Rep. Leo Berman, who's hinted at running for governor if state lawmakers don't address immigration issues, wants to know if making himself a candidate would knock him out of the House.

Berman's asking Attorney General Greg Abbott for his opinion on two questions. First, would declaring oneself a gubernatorial candidate during the first year of one's term (that'd be 2009) force one to resign from the House? Second, what about forming an exploratory committee; would that hurt one's legislative status?

Berman has pushed for stricter immigration laws and has been telling people for some time that he'll run for governor if the issue isn't addressed.