As new Texas redistricting map offered, Dewhurst says compromise is in the air

Austin American-Statesman ^ | Thursday, July 24, 2003 | Laylan Copelin

[Dog Gone]

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said Wednesday that he sensed a subtle shift of momentum toward ending the state Senate fight over congressional redistricting.

More importantly, Senate Democrats who oppose redistricting were mulling their options in the waning days of this special session, trying to decide whether it's better to try to improve a Republican-drawn map or be run over in back-to-back special sessions.

The first hint of compromise came Wednesday even as the Senate Jurisprudence Committee, on a party-line, 4-3 vote, advanced a new map meant to give Republicans at least 21 of the state's 32 congressional seats. The GOP now has 15.

Gov. Rick Perry, who called the Legislature into special session to address the issue, has hinted at calling lawmakers back if they don't approve new congressional boundaries by the end of the session Tuesday.

"I see some movement by both Republicans and Democrats in coming together," Dewhurst said. "Will it happen tomorrow? I doubt it. Do I see momentum? Yes. May it take us another week or two? Maybe."

It is one thing for Dewhurst, a Republican who presides over the Senate, to talk about compromise in a body that Republicans control 19 to 12. But even Democrats are weighing their options publicly.

Sen. John Whitmire, the longest-serving Democrat, said he would not vote for redistricting and would not rule out the possibility that 11 senators would boycott so the Senate could not conduct business.

Yet the Houston Democrat said redistricting opponents are discussing whether it's better to negotiate a better map from Republicans or hope the courts will strike down the maps the GOP have offered so far.

The map approved Wednesday by the Senate committee splits Travis County into three congressional districts. One would stretch to Houston, another to San Antonio and the third to the Rio Grande Valley.

Bastrop, Caldwell and Hays counties also would be in districts stretching to the Valley or to Houston.

In the committee's new version, Williamson County is intact in a district it could dominate.

Although northern Travis County would dominate District 10, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, might be vulnerable because many new voters would be in the district between Austin and Houston.

Ed Martin, a Democratic consultant, said the committee's map is a ruse to get Democrats to negotiate.

"This map is bait," he said. "It's not real because it's blatantly illegal."

The mapmaker, Sen. Todd Staples, R-Palestine, defended the map as legal. He also urged Democrats to compromise instead of opposing all maps.

"Come join us and let's develop a map that can satisfy us all," Staples said.

The perception that a Republican victory is inevitable seems to be a factor in any discussion of how to end the redistricting debate.

"If you break a quorum," Whitmire said, "ultimately they get everyone back in."

In May, House Democrats left the state for four days so the House could not conduct business. But a boycott during a series of 30-day special sessions is another matter.

"How do you win if everybody walks?" asked Sen. Ken Armbrister, D-Victoria. "You can't be gone 60 days; you can't be gone 180 days."

Armbrister contends there are Republicans who don't want to vote for the redistricting map as it stands now.

"If the D's run off, then it lets other members off the hook who don't want to vote on this, either," he said.

Armbrister had threatened to lead a boycott if Dewhurst changed a Senate rule requiring a two-thirds vote to debate the redistricting bill.

Typically, the Senate parks an insignificant bill at the top of its calendar and requires the two-thirds vote to debate any bill out of the regular order of business.

Dewhurst has said he will honor that rule this session, but in a second special session would not allow a "blocker bill" in front of redistricting. That would allow 16 — instead of 21 — senators to bring up redistricting for a vote.

Armbrister said that was OK with him because he didn't consider it changing the rules.

Instead, Armbrister said, he would offer a map during floor debate that he hopes a Senate majority could support.

Even if the Senate agrees on a map, it may be difficult to work out differences with the House of Representatives, where Speaker Tom Craddick insists on a congressional district for his hometown of Midland.

Several senators oppose a Midland district.

Meanwhile, the Senate's sergeant-at-arms, Carleton Turner, said he thinks the Senate eventually will resolve the issue without a boycott.

Turner, who is hired by the Senate, is charged under the rules to return missing senators. A judge recently ruled that the Texas Department of Public Safety, which was used to track down the wayward House members, should not be used to search for missing lawmakers.

Turner said he hasn't made any plans for how he would find missing senators but he doesn't expect to be personally hunting them down: "The last thing I want to do is go wresting them to the ground."

 

[Dog Gone]

Will they stay or will they go?

[SwinneySwitch]

ChickenD's! Who knows what they'll do? Maybe Terry McCaulliffe?

[af_vet_rr]

This is all just talk, the new map (if and when one is passed) will end up in court, and the only people that will benefit will be the lawyers.

[Between the Lines]

A judge recently ruled that the Texas Department of Public Safety, which was used to track down the wayward House members, should not be used to search for missing lawmakers.

This should make criminals in Texas very happy.

[deport]

Will they stay or will they go?

