Roll Call Votes, Texas Style

In this YouTube video (an analysis from Ch42 in Austin), Texas state Representatives thumb their noses at the concept of "one legislator, one vote." Although this is the most-recorded session in Texas history, voters still have no way of knowing if their Representative (1 of 150) really cast his vote.

And this practice is against House Rules; Republicans hold the edge (80-70).

What's interesting -- and a sad commentary on citizen faith in government -- is the number of people at the Lone Star Times who think this is no big deal. I encountered the same attitude when this clip showed up on one of my mailing lists.

Texas legislators have long resisted efforts to make government more transparent.

In April the House took the first step towards a constitutional amendment (voter ratified) that would "[require] an on-the-record, roll-call vote on final passage of all nonceremonial bills." More than 200 organizations and 9-in-10 Texans support the measure, leading to an abrupt about-face from prior stonewalling.

The measure is on the ballot November 6. Passage would have the Texas House of Representatives join 40 other states that routinely record votes, according to the League of Women Voters of Texas.

But what good is a mandatory recorded vote .... if legislators, with tacit approval of House leadership, routinely cast votes for one another when it's not "convenient" to show up in person?