House panel quickly passes Republican redistricting plan - map likely to unseat six Democrats

The Dallas Morning News ^ | July 6, 2003 | By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News

[MeekOneGOP]

House panel quickly passes Republican redistricting plan

07/06/2003

By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN – A Republican redistricting map described by its author as likely to unseat six Democratic congressmen won rapid approval Saturday from a Texas House committee.

With little debate, the redistricting panel advanced the newly drawn map by a vote of 10-4 about an hour after it was unveiled.

"On a really good Election Day, Republicans could pick up 21" of the state's 32 U.S. House seats if the map is adopted, said its author, state Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford.

Democrats now hold a 17-15 edge in the delegation.

Also Online

	Maps: • Current Texas Congressional districts • Proposed Texas Congressional districts
	Special Session: Redistricting hearing schedule, summary, maps (from the Texas Legialtive Council)
	House panel quickly passes Republican redistricting plan
	Remap's long-range influence
	Encore for failed bills in Austin
	More Politics

Mr. King predicted U.S. Rep. Martin Frost, D-Arlington, could be re-elected "for life, probably" under the proposed map.

But at least four and as many as six other Democratic incumbents, all white, would be at risk, Mr. King said. Under the federal Voting Rights Act, incumbents in minority districts enjoy some protection from redistricting.

At risk under the House panel's plan would be veteran Democrats Ralph Hall of Rockwall, whose district would shift to the Houston area and who would be paired with Republican Jeb Hensarling of Dallas in the new, GOP-leaning 5th Congressional District; Charlie Stenholm of Abilene; and Nick Lampson of Beaumont.

In addition, East Texas Democratic congressmen Max Sandlin of Marshall and Jim Turner of Crockett would be paired in the Republican-leaning 1st District.

Name recognition might save whoever survives a Democratic primary, despite a 55-percent tilt to the GOP in the general election, Mr. King said.

He said U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, also might escape the ax, but only after making an unhappy choice – running against Republican incumbent John Carter of Round Rock in the 31st or in an open seat, Mr. Stenholm's 17th District, which would shift as far east as Rusk in the Piney Woods of East Texas.

Some Democrats on the committee protested that the map would reduce minority voters' influence and elevate suburban Republicans to represent much of rural Texas in Congress.

State Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, the panel's vice chairman, warned that frequent redrawing of maps will make Congress subservient to state lawmakers, not the voters.

But Republicans said the current congressional map, drawn by three federal judges, is unacceptable. The judges used the broad outlines of a 1991 congressional redistricting plan that GOP leaders say was a Democratic gerrymander.

State Rep. Ron Wilson, D-Houston, joined committee Republicans in voting for the map. He said afterward he was "absolutely not" interested in running for Congress in the redrawn 25th District, which Mr. King described as "a new African-American opportunity seat."

E-mail rtgarrett@dallasnews.com

---

Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/tsw/stories/070603dntexremap.ae02a.html

[MeekOneGOP]

From above article:

At risk under the House panel's plan would be veteran Democrats Ralph Hall of Rockwall, whose district would shift to the Houston area and who would be paired with Republican Jeb Hensarling of Dallas in the new, GOP-leaning 5th Congressional District; Charlie Stenholm of Abilene; and Nick Lampson of Beaumont.

Hmm . . .

Maybe Ralph Hall could register as GOP? Check out his voting record , per the ACU:

Representative Ralph Hall (D)
4th Congressional District, Texas
Democrat, Years of Service: 22

ACU Ratings for Representative Hall:
Year 2002	88
Year 2001	96
Lifetime	83

[DallasMike]

No kidding. Why the Republicans would want to keep Martin Frost and oust Ralph Hall is beyond me. I've been in small meetings with Martin Frost before (had to because of work). He's a regular ego with legs, and none too bright to boot.

[McLynnan]

U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, also might escape the ax, but only after making an unhappy choice – running against Republican incumbent John Carter of Round Rock in the 31st or in an open seat,

Truly, I'm not stalking you today! I would love to see Edwards sent packing after years of campaigning and voting against him. But I won't get a chance since I'll be redistricted into District 17 because the proposal splits McLennan County in half. My half will be thrown in with Crawford, Ft. Hood, Temple/Belton/Killeen which is decidedly Republican, yay! There's much controversy here about dividing the county. Yesterday Edwards whined that the proposed redistricting is a partisan political game. I didn't hear him expressing any dismay about the political game the Texas D's played in Oklahoma.

