Republicans pull proposed map - redistricting

The Dallas Morning News ^ | July 3, 2003 | By GROMER JEFFERS JR. / The Dallas Morning News

[MeekOneGOP]

Republicans pull proposed map

07/03/2003

By ROBERT T. GARRETT and GROMER JEFFERS JR. / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN – House Republicans withdrew their proposed congressional map Wednesday, saying it may violate federal law by diluting the political clout of minority voters in four districts, including one represented by Democrat Martin Frost of Arlington.

The map would have decreased the combined black and Hispanic voting strength in Mr. Frost's 24th Congressional District by 4.1 percent, to 50.5 percent.

The district would lose blacks in southeast Fort Worth and gain younger Hispanics in Dallas County.

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Democrats fret that Mr. Frost, one of the longest-serving Democrat in the state's congressional delegation, could not win re-election because about 56 percent of the proposed district's voters cast ballots for Republicans in last fall's statewide races.

State Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, the author of the proposed congressional map, said he fears that the U.S. Justice Department might reject his plan because it dilutes the minority vote in the 24th District; in Houston's 25th District, now represented by Chris Bell, a white Democrat; and two South Texas districts.

"There are some deviations in the numbers that have given experts and me some concerns that it would at least not passs through [Justice] quickly and that it could face a rejection," Mr. King said as he pulled his redistricting bill. "I'm not saying this puppy's dead. It's just sick."

As Mr. King and Republican redistricting experts scrambled late Wednesday to alter his map, it was unclear whether the House could stay on schedule to begin a floor debate of congressional redistricting Monday.

The House Redistricting Committee might have to meet this weekend to finish work on the bill, said Bob Richter, spokesman for Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland. Committee Chairman Joe Crabb, R-Atascocita, said that's a possibility but the panel's schedule is in flux.

Republicans such as Gov. Rick Perry, who called the special session, have said a new plan is needed to reflect their party's growth and to help President Bush advance his agenda.

'Seeds ... of vengeance'

Democrats amplified their concerns Wednesday that redrawing the map in the middle of a decade could ignite a long-running partisan war in Austin and elsewhere in the country. They said Mr. King's proposed map also would hurt the interests of rural and minority Texans.

"If this moves forward, it will hold in it the seeds of vindictiveness and retribution and vengeance that will carry forward for generations," said Rep. Barry Telford, D-DeKalb.

"This map completely disenfranchised the minority vote," said Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio. "It's sending this state back 100 years."

Ms. McClendon cited how the proposed 24th District would shed minority-rich areas in Fort Worth, Arlington and Duncanville and pick up Carrollton, Coppell and Irving.

The new district, though still with a majority-minority census population, would tilt toward the GOP because of the party's mature voting base in the area.

Many of Mr. Frost's black voters would be placed in the 30th District, now represented by Dallas Democrat Eddie Bernice Johnson, and the 26th, a seat won last year by Republican Michael Burgess of Highland Village.

"They have cut it, cracked it and shattered it," said Rep. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo. "They've taken the third-largest concentration of African-Americans in the state, in Tarrant County, and put it into an overwhelming Republican district where their voices will never be heard."

Not unanimous

But Rep. Ron Wilson, D-Houston, said he liked the GOP plan because it allowed for a "minority opportunity" district in the Houston area. "I don't know how it can be a racist exercise when it creates a minority district," he said.

Mr. Wilson, one of Mr. Craddick's top lieutenants, would live in the proposed minority opportunity district, but he said Wednesday that he was not interested in running for Congress.

He scoffed at suggestions that the loss of several white senior Democrats would hurt minority causes in Congress.

"That's speculation," he said. "There are a number of Republicans up North that vote better than the Democrats they are trying to save up here. I'd much rather have one Barbara Jordan or one Mickey Leland than four of anybody else's."

Several incumbent Democrats in Washington criticized the map.

