Did anybody notice that Tuffy Hamilton passed a resolution honoring Robert E. Lee on the 200th anniversary of the Confederate hero’s birth (which was January 19)? It occurred on April 10, and the Democrats didn’t utter a peep. Why didn’t this cause an uproar like Sid Miller’s bill protecting statues and memorials from removal? The answer is that Hamilton went to the Democrats first and got clearance. The text of the resolution deals largely with Lee’s tour of duty in Texas and his praise, during the Civil War, of Texas troops. This is one more case of the salutary development of members talking to members across party lines before taking potentially controversial legislation to the floor.