Texas Democrat Arrested !!

ABC News Radio | 5-13-2003 | unixfox

[unixfox]

According to ABC radio news, Helen Giddings was arrested at her Austin Texas apartment today. She was one of several Texas democrats that fled to Ardmore Oklahoma.

Developing...

[friendly]

Democrats in jail. Music, sweet music, to my ears.

[annyokie]

What did she do?

[medscribe]

Anyone loving this as much as I do?

Don't Mess With Texas!!

[GraniteStateConservative]

What law did she break? Legislators are actually required to show up?

[ken5050]

Where's the wackjob head of the Texas Dem Party..Molly Beth something...what a looney tune....

[medscribe]

She's one of those Dems who RAN AWAY yesterday to prevent the House from having a quorum and finishing its work for this legislative session. The House Speaker then instructed the DPS and Texas Rangers to find, arrest, and remand the missing members back to Austin.

[BrooklynGOP]

What did she do?

Voted for Gore.

[unixfox]

According to Texas law if a legislature does not show up they can be arrested.

It appears they may have taken here to the Legislature.

[al_c]

What did she do?

Wasted your tax dollars.

[LurkerNoMore!]

http://www.homestead.com/derelictlegislators/

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Who cares what she did. Lock the Doodoocrats up!! LOL!

[So Cal Rocket]

Woo Hoo... she was the Queen of Diamonds in my Chicken D's playing card set!

[PatrioticAmerican]

Bump for the rest of the story!

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Lethal injection!

[annyokie]

Aha! Thank you. I live in Oklahoma, but I didn't know about this.

Lock her up!

[r9etb]

What law did she break? Legislators are actually required to show up?

For a quorum call, yes. This isn't just a Texas thing, BTW. Many states have similar rules.

[isthisnickcool]

Democrats in jail. Music, sweet music, to my ears.

Not to jail. She will be take to the legislature.

[wideawake]

She illegally violated her oath of office as a memeber of the Texas State Legislature.

The law requires Texas legislators to show up at the statehouse to convene the satte legislature. The state legislature cannot be convened unless two-thirds of the elected representatives show up.

The Democrats are in the minority this session for the first time in 130 years, and they have decided not to show up so the legislature cannot meet or do business.

Texas Constitution authorizes the sergeant-at-arms to arrest or authorize others to arrest representatives who pull this stunt.

[MEG33]

Yes..to make a quorum or 2/3.You missed the great threads yesterday. The dems lost a majority for the first time in over 100 years and are not happy...poor babies.

[madfly]

bump

[Cooter]

House member captured and returned

Updated: 5/13/2003 11:03 AM By: News 8 Austin Staff

Rep. Helen Giddings, D-Dallas, was found by Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers and returned to the Texas Capitol on Tuesday morning.

Giddings was not one of the 53 House members who turned in absence notices on Monday morning to avoid a vote on a Congressional redistricting plan. Without enough members to satisfy a quorum, the House cannot operate.

Giddings' apartment in Austin was under surveillance by undercover DPS troopers. As she was entering her car, she was approached by a trooper and placed under custody.

Giddings said she was on her way to the Capitol to have a meeting with Speaker Tom Craddick.

She later told reporters she asked to drive to the Capitol in her own car. The trooper told her no and and took her into custody.

She was escorted into the House chamber on Tuesday just after 10 a.m.

While Giddings is not one of the 53 Democrats who signed an absence notice, she said she had been absent from House proceedings in support of the 53 who did.

House Speaker Tom Craddick has the Capitol under lockdown, forcing all members to stay in the building.

[11th_VA]

Do they have Amber Alert in Texas ???

[Freakazoid]

The Perp

[ken5050]

Does Texas have a recall provision for its legislators?...are most of the remaining Dems in "safe" districts?

[CCWoody]

Can we make her vote and conduct her business from her cell?

Woody.

[friendly]

Hey I can dream.