"It dilutes the voice of minorities all throughout Texas," said U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco. "It breaks the first rule of redistricting by dividing communities of interest all over Texas. The drawings would give modern art a bad name."

U.S. Rep. Charlie Stenholm, D-Abilene, said he remains optimistic that the plan will die in the state Senate. But even if it doesn't, he'll try for a 14th term, he said. The map filed Tuesday night pitted him against a freshman Republican, Randy Neugebauer of Lubbock, in a district where the GOP statewide slate drew nearly seven in 10 votes, though Mr. Stenholm has long managed to cling to political life in Republican territory.

"That's what you have elections for," he said. ``I've made it as clear as I could make it that whatever the district, we intend to run and we intend to give it the best effort to win. That district would be a rural agricultural district, and we think we would have a 50-50 chance."

Staff writer Todd J. Gillman in Washington contributed to this story.

E-mail rtgarrett@dallasnews.com

and gjeffers@dallasnews.com

---

Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/070303dntexremap.52d4d.html

[MeekOneGOP]

Here is a PDF file of the current map:

http://gis1.tlc.state.tx.us/static/pdf/planc01151m.pdf

And here is the one that was proposed, credit to Dog Gone - from another thread:

Click here

Then choose All Other Redistricting Plans.

Select Plan 01249

[ken5050]

I'l say again...this is all a kabuki show..the GOP has this thing in the back....the Dem..Wilson's comments are the give away..the first really public advocacy of the redistricting by a Dem, and a minority, to boot...what his statement does is it gives the GOP cover....when all the stupid and endless racist charges are made, they can just point to Wilson's comments...BTW..wanna bet that when Wilson DOES run for the seat, he'll be unapposed by the GOP, or face token opposition?.......That's a SURE thing..look for another few Dems to come out in support, then for Frost to try and cut a deal to save his seat.....Stenholm's toast...unless he crosses to the GOP...

[theDentist]

They still think that "bipartisanship" is good for them. Dolts.

[1Old Pro]

As Mr. King and Republican redistricting experts scrambled late Wednesday to alter his map

Perhaps they better get new "experts". These people seem to be having an awful lot of trouble getting this done.

[pabianice]

Cowards. Again.

[TheBattman]

What is the true purpose of redistricting?

Is it simply a power grab for whatever party is in the majority at the time to protect their majority? In this case the "leaders" redraw congressional districts to re-enforce already favorable districts, while attempting to swing districts that might be close, thus weakening the minority party at the time.

OR

Should redistricting be simply to make certain that populations are equally represented, regardless of race or political persuasion?

Obviously, the moral and just answer is the second answer. Unfortunately, the first answer has become the norm. AS much as I would like to see a conservative revolution in this country, I honestly don't believe that the current power grab is the just way to achieve this.

I also don't believe that any plan, from any politician, that bases districts sptrictly on financial, social, or racial lines is fair. What ever happened to the best person for the job being elected from a district? OH, yeah - I forgot - our country doesn't work that way any more - the Supreme court says we can use racial preferences in everything we do - we must always swing the advantage to the minority......

[ken5050]

Redistricting is by nature a political process, and one that eveloves by a compromise that reflects the relative strength of the two parties within the state...In Texas, even after they'd lost power, the Dems avoided redistricting in the legislature, so to meet the time constraints, they got a Texas judicial panel, dominated by Democrat judges, to adopt a plan that favored the Dems.....the GOP is now correcting that error...

[Dog Gone]

The Houston Chronicle had a table in the print edition which shows why the proposed new map was withdrawn. The differences in minority percentage between the old districts and the one which was withdrawn were fairly small.

However, the GOP wants to make sure that the map will pass DOJ scrutiny and the inevitable lawsuits that the Rats will file after it's passed, so some minor tweaks will be made.

The protests from the Democrats are ridiculous. The Houston Chronicle printed its FIFTH editorial today denouncing redistricting. It's fun to watch.

