Dianne Delisi, thanks for everything
Dianne Delisi’s resignation from the Legislature wrote an end to a great career. Public health is the most difficult area of state government to understand, much less master. The language is filled with acronyms and jargon. The bureaucracy is impenetrable, the appropriations huge, the problems intractrable. For three sessions, Delisi calmed these roiling waters and produced one piece of major legislation after another: funding for trauma centers; protecting urban hospitals that treat Medicaid payments from the loss of federal funds; and–perhaps the most difficult feat of all–an advance directives bill last session on the ultrasensitive issue of how to handle “pull the plug” cases involving terminally ill patients in a way that protects the rights of families, limits the financial exposure of hospitals, and satisfies the right-to-life community (which was split on the issue). Her own staff thought that the bill would never pass, but Delisi never game up and won agreement.
Delisi’s success stands out in a House where so many of Craddick’s chairmen have come under heavy fire: Heflin at Appropriations (and, more recently, Chisum), Grusendorf at Public Ed, Nixon at Civil Practices, Krusee at Transportation, Denny at Elections, King at Regulated Industries. In the 2003 article on the Best and Worst Legislators, I wrote that Delisi, who made the Best list, was the most underrated member of the House due to her low-key style. Maybe that was true then; it certainly isn’t now. I know of no member who commanded more respect. Her great strength was a moral force that enabled her to rise above politics and partisanship and infused her personality with a quality that you don’t often encounter in politics: serenity. The 2003 session was the worst I have seen–unceasing turmoil and partisan bitterness–but not when Delisi was involved. When I was considering her for the Best list that year, I called up Garnet Coleman, the Democrats’ point man on public health issues. “It was like the old days,” he said, referring to her committee. “There were no R’s and no D’s. Just good public policy.” If there were a Hall of Fame for Texas legislators, she would make it on the first ballot.
I spoke to Delisi after she submitted her resignation. She is hoping for a federal appointment that would enable her “to work with soldiers and their families.” This is good news for soldiers and their families. It was necessary for her to resign her seat in order to be eligible for the appointment. She also intends to join son Ted and daughter-in-law Deirdre in their political consulting business. Few departing legislators leave such a large void.
no pun intended says:
advanced directives died last session.
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thebigeasy2000 says:
Very good observation regarding Rep. Delisi. She will be missed as chair of Public Health.
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Anonymous says:
A federal appointment???? With five months left in the Bush Administration?
I’ve never heard of a federal appointment where you needed to be out of office to be eligible for it.
Chase Untermeyer and Christine Hernandez both took federal jobs directly from the legislature.
That is an odd statement. Why would you join your son’s lobby firm if you’re taking a federal appointment? It just doesn’t make sense.
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Anonymous says:
Maybe she is just weary of the constant struggle to get anything done. This, after all, is not the “no r’s and no d’s” time of getting legislation passed in the best interest of the public. Sometimes you just have to walk away…
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texun says:
Good point re. Delisi. Chisum reminds me of the one-party Democratic party days when incompetence and idiocy frequenty rose to the level of major committee chairmanships.
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Karen says:
Besides health realted issues, Delisi has done nothing, nada, zilch for Bell County.
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Well... says:
re Karen
Considering health care is a major economic driver in Bell County, if your statement were correct, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
That said, your statement truly betrays either your ignorance. She was the go-to member for legislation affecting Fort Hood (the other major economic driver in Bell County). A simple search of her legislative accomplishments reveals scores and scores of local bills passed. Beloved by her locally elected officials, she will be missed.
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Jared says:
Amen. The thing was, she wasn’t just pretending to care what Coleman thought about certain issues. She actually did want input from him since he forgot more about health issues last week than most legislators will ever know. A lot of chairs would be threatened by that. She wasn’t. Best run committee in the House.
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James says:
Karen:
Delisi fought like a tiger for Bell County and this was reflected in the consistent election results of either running unopposed or winning in a blow-out.
I agree with Paul: She was the best.
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Karen says:
Merck has funneled $$ to Delisi for years. First she was for guv hairspray’s wart virus but quickly changed sides after public outcry. Most all of her bills seem to go belly up. She voted to protect Big Tobacco and the numerous “faith based” shenanigans she’s got her nose in, well, seems they’re always unable to account for how funds are to be spent & exactly the source of funding. On the Trans-Texas Corridor, she admitted she “didn’t even know what she was voting for”. Now her daughter-in-law is guv 39%’s right hand transportation gal pushing an agenda to hand over control of our roads to Spain’s Cintra.
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aws says:
What did she miss is more important. She answered the medical marijuana initiative last year. Said marijuana will never be heard as a bill while she is in office.All major religious groups are hitting state capitols now, with doctors, nurses, patients. Catholic baptist, jews, most all protestant evangelical groups, doctors.Huge miss on public health, biggest possible miss
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Ankylosing Spondylitis says:
I am a proud veteran with a service connected disability and Ankylosing Spondylitis (inflammatory arthritis). How can a person who is conservative send agree with sending billions to Africa to end suffering, but deny a fair hearing to scientifically proven pain relief for her fellow Texans. Was she holding it up so her Pharmy buddies can synthesize what we should be able to grow for free? Now she want’s to go Federal. She is a bad person,a bad Texan, and bad Christian. Christians are supposed to help those who suffer or at least give us a fair hearing.
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