[annyokie]

Thank you. It's nice to have the facts. I asked the question since it was assumed (ahem) that we were all in the know.

Now I know! ; )

[Zack Nguyen]

Yes, legislators are required to show up for session. They can't leave and refuse to come back. Department of Public Safety agents are authorized by the House Speaker to physcially arrest them (with handcuffs) and bring them to the House Chambers.

[LurkerNoMore!]

According to Texas law if a legislature does not show up they can be arrested.

Unfortunately, it is not a criminal arrest. I think she was officially "escorted". *lol* The ones who fled to Ardmore were already there last night.

[johnb838]

Texas Constitution authorizes the sergeant-at-arms to arrest or authorize others to arrest representatives who pull this stunt.

WooHoo! Do you suppose she can be caused to finish the session in chains? She must be interrogated. I bet she knows where some of the other rats are.

[Extremist]

A bunch of 'rats decided that since they were not going to get they way on redistricting, they would pick up their toys and go somewhere else to play. However, according to Texas law, they cannot be absent from the session w/o a valid excuse. Warrants were issued for the brats and the DPS was told to find and arrest them.
They are po'd about the maps that were stolen by Martin Frost and they (the 'rats) claim were drawn by Tom Delay.The new district lines will send many dem's back to flipping burgers and chasing ambulances.

[wideawake]

Don't know about the recall - but I think these legislators were chosen specifically bcause their home districts would support their obstruction.

[samtheman]

If this country ever starts enforcing laws against ballot-box fraud, there will be a lot more democrats from a lot more states locked up.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Did she ask if she could keep the cuffs?

[Blood of Tyrants]

I believe that the various state constitutions contain provisions in them similar to the US Constitution where the Speaker of the House and the Senate can require the members to assemble specifically to prevent them from obstructing the business of the government.

[unixfox]

Thanks for the rest of the article.

[johnb838]

I have a feeling that if they don't show up for the special session they may will be replaced.

[ken5050]

I thought it was nearly ALL of the remaining Dem legislators...so they're probably from safe districts...and thus would prevail in a recall election.....though the GOP majorities make it a moot point..still, it'd be nice to cause them some grief...

[Bahbah]

"Wasted your tax dollars."
That goes without saying. I hope this person is the kind who will parade her "outrage" over this all over the media.

[LurkerNoMore!]

I bet she knows where some of the other rats are.

We know where they are! They are at the Holiday Inn, Ardmore Oklahoma, about 100 miles north of Dallas.

However, the Texas DPS can't touch 'em unless they are on this side of the Red River.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Giddings said she was on her way to the Capitol to have a meeting with Speaker Tom Craddick.

Yea, right. You have the right to remain silent....

[Diddle E. Squat]

I wonder why she wasn't with the rest of them at Ardmore's "Best Little Whorehouse in Oklahoma"?

[Salvation]

Let's pray that they all get un-elected!

[Quix]

More power to the TEXAS RANGERS!

YEA!

[wideawake]

There are 62 Democrats and 53 said they would refuse to show up. I assume the other 9 are conservative Democrats who intend to caucus with Republicans or Democrats who represent closely contested districts.

[Timesink]

Yes..to make a quorum or 2/3.You missed the great threads yesterday. The dems lost a majority for the first time in over 100 years and are not happy...poor babies.

And this morning every major paper in Texas ran editorials praising the RATS for becoming literal fugitives and running across state lines to escape the police. This is going to end up as the Wellstone fune-rally all over again: RATS commit horrifically egregious tantrum, press spins it/covers it up, talk radio and Internet ensure the entire citizenry knows the truth, RATS lose tons of public support. I can barely contain my glee. They just insured they won't be in the majority again down there for a generation.

[annyokie]

Who arrested her? The Oklahoma Staties? Sorry to sound dumb, here.

[KarlInOhio]

If they are hiding in Oklahoma, can they be declared as being no longer Texas residents and then not eligible to hold seats in the Texas House?