Two committee chairmen from the House want Attorney General Greg Abbott to tell them -- in an official way -- whether House Speaker Tom Craddick's reading of the House's rules is correct. Craddick ended the session saying members can't challenge him without his permission.Reps. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, and Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, want Abbott to answer four questions: Is the Speaker of the House a "legislative officer" who can be replaced according to House rules, or a "state officer" who can only be removed as described by the Constitution? If a Speaker (or a President Pro Tempore in the Senate) is constitutionally impeached, does that cost the officeholder their seat in the Legislature, or just their leadership gig? If a Speaker is removed during a legislative session, does the House have a legal obligation to name a replacement or do they have to leave the seat empty? Does the Speaker have unlimited discretion about whether to recognize members' motions, including a motion to remove that Speaker? Keffer says he just wants to find out what Abbott thinks: "If the Speaker is the Supreme Being, we all need to know that, and to make our rules accordingly... If they [Craddick and his lawyers] are right, then maybe we need to adjust our rules, and if they're not, we need to know that, too." He compared it to a request he and Sen. Jane Nelson made earlier this year, when they asked the AG whether Gov. Rick Perry had the power to order HPV vaccinations for 12-year-old girls. Abbott decided Perry's executive orders were advisory and don't have the force of law. Craddick's office issued a written statement attributed to his press secretary, Alexis DeLee: "Speaker Craddick welcomes a review by the Attorney General. During the closing days of the session, Speaker Craddick sought the opinions of constitutional law and rules experts, and the advice was instrumental in the Speakers decision to move forward with the business of the session. "The rules of the Texas House of Representatives do not provide for a motion to conduct a Speaker's race in the midst of a sessions business. Furthermore, the rules are clear with regard to the Speakers power of recognition. "Speaker Craddick acted correctly under the House Rules, the Texas Constitution, and was consistent with traditions of parliamentary practice. But more importantly, the citizens of this state were well-served in that the important business of the legislature prevailed over the internal politics of a speakers race." Here's the Keffer/Cook letter to Abbott (click on it to download a copy), along with their questions for Abbott, which they included as an attachment.