Berman Running for Texas House Speaker

AUSTIN (AP) – Republican state Rep. Leo Berman of Tyler is running for speaker of the Texas House during the 2011 legislative session. Berman on Tuesday filed the paperwork with the Texas Ethics Commission. Berman seeks to unseat GOP House Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio, who has been criticized by some conservative Republicans as being too moderate. Straus won the leadership post in 2009 with the help of Democrats and Republicans. Berman, elected to the House in 1998, addressed a tea party rally in April, speaking against what he called federal government overreach. Berman has championed bills to crack down on illegal immigration, but nine pieces of legislation he filed in 2009 failed to pass.