The Best and Worst Legislators 2009

Furniture

The term “furniture” is thought to be as old as the Capitol. Originally it applied to lawmakers with a level of participation that was well below average, indicating that they were indistinguishable from their desks, chairs, and inkwells. Today the definition also refers to the least consequential members:

Charles “Doc” Anderson Republican, Waco

Fred Brown Republican, Bryan

Al Edwards Democrat, Houston

Joe Farias Democrat, San Antonio

Senator Chris Harris Republican, Arlington

Tim Kleinschmidt Republican, Lexington

Senator Eddie Lucio Democrat, Brownsville

Solomon Ortiz Jr. Democrat, Corpus Christi

Inocente “Chente” Quintanilla Democrat, El Paso

Ralph Sheffield Republican, Temple