Whatever problems exist in the Texas House, the Senate has been historically worse; it’s where good ideas die and bad ideas get new life. Cheerful news from the Metroplex raises the possibility that we can see some serious improvement in the “upper” chamber of the Legislature.

State Rep. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) has been a strong advocate for Texas’ taxpayers and conservative voters. He announced recently that he will be taking on Tarrant County’s liberal incumbent Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth).

Davis was only accidentally a senator. Her predecessor, Republican Kim Brimer, defeated himself and Ms. Davis just happened to be standing nearby. Her general ineptitude in the Senate was matched only by her absolute failure on fiscal issues. Her claim to fame is having forced a special legislative session immediately after the regular session, thanks to a “filibuster” (really just an hour talk) that ran down a procedural calendar.

The net effect was allowing conservative legislation to move that had died during the regular session. (For which, we should thank Ms. Davis for her blustering!)

But that’s not the only Metroplex district bound for improvement. Freshman State Rep. Rodney Anderson has indicated he will challenge incumbent trial lawyer Sen. Chris Harris in the GOP primary.

Mr. Harris has mostly distinguished himself by being indistinguishable from the Democrats on many issues, and especially on matters regarding the state’s purse-strings. He failed the Fiscal Responsibility Index… three sessions in a row.

Mr. Anderson, on the other hand, was one of the Taxpayer Champions. Because of redistricting, Mr. Anderson and Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, another Champion, were paired together.

Bringing both Mr. Anderson and Mr. Hancock into the Texas Senate will be a welcome improvement for a chamber that has historically failed to reflect the values and principles of the people of Texas.

While there have been signs of in the Texas Senate, only eight to a dozen (of 31) senators can be counted on as reliably conservative. Adding commonsense heavy hitters like Mr. Hancock and Mr. Anderson in 2012 will be a benefit for Texas’ taxpayers.

Michael Quinn Sullivan

Michael Quinn Sullivan is the publisher of Texas Scorecard. He is a native Texan, a graduate of Texas A&M, and an Eagle Scout. Previously, he has worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine contributor, Capitol Hill staffer, and think tank vice president. Michael and his wife have three adult children, a son-in-law, and a dog. Michael is the author of three books, including "Reflections on Life and Liberty."

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