After a week (or more) of animosity, House and Senate conferees have come to an agreement on one part of the budget. In the end, the sticking point was the System Benefit Fund, an obscure line in the state budget that has traditionally been a parking place for funds budget writers have used to assure certification of the budget by the comptroller. As Sylvester Turner explained it to me last night, the fund, which gets its money from a miniscule fee on electric bills, will continue in existence for three years.

Poor David Dewhurst. He occupies what was once widely considered to be the most powerful office in the state. Now he is reduced to begging Rick Perry to help him pass his pet legislation so that he can have something to take to the voters. Dewhurst has had plenty of time after his loss in the Senate race to develop a legislative program, and now he comes along at the last minute to ask for special [session] treatment for his legislation.