Posted on 07/29/2003 6:05:08 PM PDT by hocndoc
Texas House Passes Redistricting Plan, Democrats Remain in New Mexico LAST UPDATE: 7/29/2003 6:28:48 PM Posted By: Jim Forsyth
(AUSTIN) -- It took the Texas House fifteen minutes this afternoon to pass a Republican backed Congressional redistricting plan, and same proposal which was approved by the House during the first special session which ended abruptly yesterday.
The plan now goes to the state Senate, which remains in recess pending the return of eleven of it's twelve Democratic members from self imposed exile in New Mexico.
When House Speaker Tom Craddick graveled the chamber to session this morning, it was unable to proceed due to a lack of a quorum. Craddick dispatched staffers to round up enough Democrats to allow the House to be graveled into session.
Democratic State Representative Garnet Coleman of Houston and other democrats tried in vain to slow down the Republican majority.
"The power grab that is going on is now extended to this House floor," Coleman said of majority Republicans. The GOP is attempting to push through a Congressional redistricting plan which would lead to as many as five new Republicans in the state Congressional delegation. Democrats now hold a 17 to 15 edge in Congressional seats.
Republicans like State Rep. Phil King of Weatherford predicted that the Senate will eventually approve a redistricting plan.
"I think eventually the Senate will pass something different than what we have passed, it will be worked out in conference committee, and we'll emerge with a fair plan," King said.
But from their exile in a hotel in Albuquerque, the eleven Democrats said there is nothing fair about the Republican effort to redraw the Congressional district lines.
"We are fighting to stop an unfair and wasteful redistricting process, and to protect the rights of our constituents," State Senator Leticia Van De Putte of San Antonio said.
She says the state has 'immense problems,' and needs to focus its attention and its resources on reorganizing state government, extending health care, and improving education.
Each special session costs approximately $1.7 million.
Van de Putte says the current Congressional redistricting map, which was drawn by a federal court after the then Democrat dominated legislature refused to take action two years ago, should stand until the 2010 census.
"The current plan is fair, it is legal, it is a legal plan for all Texans according to all the non partisan experts, and the U.S. Supreme Court," she said.
Texas Republicans have long smarted that Democrats hold a majority in the state's U.S. House delegation, even though the GOP controls all statewide non judicial elective offices, and the state's two U.S. Senate seat, and Texas has been firmly in the Republican column in Presidential elections since the 1970's.
But Van de Putte and other Democrats say changing the Congressional redistricting map would damage minority and rural communities, by including portions of the strongly Republican suburban areas surrounding San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas Ft. Worth into the majority of the Congressional districts.
"In every plan, rural Texas communities are dominated by suburban interests, and lose their right to representation in Congress," she said.
Van de Putte declined to speculate on how long the Democrats are willing to stay in New Mexico, out of the reach of Texas Rangers. Only one Democrat, Ken Armbrister of Victoria, declined to join the group that flew to New Mexico in two private jets yesterday.
Get local n
Dock the pay of politicians who boycott.
No work should mean no pay.
Additional info
FR Search: Keyword "Redistricting"
07-28-2003
Session ends as 11 Democrats slip out
(Dem's Flee state again!)
07-26-2003
GOP effort to redraw districts is crushed
[Texas redistricting]
07-24-2003
Democrats may be free to flee - constitutionally protected, says lawyer
07-24-2003
As new Texas redistricting map offered,
Dewhurst says compromise is in the air
07-23-2003
Committee passes redistricting bill (Texas)
07-23-2003
Texas Republican Senators Forge Ahead on Congressional Redistricting Plans
07-19-2003
[Texas] Senators talk of boycotting any redistricting session
Mr. Dewhurst said he would be on solid ground in working around the Senate tradition requiring a two-thirds vote to take up a bill. The late Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, a Democrat, did the same thing in a 1992 special session on legislative redistricting, Mr. Dewhurst said.
07-18-2003
New map, same pain for Dems
(Texas Redistricting fun)
07-17-2003
New map surfacing in Texas Senate
07-16-2003
Dewhurst at crossroads on redistricting in Texas Senate
07-15-2003
Ratliff joins Democrats to oppose redistricting
The state Republican Party was quick to point out that the [2/3rds] rule has been abandoned on occasion such as when the Senate took up a state senatorial redistricting plan in 1992.
07-09-2003
DROP IT -- Redistricting would benefit few Texans, harm many
(Editorial)
07-08-2003
Senators have problems with House redistricting map - Texas redistricting
07-08-2003
House passes remap
Veteran Democrats may lose seats if bill goes through Senate
07-07-2003
TEXAS REDISTRICTING--Vote TONIGHT!
07-07-2003
Race rhetoric stokes Texas redistricting fire
07-07-2003
Tension may soar as map debate hits House floor - Texas redistricting
07-06-2003
House panel quickly passes Republican redistricting plan -
map likely to unseat six Democrats
07-04-2003
New GOP map restores (Rep. Martin Frost's) district
07-03-2003
Republicans pull proposed map - redistricting
07-03-2003
Chamber of Commerce and GI Forum Hire Temps to Testify
07-02-2003
The Great Texas Power Grab - redistricting
07-01-2003
Tx Democrats Trying Fight, Not Flight, Over Districts
(The-Terrific-Texan-Special-Session)
True to a point. However it's also not a "normal occurance" for the districts to be set by a federal court, which over-ruled a state court. The federal court based the districts on the 1990 plan, which was of course heavily Gerrymandered to favor Democrats.
It's also true the the Republicans latest plan went a long way to removing the worst of their own Gerrymanders from the plan originally up for approval in the Texas House during the regular session. They also adddressed some of the concerns of suburban verses rural.