[Ff--150]

Good ol' Martin Frost, of Bel Aire, California...

[LS]

I think overtures were made to both Charlie Stenholm and Hall about switching. Maybe this will give them a "nudge."

[Paleo Conservative]

Hmm . . .

Maybe Ralph Hall could register as GOP? Check out his voting record , per the ACU:

He's had about nine years since the Republicans took over in Washington DC to switch and has not. It is precisely his kind of conservative DemocRAT that kept left wing DemocRATS in power in the House of Representatives for 60 out of 64 years prior to the election of 1994. Do you have any doubt that if Congress were divided 218 to 217 in favor of the DemocRATS that he would vote for the DemocRATS to organize the House? It's time to eliminate the political crossdressers. What really bothers the left wing press is that they know this redistricting could keep the Democrats out of power in Washington for at least ten years and possibly for the next twenty years.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Wasn't Hall one of the two or three Democrats who voted for impeachment?

[Paleo Conservative]

Wasn't Hall one of the two or three Democrats who voted for impeachment?

But he still stayed in the DemocRAT party.

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks, and good for you getting redistricted [proposed] into the Red zone !
I wonder if I'm affected by the proposed change?
I'm in far Northeast Dallas County.

[MeekOneGOP]

I don't know for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did vote to boot clintoon!

[MeekOneGOP]

Crazy game, politics. I don't get it either.

[deport]

First round... now I guess it's to the floor for discussion, amendments, whatever...

[McLynnan]

I wonder if I'm affected by the proposed change? I'm in far Northeast Dallas County.

It's hard to tell from the maps that are linked in the article. My understanding was the areas most affected would be Houston, the Waco/Temple/Killeen triangle, and far North and East Texas, but I've had a hard time keeping up with all their new maps. Maybe check today's DMN and see if they have an article with some good map graphics.

[deport]

House floor debate set for redistricting

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sunday, July 6, 2003

AUSTIN — In less than five minutes, the House Calendars Committee voted 8-1 on Sunday to send a GOP-backed congressional redistricting bill to the House floor for debate on Monday.

The proposed map would change current congressional lines that give Democrats a 17-15 advantage to put more Texas Republicans in Washington. It was approved by the House Redistricting Committee on Saturday.

Rep. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, was the only dissenting vote on the calendars committee.

"We can't just sit down and not say anything," Menendez said. "I'm here to make a statement that this is not OK with me and its not OK with millions of Texans."

The chance that House Democrats would once again flee in a political walkout against the proposed map is slim, Menendez said.

"I don't have a problem with doing it, but I think that many of my colleagues have already put their careers at risk in the last walkout," Menendez said.

Rep. Beverly Woolley, R-Houston, said she expects a tense atmosphere on the House floor.

"Judging by the committee hearings, I'm sure there will be lots of objections," Woolley said. "But I believe we've got a map that does represent the population of the state."

The House convenes at 2 p.m. Monday.

---

And now for the important stuff........

John C. Livas AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Crowds on the second day of Willie Nelson's picnic had reason to cheer: They had an easier time getting to the show. Photos

[MeekOneGOP]

Good. I hope so. Hall's voting record is better than some in the GOP.

[lowbridge]

Will the Democrats run away again?

[The South Texan]

Where they able to damage to Lloyd Dogget's Austin district? No that it matters,as you and I know that some people in Austin would vote for Stalin or Che Guevera if they ran for that seat over a Republican.

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for the post and link!

"We can't just sit down and not say anything," Menendez said. "I'm here to make a statement that this is not OK with me and its not OK with millions of Texans."

GOP got MORE votes than your 'RATS did. Get used to it, Bub !! Or move to the Oklahoma Holiday Inn for good !

[LS]

I think Stenholm's is quite good, too.

[DPB101]

map likely to unseat six Democrats...

Just "likely to unseat?" What gives? I thought you Texans promised us out of staters a law making it legal to come down and hunt Democrats with dawgs.