Posted on 09/17/2003 6:49:09 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Map gets third thumbs up House passes plan weakening area representation
Associated Press
AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas House voted to accept a Republican-drawn congressional redistricting map Tuesday that weakens West Texas farm representation in Congress.
For the third time this summer, the House approved the map sponsored by Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, that would likely give Texas Republicans an edge over Democrats in Congress.
The vote was 77-60 with four present but not voting. Delwin Jones and Carl Isett, both Lubbock Republicans, voted against the plan.
The map also gives House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, a congressional district separate from Lubbock.
"It's hard to negotiate when I haven't seen anything from the Senate," Craddick said. "I've seen 10 different versions people have drawn, but they haven't passed anything yet. We had a meeting last week but didn't get anywhere."
Duncan said he can't vote on a map that his constituents strongly oppose.
The map passed by the Republican-controlled Texas House drastically alters Con gressional District 19, which is represented by Neugebauer.
The plan pairs Neugebauer with U.S. Rep. Charles Sten holm, D-Abilene, meaning the two would square off in an election.
Both now serve on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, and Stenholm is the panel's ranking Democrat. Under the Texas House redistricting plan, a West Texas voice on the House Agriculture Committee would be lost.
Senators have already said the House map wouldn't pass muster in the Senate. That would leave the issue to be hashed out in a conference committee made up of delegates from both chambers.
Democrats argued — as they have since the issue started gaining steam in the spring — that the map would dilute the voting power of minorities and rural Texans in favor of urban and suburban Republicans.
"This is political gerrymandering at new heights at an unprecedented level," said Rep. Mike Villareal, D-San Antonio.
King maintained that his map was fair and did not dilute minority districts.
"I in no way think it dilutes minority districts," King responded to Democrats' arguments.
Only three amendments to the map were offered by Democrats, all of which were tabled by votes largely along party lines.
The bill next will be sent to the Senate, where it will likely be rejected.
The GOP is battling for domination of the 32-member Texas delegation in Congress. Democrats hold a 17-15 advantage, but Republicans — urged on by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land — say existing congressional boundaries don't allow for election of members of Congress who reflect the state's increasingly GOP voting patterns.
A federal court drew Texas' congressional districts after state lawmakers failed to do so in 2001, leaving open the possibility that the districts could be redrawn by the Legislature.
King's map would give Texas Republicans as many as 21 seats in Congress.
The Legislature on Monday began a third special session to consider redistricting after the return of 11 Democratic senators who fled to Albuquerque, N.M., last month to prevent consideration of the issue. Republicans began trying to push redistricting legislation through in April, but attempts have been thwarted in the regular session and two special sessions called by Gov. Rick Perry.
Hehehe.
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