December 27, 2019      11:00 AM

SB: With a year left in his tenure, Speaker Bonnen ramps up retribution for Republicans who withdrew support amid scandal

Meantime, a majority GOP legal panel noted he can be removed through a process that could likely be initiated by the Brazoria or Travis County DA as well as the Attorney General

In a move that was perhaps his most direct form of retribution to date, retiring Speaker Dennis Bonnen notified the Sunset Commission over the weekend that Vice Chair Chris Paddie would be replaced in that position by Rep. John Cyrier, the member who hosted the meeting in 2018 when Bonnen’s name was first floated as a candidate to lead the Texas House. Rep. Craig Goldman, still a Bonnen ally even after the speaker’s scandal, was also tapped for the commission along with Rep. Terry Canales. Rep. Cyrier is a talented and capable member, no doubt. But some veterans have now asked how someone who’s never served on Sunset can lead it.

“I was honored to serve as the Vice Chairman of the Sunset Commission last session and am proud of what we accomplished. Although I will not be the Chairman, as a continuing member of Sunset, I am firmly committed to the work ahead and to protecting the House’s position,” Rep. Paddie told QR, adding “I have already informed Chairman Cyrier that he has my full support as we move forward in a way that is in the best interest of the House and the process.”

Under the radar, Bonnen earlier removed Rep. Lyle Larson from the SWIFT Committee established to direct funding for water infrastructure projects. That’s after Larson this past session found his way out of Gov. Greg Abbott’s doghouse.

Larson and Paddie were, you’ll recall, among the GOP Chairmen who withdrew their support of Bonnen as speaker the evening before he announced he would not seek reelection to the Texas House after his duplicity was exposed in a surreptitiously recorded meeting with a spokesman for Empower Texans Chairman Tim Dunn.

Some were joking over the weekend that Bonnen is quite capable of busting chairs who displeased him but won’t even entertain the idea of removing a chairman caught on video with an envelope of cocaine at the airport.

Jokes aside, the serious nature of Sunset appointments will set the tone for the next session and beyond as the commission does the labor-intensive work of overseeing this state’s giant government agencies.

By Scott Braddock

Copyright December 27, 2019, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved