Making 'sausage' can be inspiring

The making of laws isn’t sexy.

As Texas Press Association members, keeping our eyes open for impactful bills during a legislative session is one of our organization’s top priorities.

Mike Hodges and Donnis Baggett invest an enormous amount of time combing through a dizzying number of bills filed each session. When a bill of interest is flagged, rallying the troops is required. Sometimes that means asking certain members to make a phone call or send an email. Other times you get called to Austin to testify.

As Donnis puts it, the latter is a front-row seat to watch how the sausage is made.

In late April, Donnis invited me to join him in Austin to testify on behalf of a critical TPA-sponsored bill. The measure would strengthen newspapers’ position as Texas’ official independent provider of public notices. As sitting president of the TPA, I welcomed the opportunity to stand up for our members.

What I didn’t expect was how much time I’d spend sitting on my tailbone.

There can be a lot of hurry-up-and-wait when the Legislature is in session. Our slot was somewhere between 10:30 a.m. and close of business. That window could last as late as 4 a.m. the next morning, depending on how long the House meets, the committee’s agenda and the number of witnesses involved. Yes, a window as wide as the state of Texas is a big window.

Here’s the skinny: While the full House is in session, you wait for adjournment, which is when committee hearings can begin. Meanwhile, the Capitol Grill, located through the bowels of the annex, is where the players sit and wait, like bullpen aces waiting for the phone to ring.

Before you get all excited, this Capitol Grill is more akin to a school cafeteria than the fancy eatery with a similar handle on Fourth Street.

On this particular day, I sat with fellow TPA members Bill Patterson, Regina Barton Keilers, Rick Rogers, Mike Hodges and Donnis. I was fascinated by the mix of people surrounding us, each one itching to be involved.

Granted, the room housed its share of paid lobbyists, but I also ran into several different groups of citizens from Galveston County waiting to speak with elected officials or testify. One top business leader came to testify on short-term rentals, another to speak on children’s issues.

Looking across the room with my new eyes, I could see the room was not just a pond lined with legal predators waiting to jump into the water on behalf of their clients, but rather a blend of lobbyists and well-intentioned citizens taking the time to participate in this grand experiment we call democracy. I found myself touched and inspired by their courage to participate.

I visited with those from Galveston County, and each conversation left me feeling energized. It was good to know I wasn’t alone in fighting for our citizens back home.

About 4  p.m. the House adjourned and the TPA team headed to the hearing rooms. Donnis and I headed to House State Affairs and our other colleagues to House County Affairs.

Again, the making of sausage is not sexy. We sat for the better part of an hour waiting for our bill to be announced. When our time came, we dutifully made our way to a microphone, spoke our name and business, and told the committee why our bill will make Texas newspapers an even shinier gold standard for public notices.

Our two minutes per witness passed as quickly as a summer shower. We were delighted to see there were no witnesses on hand to testify against us. So it was that we joined thousands of other Texans in the Capitol that day to help craft the laws of the Lone Star State.

Making sausage may not be sexy, but little will reinvigorate your passion for democracy like standing shoulder-to-shoulder with others fighting the good fight.

The experience is life-changing. Get in the game.