Posted on 05/08/2003 5:27:39 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Legislative plan seeks shake-up of District 19 Texas House proposal aims to boost GOP in Congress
By SEBASTIAN KITCHEN AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
With the influence of political gerrymandering in Washington, state legislators are considering drastically altering districts throughout Texas, including District 19, to create more Republicans in Congress.
But legislators from Lubbock vow to fight for West Texas representation and keep three U.S. congressmen.
Congressional District 19, which now includes Lubbock and 18 other counties, would be drastically altered and would stretch from the border with New Mexico to Jack County — just north of Mineral Wells — almost 300 miles away. The changes would bring the total counties in the district to 30.
The new District 19 and the other statewide changes would remove the Permian Basin from the district and effectively eliminate the congressional seat held by longtime U.S. Rep. Charles Stenholm, D-Stamford.
The proposed changes would increase the number of Republican districts in the state to 19 from 15 of 32 seats, while decreasing the Democratic districts to 13 from 17.
The Republican-backed map was passed out of committee early Wednesday and is expected to be voted on Friday or Saturday by the full House.
U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, wants the changes to bring more Republican representation to Washington. DeLay wants the lines redrawn to include 20 Republican districts, better representing the state's Republican majority.
State and federal Democrats are enraged by the plan, which also raises concerns for area Republicans.
State Rep. Carl Isett, R-Lubbock, said he must work with fellow West Texas legislators Sen. Robert Duncan and Rep. Delwin Jones, both Lubbock Republicans, to make sure the area does not lose representation in Congress.
"We are absolutely committed to making sure we don't lose a congressman from West Texas," Isett said.
When the map reaches the House floor, Isett said, local legislators must "be ready to defend West Texas and the three congressional districts we have."
Legislators from urban areas want to move the lines of the West Texas districts toward the Interstate 35 corridor, Isett said.
"We still have a fight on our hands to keep three congressmen," he said. "What's important from here on in is the West Texas delegation needs to fight together to keep our representation whole."
Isett said there is nothing more "politically charged" than redistricting and said he is forced to defend his position against fellow Republicans, many of whom support the changes.
Jones said he would vote for the proposed plan even though he prefers the current district lines. He said he would vote for the new map "as a preference to what might materialize if they were drawn differently."
The reality is the population is shifting east and the current proposal would keep agricultural interests in District 19, Jones said. If the district was combined with a more metropolitan area, support of agriculture could erode.
"We still end up with three congressional districts with a strong orientation toward agriculture," Jones said.
The new district would eliminate much of the oil interests and bring in more of the farm and ranch interests from the eastern counties, he said.
Duncan said he did not know the specifics of the House bill but said he would work with Jones and Isett to assure the region maintains its representation.
"We are all in sync with the notion that if there is redistricting, it shouldn't dilute the rural West Texas congressional strength," Duncan said.
He said he could not support the loss of a congressional seat.
If a bill passes the House, it would be referred to the Senate Jurisprudence Committee that Duncan chairs. He said there would be complete and adequate hearings to enable concerned legislators or citizens to voice their viewpoints.
Any bill or amendment to the bill must pass the Voting Rights Act, Duncan said.
Midland, Ector and Howard counties, which are more prominent, populated areas that figured heavily in Saturday's District 19 election, would not be included in the current plan for the district. They would be in District 11.
Mike Conaway, a Republican who will be in a runoff against Lubbock Republican Randy Neugebauer for the District 19 seat, is from Midland, which would no longer be included in District 19 under the House's current plan.
Conaway and Neugebauer said they had not seen the maps.
Conaway said he was aware of the happenings in Austin, but knows redistricting is early in the process and the proposal may not become law.
Neugebauer said he trusts the leadership will work to make sure representation in West Texas is not diluted.
"I trust they will make sure West Texas still has a voice for agriculture and energy," he said.
The plan also would combine part of District 19, which is currently filled by longtime U.S. Rep. Larry Combest, with much of District 17, which now is represented by Stenholm, who has been a congressman for more than 20 years.
Stenholm, who is the ranking minority member on the House Agriculture Committee, would then live in District 19. The change to Stenholm's Democratic district would effectively eliminate one Democratic district by combining it with the heavily Republican 19th.
The realignment might be detrimental to farming because of Stenholm's position on the Agriculture Committee, Jones said.
Jones said he believes a candidate from Lubbock would win the race in the realigned district and said he does not want Stenholm voted out because of his support of agriculture.
Combest is resigning at the end of the month after 18 years as U.S. representative for District 19.
A federal court drew Texas' congressional districts after state lawmakers were unable to do so in 2001 and left the possibility that the districts could be redrawn by the Legislature.
Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has said there is not enough support for the map in the state Senate to get to the floor for a vote.
Democrats believe the Legislature is not required by the constitution to redraw district lines, especially in a non-redistricting year. Some legislators believe they need to focus more on the $10 billion budget shortfall and school finance.
The proposed map has been through numerous revisions, but the latest version drew harsh criticism Tuesday night for breaking up Harris, Travis, Hidalgo and Bell counties. Travis County, which includes Austin, would be cut into four congressional districts.
If passed, the changes would take effect during the next general election, Jones said.
Republicans are stating the proposed change will create more minority districts, while Democrats believe the change would dilute the strength of minority communities.
Rep. Richard Raymond, a Laredo Democrat on the redistricting committee, asked the Justice Department in a formal complaint for an expedited investigation of the redistricting redo.
Raymond, who repeatedly requested that field hearings be conducted around the state as required in the Voting Rights Act, was angered by the committee's refusal to do so.
U.S. Rep. Martin Frost, D-Arlington, criticized the map DeLay supports, saying it is bizarre and has strangely shaped districts that will not stand up to court scrutiny.
"This map represents an unprecedented partisan power grab by Tom DeLay — one that puts his power in Washington above the people of Texas," Frost said.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
skitchen@lubbockonline.com 766-8753
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