Part of U.S. 290 to be re-named for Ronald Reagan

After the House had voted nearly in unison for HB 789, the floor debate spiraled down to partisan politics to debate re-naming the section of U.S. 290 that's in Harris County, in Houston, as the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway. The funds to change it will be paid for privately.

It was fun to watch Rep. Jessica Farrar (D-Houston) throw out amendments to name it for Ex-President Dwight Eisenhauer - a native Texan - LBJ, Lady Bird Johnson, and Stephen F. Austin. She said she also had a handful of other amendments for William Travis, Barbara Jordan, and others, but she ended up not filing those amendments - it was late and they had just debated telecom just an hour or so before. Rep. Garnet Coleman (D-Houston) had to re-assure everyone a few times that his amendment to name it for George H.W. Bush wasn't a joke. In the end, the amendment was killed, and the bill was approved.

Here's a thought: leave it to a city referendum. I think that given the area, it could get approved, but then again citizens in that area might not like a partisan lawmaker from California. But's not something that should be decided by lawmakers 150 miles away. I understand how transportation matters like that get approved, but the method just ain't right.

Maybe that method could change for when HB 55 by Rep. Kent Grusendorf comes up for floor debate next week, which would re-name the part of I-20 located in Dallas and Tarrant Counties as the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway, or if HB 110, which would re-name in the inner circle drive around the Capitol - the part of Congress between 11^th and 15^th streets - as the Ronald Reagan Circle, goes anywhere.