LIFE IN EXILE - Texas Eleven say constituents oppose remap (Chicken Run Update)

LIFE IN EXILE
Texas Eleven say constituents oppose remap
By ARMANDO VILLAFRANCA
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Eleven Texas senators began their second week in self-imposed exile Monday by firing salvos at Gov. Rick Perry and at their Senate colleagues, urging them to gauge constituents' sentiments on congressional redistricting.

State Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, said 90 percent of the testimony in hearings around the state last month opposed redistricting.

"I'm telling you, Waco said `No.' San Angelo said `No.' Lubbock said `No,' " Gallegos said.

The eleven Democratic senators fled to Albuquerque last week to break quorum on the eve of a second special legislative session on redistricting. The Senate was unable to pass redistricting in the first special session because of a Senate rule requiring a two-thirds vote to open debate.

In May, state House Democrats killed a redistricting bill during the regular legislative session by leaving Austin and breaking quorum.

Perry, U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, and other Republicans are pushing redistricting because Texas now sends 17 Democrats and 15 Republicans to Congress, while the state's voters have leaned Republican in recent years.

Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, urged fellow senators in Austin to return to their districts and listen to what their constituents have to say about the issue.

At a news conference in Albuquerque, the senators said Republican state Sens. Robert Duncan of Lubbock and Kip Averitt of Waco should join them because of citizen opposition in their districts to redistricting.

"Where are those senators who need to be representing their constituents?" Gallegos asked.

Duncan's constituents oppose a redistricting plan passed by the state House that would put Lubbock in the same district as Abilene to create a congressional district that would be dominated by Midland. That plan is supported by state House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland.

Lubbock now dominates a district that includes Midland. About 30 West Texas officials met with Duncan and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst last month to oppose any major change in the district.

"I figure we will eventually work out those issues in West Texas, and an overall map is the objective," Duncan said Monday.

Averitt said redistricting is a delicate issue in his district, but not one that would motivate him to go to New Mexico.

"There are a lot of people in my district who don't want to do redistricting," he said. "But for the most part, the Republican folks would see a benefit in sending President Bush reinforcements, people who are working with his program rather than against it."

Averitt said people in his district oppose the state House plan that divides McLennan County from other neighboring counties in the district now held by U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco. A Senate proposal keeps McLennan County and its neighboring counties together.

"This transcends Chet Edwards. This transcends the Republican Party," Averitt said. "What they don't want is a congressperson from Tarrant or Brazos or Williamson county."

All but one of the Senate's 12 Democrats have been in Albuquerque since July 28. Their absence from the Capitol means the Senate does not have a quorum and cannot take up legislation.

The Senate could not take up redistricting in the first special session because the chamber was operating under the long-standing rule requiring a two-thirds vote -- 21 senators if all 31 are present -- to open debate. All 12 Democrats and one Republican said they would vote against debating redistricting.

State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, said the senators broke quorum in this second session because Dewhurst, who presides over the Senate, said he would not operate under the two-thirds rule.

Van de Putte said the senators will not return unless the two-thirds rule is restored or Perry withdraws the call for a redistricting bill, both of which appear unlikely.

Democrats are contemplating a federal court lawsuit alleging that withdrawal of the two-thirds rule violates minority voting rights. But the senators in Albuquerque said Monday they haven't decided when or if they will take that action.

Dewhurst said he is willing to negotiate with the Democrats over how to draw a redistricting map, but he indicated there is nothing to negotiate about their return to Austin.

"I don't think our eleven colleagues are in a position to ask for anything," Dewhurst said. "They have broken the Texas Constitution. They were elected for a job. They need to come back to do it."

Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said he has heard of talk in Austin that the Democrats will return sometime this week, which he denied. "We're strong, we're determined and we've been reinvigorated by the overwhelming support that we received from the public that we are doing the right thing for all of Texas," West said.

The senators said they have received thousands of e-mails, phone calls and letters in support of their cause. State Sen. Frank Madla, D-San Antonio, said his office has received more than 4,000 messages, of which all but 300 oppose redistricting.

Kathy Walt, the governor's spokeswoman, dismissed the senators' claims of public support. She said public sentiment is clearly against walking off the job as the Senate Democrats have done.

The runaway senators -- seven Hispanics, two African-Americans and two Anglos -- also said Monday that they have received attacks containing racial slurs.

