Texas Monthly names State Rep. Blanco to best legislator list, State Rep. Pickett to worst list

Two of El Paso’s state representatives have made Texas Monthly’s biennial list of the Ten Best and Ten Worst legislators for their work in 84th Legislature that ended a few weeks ago.

Blanco was named to the best list while Pickett was named to the worst. Read Texas Monthly’s write-up on Blanco and Picket below and see the full lists over at http://bit.ly/1T984sN

The Best: State Rep. Cesar Blanco

It’s rare for a Democrat to walk to the back mike of the House and persuade his colleagues to change their minds. And for a freshman to do it? Unheard of. Csar Blanco had a chance to learn that early. During the House’s budget debate, he offered an amendment proposing that the DPS provide the Lege with updates on its border security efforts—an eminently reasonable idea that failed. By the final days of the session, though, Blanco clearly hadn’t got the memo about expectations for Democrats: he led another fight, and won.

At issue this time was the Hazlewood Act, which promised free tuition at public universities to Texas veterans or their dependents. The Senate had passed a bill proposing tighter eligibility standards to control costs. When the bill arrived in the House, Blanco, who had served in the Navy, objected with relentless calm. The state had made a promise to all veterans, he argued. The Lege had no right to renege. Crucially, he was not alone in the effort. But what ultimately carried the day was Blanco’s unblinking opposition. He kept at it until he wore down John Zerwas, the chair of Higher Ed, who accepted an amendment that effectively cancelled the reforms, and the House—unanimously—approved the change. Maybe it was just a glitch in the matrix. But Blanco, interestingly, was pleased rather than surprised. Sometimes, as the saying goes, fortune favors the bold.

The Worst: State Rep. Joe Pickett

Joe Pickett accomplished the near impossible this session: he made people feel sorry for RepresentativeJonathan Stickland.The trouble started when Stickland, the bomb thrower from Bedford, knocked one of Pickett’s bills off a calendar. Later that day, Pickett had a chance for payback: his Transportation Committee was set to hear a Stickland bill. The result was the rare committee hearing that spawned a Texas Rangers investigation.

Stickland stood at the lectern to introduce his bill, but before he could begin, Pickett cut him off and placed a phone call, which was broadcast over the committee room’s audio system. As Stickland stood by awkwardly, Pickett talked to a man who said he hadn’t been in Austin that day and didn’t know how he’d been signed up to support the bill. Pickett’s implication was that someone—Stickland—had falsified witness cards. When Stickland protested, Pickett shouted, “You are breaking the rules! You are breaking the law!” He then had Stickland escorted from the hearing room by the sergeant at arms. It was later revealed that a Pickett staffer had called Stickland’s office posing as someone trying to register to support the bill, which made the whole incident seem like an ambush. We don’t yet know if Stickland did anything wrong—or if so, what it was—but we do know that Pickett should have handled the matter in a more dignified manner. His bullying was disrespectful and unworthy of the chamber.