---

I'm assuming all this talk of 'stay or go' is regarding their actions in another special session, correct? I don't see them having to do a thing this one as apparently the bill won't be brought to the floor because of the 2/3rds vote.

It would appear that it would be easier to get the Senate quorum than an House quorum just becasue of numbers. If all Republicans hold then what do you need to get back in from the democrats: two in the Senate and 12 in the House? I think a few bounty hunters could find that many and bring them back....

[gaspar]

You got it wrong. It's the Republicans who will cave. They always do.

[Dog Gone]

A new map will definitely be passed. The only question is whether it will be before next Tuesday night when this special session ends.

If not, it will be rammed through a new special session within a week, unless the Rats run for the border.

The map will be challenged in court, and that's fine. The Republicans control the state and federal courts at the appellate levels for this jurisdiction.

[MeekOneGOP]

The word boycott is used FOUR times in this article (I counted). When I think of boycott, I think of consumers refusing to buy a certain product or refusing to buy from a certain company.

I suspect bias in this Austin American-Statesman's article. The proper word is Obstruct, imho !!! That word doesn't find its' way into their article.

1. Sen. John Whitmire, the longest-serving Democrat, said he would not vote for redistricting and would not rule out the possibility that 11 senators would boycott so the Senate could not conduct business.

2. In May, House Democrats left the state for four days so the House could not conduct business. But a boycott during a series of 30-day special sessions is another matter.

3. Armbrister had threatened to lead a boycott if Dewhurst changed a Senate rule requiring a two-thirds vote to debate the redistricting bill.

4. Meanwhile, the Senate's sergeant-at-arms, Carleton Turner, said he thinks the Senate eventually will resolve the issue without a boycott.

---

MSN/Encarta Dictionary

boycott

	WAV		Select an audio format to hear this word.
	AIFF

boy·cott [ bóy kòt ]

transitive verb (past boy·cott·ed, past participle boy·cott·ed, present participle boy·cott·ing, 3rd person present singular boy·cotts)

refuse to deal with something: to cease or refuse to deal with something such as an organization, a company, or a process, as a protest against it and to force it to become more acceptable  Some called for the elections to be boycotted, insisting they were rigged.

noun (plural boy·cotts)

refusal to deal with something: a refusal to deal with something such as an organization, a company, or a process, as a protest against it and to force it to become more acceptable

[Late 19th century. Named for Captain Charles Boycott  (1832\endash 1897), an estate manager in Ireland, whom workers and tradesmen stopped dealing with after he refused to reduce rents.]

obstruct

	WAV		Select an audio format to hear this word.
	AIFF

ob·struct [ ob strúkt, b strúkt ] (past ob·struct·ed, past participle ob·struct·ed, present participle ob·struct·ing, 3rd person present singular ob·structs)

transitive verb

1. block: to block a road, course, or passage

2. hinder: to hinder or impede somebody or something

3. impede view: to be in the way and prevent a clear view

[Early 17th century. From Latin obstructus , past participle of obstruere , to build up against, from struere to heap up, pile.]

[MeekOneGOP]

Let them obstruct ! It will come BACK TO THEM !!

[deport]

Court challenges are to be expected.... The last redistricting of 1990 didn't clear all court challenges until either 1995 or 96 I think.

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for the heads up. Ya'll please keep me on top of the redistricting stuff! I am guilty of being the eternal optimist, but I truly think that this redistricting is going to happen. If the 'RATS do obstruct this process, it will come back on them. And these articles keep saying that the GOP is wanting 22 GOP districts. I think it is more like 19-20, so I smell bias and hate in a lot of these media rags ! Right now it is 17-15 favoring the 'RATS. So the GOP is going for 4-5 more.

Okay, I through now. Thanks < /rant >

[MeekOneGOP]

Heads up, folks !

Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my Texas ping list!. . .don't be shy.
No, you don't HAVE to be a Texan to get on this list!

[Texas Mom]

I saw the map and our little town is split right down the center. Not sure I'm happy about that. We will have two representatives and have to check your street address to find out who it is.

[MeekOneGOP]

Here is a list of recent articles on Redistricting:

FR Search: Keyword "Redistricting"

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)

[freekitty]

"Let them obstruct ! It will come BACK TO THEM !!"

That's right and ten times over and in ways they never imagined.

[Doe Eyes]

Because we don't agree with the political beliefs of the people that live in Austin, we will split thier votes between three districts to keep them from electing a liberal. This is what makes America great.

[ken5050]

Pingee..FYI..a somewhat different take on the same story..

[Dog Gone]

I can't tell for sure, but it looks as if this latest map moves me out of Tom DeLay's district. I'd rather keep Tom as my congresscritter, but if that's what it takes to throw seven Rats out of office, I'd go for it.

[ken5050]

Listen..stop complaining...I got moved from Sue Kelly to Nita Lowey....