In another redistricting development Monday, state House redistricting sponsor, Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, filed legislation that would allow the secretary of state to set primary filing deadlines for later than Jan. 2, 2004, in congressional races if implementation of a congressional redistricting bill is delayed.

King said the bill has the blessing of Craddick and Perry. He said he did not want to change the actual primary date because that would affect Texas' standing in the national presidential primaries.

Click on the link above to see -
THE MAPS
• View maps:
-Click on PLANCO1151 for the current congressional map.
-Click on "All Other Redistricting Plans," then on PLAN

TEXAS FACTS
• Texas population, 2000 Census: 20,851,820
• Total congressional districts in Texas: 32
• Ideal population per district: 651,619
• Existing partisan breakdown: 17 Democrats, 15 Republicans. GOP wants redistricting to create a Republican majority in the delegation.

The Pubbies need to play hardball.

Email Texas Republicans and demand that the absconding Dems be charged with:

(1) theft of government services,

(2) misuse of office,

(3) misappropriation of tax funds,

(4) abuse of public office,

(5) receiving illegal gratuities,

(6) filing false documents,

(7) abuse of government power,

(8) conflict of interest,

(9) possible FEC violations,

(10) violating their oath of office.

email address: texasGOP.org

Photos taken from the Texas Senators of the 78th Legislature website.

The 11 Obstructors:

Gonzalo Barrientos, Austin/Rodney Ellis, Houston/Mario Gallegos Jr., Houston

Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, McAllen/Eddie Lucio Jr., Brownsville/Frank Madla Jr., San Antonio

Eliot Shapleigh, El Paso/Leticia Van de Putte, San Antonio/Royce West, Dallas

John Whitmire, Houston/Judith Zaffirini, Laredo
The Lone Democrat that is staying:

Kenneth Armbrister, Victoria

Here is a list of recent articles on Redistricting:
FR Search: Keyword "Redistricting"

08-04-2003
Demo senators strike note of defiance in maintaining holdout
(Chicken Run Official Song...)

Excerpt (Freeper comeback lyrics):
"The Killer D's of Texas"
Tune: "The Yellow Rose of Texas"
Words copyright 2003 SChad Fairbanks

Oh, the killer D's of Texas,
Are running away.
They don't act like real Texans,
so who needs 'em anyway.
They fled across the border,
to avoid a little fray.
And the killer D's of Texas
are afraid of Tom Delay.

8-4-2004
Van de Putte says she expects redistricting measure to pass
(Texas Van to Van de Putte Freep meeting)

08-04-2003
Walkout leader blasts Perry -
Democrat Van de Putte says governor's push for remap has been divisive

08-03-2003
Each side has its spin on redistricting standoff

08-03-2003
Dewhurst's reputation depends on 11 who fled

08-02-2003
Senators' letter asks Dewhurst for help --
Dems get diapers, `nasty' phone calls

07-31-2003
Dewhurst: I'm honoring tradition and precedent
(Article exposes ‘RAT Lies!!)
Congressional districts in Texas today are essentially those drawn by a partisan Legislature in 1991. At that time, a national publication called the Texas map the most outrageously gerrymandered redistricting effort in the nation, resulting in Democratic strength in our congressional delegation well beyond its representation among voters.
Our congressional lines are even more outdated today. When the Legislature failed to draw new lines to accommodate Texas' two new congressional seats in 2001, the job fell to a federal court. The judges made the fewest changes possible to the existing 1991 map, in essence protecting incumbents.
07-29-2003
Democrats bolt again – to New Mexico
(Senators trying to halt new special session on redistricting)

Link to pics of the 11 Democrat Senators that Obstructed Redistricting
(Post #4)

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 [2/3rd’s] 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

Above article is worthy of showing that a picture indeed is worth a thousand words:
First the Chicken D’s run away to Ardmore, Oklahoma. That didn’t work, so here they are,
still having a fit during the Redistricting debate:

As King began his argument for the new congressional boundaries Monday afternoon, about 30 Democrats in the gallery donned white socks as hand puppets to mock King. Every time he spoke, the little white mouths flapped.
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)

"The Killer D's of Texas"
Tune: "The Yellow Rose of Texas"
Words copyright 2003 SChad Fairbanks

Oh, the killer D's of Texas,
Are running away.
They don't act like real Texans,
so who needs 'em anyway.
They fled across the border,
to avoid a little fray.
And the killer D's of Texas
are afraid of Tom Delay.

Here they are with costumes on:
Surely these ‘RATS are not true Texans??

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VACATION!