEM]

We're about to see the effects of what unbridled wingnuttery can do in Texas.

Texas State Rep. Aaron Peña, of the state's 40th district, is expected to switch parties today, thereby giving Republicans a super majority in the Texas house, The McAllen Monitor reports.

Peña was first elected as a Democrat in 2002 and ran unopposed this year. He will bring the GOP to 100 members in the 150 member House. But Peña is actually the second Democrat to flip this week. State Rep. Allan Ritter, who also ran unopposed in November, announced this weekend that he would join the GOP, and is scheduled to appear at a news conference today alongside Gov. Rick Perry and Texas House Speaker Joe Straus. The Dallas Morning News reports that State Democratic Chairman Boyd Richie has called on Ritter to resign.

This Peña guy represent a Democratic district, so it's up to its voters -- 71 percent who voted straight ticket Dem in November -- to punish him in 2012. Until then, we're about to see what full Republican control looks like in the nation's second largest state.

They get to start with this: a $25 billion budget shortfall.

If you've got kids in Texas public schools or are on Medicaid, I wish you the best of luck. The Lone Star State's race to the bottom will be in full swing.

www.dailykos.com

[onehandle]

1. Clearly this guy got a big fat check, because there is no way he will be re-elected. Except...

Redistricting this year. The fix will be in.

[northoftheborder]

2. Texas: will be Prime Exhibit for what's in for the rest.....

.....of the country when total Republican control takes over. Watch the show. Won't be pretty. And we Texans will suffer for the experiment in "small government".

[COLGATE4]

3. These are the things that make me wish that the Confederacy

had succeeded. Imagine a US without the Fundie South. Beautiful!!!!

[old mark]

4. My sister teaches in public schools in Texas...she already has to pay for some

classroom supplies...I wonder how far the system will fall.

mark