John Otto: Another one bites the dust

"And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.”
Numbers 16:26

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd, another Straus lieutenant retires:

After a decade in the Texas House and fresh off his first session as chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, state Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton, announced Tuesday that he is not planning to seek re-election.

“I want to thank the voters of House District 18 for their support and encouragement over the years," Otto said in a statement. "This was not an easy decision, but I never intended for this experience to be a lifelong endeavor. After accomplishing much of what I set out to do when first elected, the time is right for me to step aside."

Otto, 66, joined the House in 2005 after stints on the Dayton City Council and Dayton Independent School Board.

[Author's Note: Emphasis added.]

It's impossible to overstate the importance of what just happened.  While he keeps a lower profile (and isn't nearly as big of a jerk), John Otto is a Straus subordinate on par with Byron Cook and Charlie Geren.  Otto has spoken or been on a panel at nearly every lobby event we've ever attended in Austin.

Appropriations chairmen don't retire lightly.  While Otto isn't disgraced the way Jim Pitts was when he left, this is still the second session in a row where the appropriations chair isn't coming back.  If you need to know anything about how being a member of Straus' leadership team goes over in the rest of the state, that's it.

The best reaction to Otto's retirement cam from the Texas Public Employees Association:

Retiring House Appropriations Committee Chair John Otto is a past recipient of the TPEA Legislator of the Year Award. We will miss working with him.
Posted by Texas Public Employees Association on Tuesday, July 7, 2015

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Bottom Line: If Otto's throwing in the towel, keep an eye on Drew Darby and John Zerwas as the next to retire....

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Update: Apparently, Darby announced a re-election bid in late June; serves us right for not reading Quorum Report.