Struas lives to gerrymander another day.

[CatoMinor]

The Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is being challenged from the right for his job. Ken Paxton and Warren Chisum are both gonna try and take the Speakers gavel from Straus. Not helping his case is several reps have decided to no longer support Straus after his threats of gerrymandering the districts of the reps that don't support him.

Straus was elected Speaker in 2009 when the Democrats sided with 11 Republicans to unseat the current Speaker Craddick. In return Straus appointed Dems to chair 16/34 committees and have supported a few dems in their re-election.

I'm not sure what the current count is but Straus claimed to have more than the 76 votes needed, but since then at least a couple have broken from his column.  

[CatoMinor]

When's the vote? The farther away it's going to be I think the better shot the challengers have of taking away his support.

I don't know, I've been trying to look it up.

[CatoMinor]

Here is one the the websites campaigning against him

http://no2joestraus.com/

[CatoMinor]

Here is a video his opposition made, informative while having catchy music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFKOp6fOFPM&feature=player_embedded#!

[CatoMinor]

This site has some info on who is backing who so far.

[CatoMinor]

This is the south, your bound to find a few anti-semitic idiots, but this challenge is against Straus the politician not Straus the the person. Its his actions as Speaker that got him into this.

[CatoMinor]

I'm not sure when the vote for speaker is, but Straus should start getting worried if it isn't soon.

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http://www.quorumreport.com/buzz/Buzz_Print_List.cfm

[CatoMinor]

Not sure how current this is, but I saw a list of the States reps who support ousting Straus, so far the number is at 22

[CatoMinor]

Woolley has endorsed Straus

http://www.texasinsider.org/?p=39664

[CatoMinor]

I'm not sure what the current count is but Straus claimed to have more than the 76 votes needed, but since then at least a couple have broken from his column. 

How many of those 76 are Democrats?  I assume they're inclined to help prop him up again.

I think some in the GOP are pushing to have it decided within their caucus so the dems don't pull that again.

[CatoMinor]

Looks like around 30 republicans are gonna end up on the wrong end of a gerrymander.