I'm sure the National Socialist Democratic party, and its Chinese benefactors, will see to it that they don't suffer any financial hardships.
There have been as high as 6 special sessions before... Special sessions aren't new to the Texas political landscape... Here's a list of a few from years past..
Leg | Session | Days | Begin date | End date | Subjects (More info) | Summary | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
78th | 1st C.S. | 29 | Jun 30, 2003 | Jul 28, 2003 | 30 topics | Proclamations | |
2nd C.S. | Jul 28, 2003 | 3 topics | Proclamations | ||||
72nd | 1st C.S. | 30 | Jul 15, 1991 | Aug 13, 1991 | 10 topics | Proclamations Addresses |
1st & 2nd C.S. |
2nd C.S. | 7 | Aug 19, 1991 | Aug 25, 1991 | 13 topics | Proclamations | (see above) | |
3rd C.S. | 7 | Jan 2, 1992 | Jan 8, 1992 | 3 topics | Proclamations | ||
4th C.S. | 24 | Nov 10, 1992 | Dec 3, 1992 | 1 topic | Proclamation Addresses |
||
71st | 1st C.S. | 29 | Jun 20, 1989 | Jul 18, 1989 | 59 topics | Proclamations | |
2nd C.S. | 28 | Nov 15, 1989 | Dec 12, 1989 | 1 topic | Proclamation | ||
3rd C.S. | 30 | Feb 27, 1990 | Mar 28, 1990 | 2 topics | Proclamations | 3rd - 6th C.S. | |
4th C.S. | 30 | Apr 2, 1990 | May 1, 1990 | 3 topics | Proclamations | (see above) | |
5th C.S. | 29 | May 2, 1990 | May 30, 1990 | 3 topics | Proclamations | (see above) | |
6th C.S. | 4 | Jun 4, 1990 | Jun 7, 1990 | 37 topics | Proclamations | (see above) | |
70th | 1st C.S. | 2 | Jun 2, 1987 | Jun 3, 1987 | 4 topics | Proclamations Addresses |
|
2nd C.S. | 30 | Jun 22, 1987 | Jul 21, 1987 | 72 topics | Proclamations | ||
69th | 1st C.S. | 3 | May 28, 1985 | May 30, 1985 | 3 topics | Proclamations | |
2nd C.S. | 30 | Aug 6, 1986 | Sep 4, 1986 | 19 topics | Proclamations Addresses |
2nd C.S. | |
3rd C.S. | 23 | Sep 8, 1986 | Sep 30, 1986 | 21 topics | Proclamations Addresses |
3rd C.S. | |
68th | 1st C.S. | 4 | Jun 22, 1983 | Jun 25, 1983 | 11 topics | Proclamations | 1st C.S. |
2nd C.S. | 30 | Jun 4, 1984 | Jul 3, 1984 | 31 topics | Proclamations Addresses |
2nd C.S. Pre 2nd C.S. Post |
|
67th | 1st C.S. | 30 | Jul 13, 1981 | Aug 11, 1981 | 20 topics | Proclamations Addresses |
1st C.S. |
2nd C.S. | 5 | May 24, 1982 | May 28, 1982 | 7 topics | Proclamations | 2nd C.S. | |
3rd C.S. | 3 | Sep 7, 1982 | Sep 9, 1982 | 2 topics | Proclamations | ||
65th | 1st C.S. | 11 | Jul 11, 1977 | Jul 21, 1977 | 5 topics | Proclamations | 1st C.S. |
2nd C.S. | 30 | Jul 10, 1978 | Aug 8, 1978 | 18 topics | Proclamations | 2nd C.S. | |
63rd | 1st C.S. | 3 | Dec 18, 1973 | Dec 20, 1973 | 1 topic | Proclamation | |
62nd | 1st C.S. | 4 | Jun 1, 1971 | Jun 4, 1971 | 10 topics | Proclamations | |
2nd C.S. | 3 | Apr 28, 1972 | Apr 30, 1972 | 2 topics | Proclamations | ||
3rd C.S. | 24 | Jun 14, 1972 | Jul 7, 1972 | 1 topic | Proclamation | ||
4th C.S. | 30 | Sep 18, 1972 | Oct 17, 1972 | 30 topics | Proclamations | ||
61st | 1st C.S. | 30 | Jul 28, 1969 | Aug 26, 1969 | 2 topics | Proclamations | |
2nd C.S. | 14 | Aug 27, 1969 | Sep 9, 1969 | 12 topics | Proclamations | ||
60th | 1st C.S. | 30 | Jun 4, 1968 | Jul 3, 1968 | 3 topics | Proclamations Addresses |
|
59th | 1st C.S. | 10 | Feb 14, 1966 | Feb 23, 1966 | 1 topic | Proclamation Addresses |
|
57th | 1st C.S. | 30 | Jul 10, 1961 | Aug 8, 1961 | 24 topics | Proclamations Addresses |
|
2nd C.S. | 5 | Aug 10, 1961 | Aug 14, 1961 | 1 topic | Proclamation Addresses |
||
3rd C.S. | 30 | Jan 3, 1962 | Feb 1, 1962 | 39 topics | Proclamations Addresses |
||
56th | 1st C.S. | 30 | May 18, 1959 | Jun 16, 1959 | 11 topics | Proclamations Addresses |
|
2nd C.S. | 30 | Jun 17, 1959 | Jul 16, 1959 | 13 topics | Proclamations Addresses |
||
3rd C.S. | 21 | Jul 17, 1959 | Aug 6, 1959 | 3 topics | Addresses |
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