Lubbock's Republican Delegation Not Amused By Democrats' Tactics over Redistricting

Lubbock, TX, Avalanche-Journal ^ | 05-13-03 | Kitchen, Sebastian

[Theodore R.]

Jones, Isett not amused by colleagues' action

By SEBASTIAN KITCHEN AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Cheers and applause filled the floor of the Texas House at 5:35 p.m. Monday as legislators cheered the arrival of one more Democrat, No. 92 — but still not enough to produce a quorum of 100 lawmakers.

State Rep. Delwin Jones, R-Lubbock, compared the House chamber on Monday to a high school reunion.

"They are having a good time when someone comes in," Jones said. "It has been kind of like a high school reunion. It gets kind of silly. People get up and make announcements. Things that seem funny to them are not necessarily funny to the rest of us."

Jones and fellow Lubbock Republican Carl Isett were not humored by the Democratic action that brought the legislative process to a screeching halt Monday.

"I am disappointed in my colleagues who left because there is a lot of work to be done," Isett said. "The Legislature meets 140 days every other year. Stopping the process isn't helping to get this done. It is difficult to do the business of this state under those conditions. Under these conditions, it's impossible."

Isett said the Democratic moves were "fairly drastic measures to stop Texas government in its tracks."

Democrats, including former House Speaker Pete Laney, D-Hale Center, may have brought the state legislative process to a standstill, but there was plenty of action in the House chamber.

Some representatives occupied their time by playing cards, dominoes or tossing a toy ball. Others dined, returned phone calls and worked through administrative paperwork.

Jones said he lost all three times he played the card game "42."

Isett said he wished he had some cards. If he's kept in House chambers until Thursday, Isett said he also will need a new shirt.

About 20 representatives talked a guide into giving them a tour of the House chambers, Isett said.

"Each one of us who comes in are not allowed to leave," Jones said. "I am just sitting and standing around waiting. There is not really anything we can do. We are confined to House chamber."

Isett said the action by Democrats evoked a range of emotions, and some of his colleagues were on the verge of anger.

"We very much do not want to have a fiercely partisan body," Isett said. "... They are bringing partisanship to the process."

Democrats argue that it's the Republican leadership in Washington and in the Texas House that has evoked such bitter partisanship.

Isett said he used the day for administrative catch-up.

Jones said he would do the same if his work was with him on the House floor.

Representatives can't even go to their office and work.

They do have access to computers and phone lines, Jones said, and he was working with his district office by phone.

Isett said he took the rare opportunity to visit with colleagues on legislative ideas and initiatives

"We're visiting back and forth. We almost never have the occasion to sit and visit," Isett said. "After the session, we all go home."

Many were returning phone calls and e-mails and looking at their own legislative agenda, but "most of us are here ready to work," Isett said.

Isett and Jones were no-shows of sorts Monday morning.

They both were in Lubbock to endorse congressional candidate Randy Neugebauer. They said their delay in arriving at the Capitol did not halt any state business.

During legislative redistricting in 1991 when the state was under Democratic control, political gerrymandering produced more Democratic districts, but Republicans "were still on the House floor fighting the fight — fighting for what is best for Texas," Isett said.

"If we're going to accomplish what is best for Texas, we all need to stay engaged in the discussion," he said.

Jones and Isett were not impressed with the Democrats' move. They believed important work needs to be done for the state's citizens in the waning hours of the legislative session.

"The Democrats are using this as a tool to try and defeat the Republican redistricting plan," Jones said. "It's a desperate move on their part. I would not recommend it. The reason I would not recommend it is we have got a lot of important legislation other than redistricting. This delay makes it impossible to get some education matters in posture to be voted on."

Isett said the move will force a special session that will cost taxpayers.

Jones said he believed there would be a special session regardless.

Issues left include the state budget and a proposed reorganization of state agencies.

"The (reorganization) is probably destined for failure after the delay today," Jones said.

skitchen@lubbockonline.com 766-8753

Rule of the House

The Texas House rules allow for the arrest of members who intentionally bust a quorum. Rule 5, section 8 states:

• When a call of the House is moved for one of the above purposes and seconded by 15 members (of whom the speaker may be one) and ordered by a majority vote, the main entrance to the hall and all other doors leading out of the hall shall be locked and no member permitted to leave the House without the written permission of the speaker.

• The names of members present shall be recorded. All absentees for whom no sufficient excuse is made may, by order of a majority of those present, be sent for and arrested, wherever they may be found, by the sergeant-at-arms or an officer appointed by the sergeant-at-arms for that purpose, and their attendance shall be secured and retained.

• The House shall determine on what conditions they shall be discharged. Members who voluntarily appear shall, unless the House otherwise directs, be immediately admitted to the hall of the House and shall report their names to the clerk to be entered in the journal as present.

• Until a quorum appears, should the roll call fail to show one present, no business shall be transacted, except to compel the attendance of absent members or to adjourn. It shall not be in order to recess under a call of the House.

Associated Press

[mabelkitty]

So if government has been reduced to a playground, why are we so picky about who we elect?

Seems to me anybody can do the job.

[MEG33]

The Big Tantrum

[VRWCmember]

Jones said he lost all three times he played the card game "42."

Sloppy journalism. Any good Texan knows that 42 is a DOMINOS game and NOT a card game.

[ken5050]

The WashTimes reported that the Dem legistlators were in Oklahoma..to avoid being arrested by the Texas Rangers...

[dixiechick2000]

I'm still impressed that the Texas Rangers were sent to round up all of the renagade demonrats.

In Oregon, we sent process servers to round up ours.

Process Servers aren't nearly as colorful, swashbuckling, or romantic.

Of course, Oregon isn't as colorful, swashbuckling or romantic as Texas.

*sigh*

[Defiant]

They have a major flaw in their system by requiring 2/3 to be present for a quorum. It gives the minority the ability to obstruct, just like a filibuster. If it's a House rule, and not a state law, once they get a quorum, they ought to correct it. If it's a state law, they ought to look into reforming it.

[Theodore R.]

No, have you heard of your Oregon Trail of the 1830s and 1840s? It was most romantic and exciting. OR was once the destination of all America. After you turned socialist, however, your state stopped much growth. Your eastern half is still conservative, but that region is outvoted by the wine-and-cheese crows on the West Coast. Isn't there a large segment of native Oregonians who are descended from New Englanders. I know that Governor Mark Hatfield (later liberal Senator) was once called the "Nelson Rockefeller of the West Coast."

[Theodore R.]

The rules were written by DEMOCRATS in 1876. They wrote with an eternal majority status in mind.

[dixiechick2000]

The Oregon Trail time in our history is exciting. It's too bad that, in the past 20 years, the state has been over run with socialists.

It's not just the eastern part of the state that's conservative. All you have to do is leave the Portland Metro area, to see conservativism at it's best, excluding of Eugene, of course. Unfortunately, half of the state's population is in the Metro area.

President Bush lost the election by approximately 5,000 votes, so it's not as liberal as many would think. Unfortunately, the looney left gets all of the publicity.

Did you see the advertisement for someone that speaks Klingon to work in the Multnomah County mental health unit? Our reputation comes from folks like those.