Republicans are still trying to reverse the vote for the teachers pay raise. I have gotten two comments to the blog and one phone call to that effect. Eissler is working hard to get it done. So there may be a motion to reconsider later tonight. There is another teacher pay raise alternative, by Strama, which might be the compromise. The question is whether Strama can get the conferees-to-be (Chisum, Guillen, Kolkhorst, Gattis, Turner) to give their commitments.
Republicans still believe that they are operating from a position of strength, that they have the leadership of both houses, and the governor, that they can get rid of this teacher pay raise (which, as I said in an earlier post, is unlikely to make it through the process) and go back to 100% incentive pay. And they’re right, to this extent: They still rule the Capitol. Craddick can still intimidate members into changing their votes. But there is a world outside the Capitol that is not going to understand why Texas had an $8 billion surplus and couldn’t find the money for a legitimate pay raise for all teachers. Grusendorf is gone but his politics are still around, which amount to this: The education community is the enemy.
