Dave McNeely: "Following the Leader. What Leader?"

Austin, TX, American-Statesman ^ | 09-25-03 | McNeely, Dave

[Theodore R.]

Following the leader? What leader? Thursday, September 25, 2003

The Democratic senators are back in the Capitol. But congressional redistricting isn't a done deal — this time because of the Republicans. They might have a tougher time agreeing on a map than they did getting the Democrats to return.

Perry, who declined to call a special session after the Legislature couldn't agree on a map in 2001, could have escaped involvement had redistricting happened in the regular session last spring.

But once House Democrats shut that down by heading to Oklahoma, Perry's job forced his involvement — if he considered redistricting important. Only the governor can call a special session and say what legislators should consider.

Now, Perry has called his third special session and is brokering maps. (Actually, it's chief of staff Mike Toomey and his assistant, Deirdre Delisi, doing the drawing).

Why? Because after spending millions of tax dollars over redistricting that Democrats and even GOP Attorney General Greg Abbott say isn't mandated, it'll look strange if there's no new map.

Perry got involved because of an impasse over districts in West Texas.

Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick badly wants a district that his hometown of Midland can dominate.

But the head of the Senate committee that considered a new map, Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, isn't fond of the House-passed map. It pairs longtime U.S. Rep. Charles Stenholm, D-Abilene, with GOP U.S. Rep. and former Lubbock Mayor Randy Neugebauer.

Stenholm is the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, considered important to farmers and ranchers in the area. He's largely supported even by Republicans in the area.

Duncan doesn't want blood from a fight in that race on his hands and wants the Senate to stand behind him.

But Craddick doesn't seem to have much use for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who presides over the Senate — or the Senate itself.

One reason is that Perry and Craddick made it plain they didn't want to restructure school finance during the regular legislative session. Perry even said Dewhurst was too green to do it.

Dewhurst, though, crafted a school finance restructuring plan that got unanimous Senate passage. It was sent to the House, where Craddick let it die.

On congressional redistricting, Craddick's form of negotiating with the Senate, one Senate aide said, has been to say "No. No. No. No."

So Perry, whose popularity rating isn't going up as he calls special session after special session on redistricting while putting off school finance restructuring and property tax relief, had to get involved. What if he called all those special sessions and spent all those tax dollars and nothing happened?

So he's had Toomey and Delisi talking to Craddick, and then taking whatever Craddick will accept to the senators and Dewhurst for their consideration.

Where this ends is anybody's guess. But if Perry is trying to be a leader, there's some question as to who's following.

Dave McNeely's column appears Thursdays. Contact him at (512) 445-3644 or dmcneely@statesman.com.

[Theodore R.]

Is Congressman Neugebauer a former mayor of Lubbock, as the columnist says?