[grobdriver]

"If this moves forward, it will hold in it the seeds of vindictiveness and retribution and vengeance that will carry forward for generations," said Rep. Barry Telford, D-DeKalb.

This only applies when there are vindictive, vengeful people involved.
As a professional politician you're above that, though, aren't you?
Or is it because as a professional politician that you're not?

[JohnnyZ]

I honestly don't believe that the current power grab is the just way to achieve this.

The current map is a slightly modified (by the courts) liberal gerrymander from 1991. How is this then a power grab? Any fair districting process in Texas will result in big gains for the GOP, because they're in a strong majority in the state. The racial divisions are mandated by the Voting Rights Act.

[horse_doc]

Left unsaid is the fact that Martin Frost is whiter than a bed sheet.

Typical that the issue is not that black representation is affected, but rather that one white liberal guy's seat is in trouble , because he might not be able to round up enough black voters on his personal political plantation to keep his wretched job.

[JohnnyZ]

Left unsaid is the fact that Martin Frost is whiter than a bed sheet.

You mean his pants are wetter than his bed sheet? ;)

[jimt]

"They have cut it, cracked it and shattered it," said Rep. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo. "They've taken the third-largest concentration of African-Americans in the state, in Tarrant County, and put it into an overwhelming Republican district where their voices will never be heard."

Maybe they'll know how I feel with a racist socialist, Sheila Jackson Lee, for a congresscritter.

Redistrict with a computer. Instruct it to create districts with as small a periphery as possible, cinsistent with equal populations plus of minus 1000.

The pols wouldn't like that. It'd blow their chance to gerrymander.

[ken5050]

FYI....regards

[Common Tator]

I'l say again...this is all a kabuki show..the GOP has this thing in the back....the Dem..Wilson's comments are the give away..the first really public advocacy of the redistricting by a Dem, and a minority, to boot...what his statement does is it gives the GOP cover....when all the stupid and endless racist charges are made, they can just point to Wilson's comments...BTW..wanna bet that when Wilson DOES run for the seat, he'll be unapposed by the GOP, or face token opposition?.......That's a SURE thing..look for another few Dems to come out in support, then for Frost to try and cut a deal to save his seat.....Stenholm's toast...unless he crosses to the GOP...

You should say it a third time.

I think you are exactly on the money. It is an old and successful strategy. Offer the old dogs from the other party really safe seats and they will let you screw the younger dogs in their party. Couple that with the old dogs in your own party wanting safe seats and the eventual outcome can be predicted with near certainty.

[JohnnyZ]

Redistrict with a computer. Instruct it to create districts with as small a periphery as possible, cinsistent with equal populations plus of minus 1000.

It would also make sense to add county lines, city lines, and precinct lines to the computer's instructions. Group by traditional geo/political boundaries rather than just making strictly compact areas. Also, it'd have to take into account the Voting Rights Act.

[jimt]

It would also make sense to add county lines, city lines, and precinct lines to the computer's instructions. Group by traditional geo/political boundaries rather than just making strictly compact areas. Also, it'd have to take into account the Voting Rights Act.

On the first, given today's situation, I'd ask "Why?".

On the second, would minimum periphery districts violate the Voting Rights Act?

[Post Toasties]

That Ruth Jones McLendon is one brass plated turd of a shameless liar.

[JohnnyZ]

On the first, given today's situation, I'd ask "Why?".

Because it doesn't make sense to split up a town or a county when you don't have to. Would you rather have two full adjacent counties making a rectangular district, or parts of five counties making a circle/squarish district? Seems logical to me to keep towns and counties and precincts (that can be REAL confusing) together as much as possible, while still making districts compact.

On the second, would minimum periphery districts violate the Voting Rights Act?

Possibly, possibly not. There is a court mandate for a certain number of majority-black districts. Minimum-periphery might or might not violate those mandates, which I believe are without respect to the method used, just with respect to the outcome.

[Publius6961]

So...
Diluting the clout of white voters is fair game?

What's wrong with this picture?