Texas Rural Areas Worry About Redrawn Congressional Districts

AUSTIN - Rural Texas lawmakers say they are worried that a map redrawing the state's congressional districts would limit their voice in Congress by lumping small towns with urban and suburban districts that don't understand or appreciate the economic issues of rural areas.

"Rural communities are being sliced and diced and dissolved into new districts dominated by big city suburbs," said Rep. John Mabry, a Waco Democrat.

Under the map proposed Tuesday by Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, McLennan County and its main city of Waco would be split into two congressional districts.

"McLennan County, which has been the hub of a Central Texas congressional district for over 100 years, has been divided and put in a position where McLennan County can never again elect a hometown congressman," said Mabry, who represents the county.

"I think that rural issues are obviously different from suburban issues and that folks from McLennan County and in the Central Texas area would much rather have one of their own representing them in Washington, D.C., rather than an Austin suburbanite."

Rep. Jim McReynolds, D-Lufkin, said anchoring rural East Texas counties in suburban Dallas and Houston districts would put the area's water rights in a tug of war they wouldn't be likely to win. Timber and other agricultural interests also might be jeopardized "This map hurts rural citizens by stretching their district into suburban areas with whom they share no common interests," McReynolds said. "By removing senior rural representation, you are turning your back on rural Texas."

Kenneth Diershke, president of the Texas Farm Bureau, implored lawmakers to be fair to rural Texas during the redistricting battle.

"The agricultural industry is more than simply a sector of the Texas economy. It has a culture and community unto itself that is inextricably linked to rural Texas," Diershke said in a letter to lawmakers.

He said electing congressional delegates that have an understanding of rural Texas is "critical to the very survival of the agriculture industry and the rural communities that rely upon it."

Rep. Carl Isett, a Lubbock Republican, said that he's encouraged that West Texas would keep "three solid seats," despite their sizable expanse. The Panhandle and South Plains area would be split into three sprawling districts, one of which snakes south into the Texas Hill Country, near San Antonio.

"There's a lot of land mass of hardworking people who need representation, so you end up with really large districts," Isett said. "It doesn't matter how you draw the map, that is the reality of rural Texas, especially West Texas."

The House Committee on Redistricting began hearing testimony after King presented his new map. His proposal would give Republicans 19 seats in Congress compared to the current district lines that give Democrats a 17-15 advantage.

The redrawing of congressional district lines was the initial reason for the Texas Legislature's special session, which began Monday amid partisan clashes. More fiery exchanges erupted Tuesday at another redistricting hearing in McAllen.

"Rural communities are being sliced and diced and dissolved into new districts dominated by big city suburbs," said Rep. John Mabry, a Waco Democrat.

What a total load. They are being "sliced and diced" by Republicans trying to apportion Texas' districts to be far more in line with Texas' voting patterns than under the previous Democratic map which is the most gerrymandered contortion you'll ever see.

While the SREC is unanimously behind this, In my humble, Machiavellian opinion, the Republican Party of Texas blew a chance to score big points with the voters. If we spent the same effort gaining the five seats now held by Dems in Republican majority districts, we would have our majority and the Dems would still be looking bad for the Ardmore Camporee. Now they are trying, with substantial success, to make it look as though we are snatching the last crust of moldy bread out of the mouths of starving babies across the state. Granted, if it showed up on my credit card bill, I would think $1.7 was real money, but in budget terms it is 1/10th of 1% of a $117 BILLION budget.

By the way, dirty secret the press is finally waking up to is that the issue goes nowhere without Democrat help. Actually, Adrmore had very little to do with redistricting, at that time we still had at least two Republican Senators who did not care to reopen that can of worms, and with the two thirds rule controlling the Senate, it didn't make a happy damn what the House did, the bill was DOA in the Senate. Well, Ardmore pissed of Wentworth and Ratliff enough so they will support now, BUT with 12 Dems in the Senate, we have to buy two votes to make whatever map finally comes out go anywhere. That $1.7 is chump change compared to what we might end up promising Armbrister and Madla for their votes.

You damned right rural west Texas is worried. Tom Green county is now paired with Abilene and points east, a good commonality of interest. As close as he came, we are convinced we can put Rod Beckham in Stenholm's seat next election. The DeLay map, which is subject to change every hour on the hour once it hits the floor, pairs us with Midland/Odessa, and God forbid we end up a split county again, as we were in the '90s.

No arguement, we got shorted on redistricting in 2001, but we can achieve a Congressional majority under the map we now have if the Republicans get off our butts and work on the districts we ought to already have

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