What We'll Be Talking About In '09

Speaker Tom Craddick has finally unleashed his third and final set of interim charges for the House Committees this morning. (Also, check out the first two days' volumes of this trilogy, released Wednesday and Thursday.)

Obviously, this is a whole session's worth of agendas and responsibilities. Even though one committee clerk this morning described it as "very unlikely" that any committee would start any serious examination of any of this before New Year, Craddick has slapped it on the legislative chimney like a big regulatory Christmas wish list.

So what is he hoping to find in his stocking? Well, in today's commandments for 13 committees, the emphasis was on the bodies that cover where we live and how we get there. And, of course, the big gun on today's list (and the last to get its instructions) was Transportation. This will be the last time outgoing chair Rep. Mike Krusee, R-Round Rock, will get to shepherd legislation through the House (see next week's issue for Michael King's interview with Krusee on exactly what he's up to next.)

What is interesting is that the words "toll road" don't actually appear anywhere. However, they will be looking at getting local municipalities to get involved in the Trans-Texas Corridor; and since, last session, it was the mainly the municipalities in North Texas that crowbarred toll road exemptions out of the moratorium, that may not be off the agenda altogether.

There are literally dozens of other push-button topics up for further discussion. Local Government Ways and Means will be taking a long, hard look at the whole structure of property tax appraisals. Agriculture & Livestock, and Energy Resources will both (in what could be a boost for the corn industry, amongst others) will be working out how to make more out of biofuel. Meanwhile County Affairs gets to play with fireworks. OK, fireworks codes, which is probably not as much fun.