Texas Governor Call Special Session (of Texas House & Senate) - U.S. CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING

Office of the Texas Governor ^ | 6/18/03 | Governor Rick Perry

[harpu]

Special Session Letter

Download a copy of this letter. [217KB PDF]

June 18, 2003

The Honorable David Dewhurst
Lieutenant Governor
State of Texas
State Capitol, Room 2E.13
Austin, Texas 78701

The Honorable Tom Craddick
Speaker of the House
Texas House of Representatives
State Capitol, Room 2W.13
Austin, Texas 78701

Dear Governor Dewhurst and Speaker Craddick:

This is to notify you that I am calling the Texas Legislature back into special session beginning June 30 for the primary purpose of addressing congressional redistricting. I believe duly elected officials, not federal judges, should be responsible for drawing district lines.

Once legislators have begun their work on this important issue, I will consider expanding the call to other unfinished business from the 78th Regular Session, such as funding for the Regional Academic Health Center and Texas Tech Medical School, and other important matters.

The recently completed regular session clearly demonstrates that legislators - regardless of political party affiliation and philosophy - can work together to address issues important to Texans. And I am confident that Democrats and Republicans can likewise work together to develop a map that is fair, compact and protects communities of interest.

Sincerely,

Rick Perry
Governor

[Mike K]

Go Rick! Could this be an example of a pubbie outsmarting the dems?

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

P.S. up yours, RATS.

[KarlInOhio]

Time for the dems to make another "run for the border". I hope the Texas police are ready to stop and arrest them this time.

[rwfromkansas]

How are they going to keep the Dems from bolting?

[Toonces T. Cat]

"...funding for the Regional Academic Health Center..."

Ouch! That ought to get their attention. The Regional Academic Health Center, or RAHC, is a major South Texas project and is seen as the seed for a medical school in this region...the only one in Texas without a med school. This area has almost exclusively Demonrat representation in both the State House and the Senate. Redistricting or not, this is a very potent chip that Gov. Perry is playing here...:-)

-Toonces

[So Cal Rocket]

Thanks for putting this in context... I kinda figured that the RAHC & the TTMS were "carrots" for the Dems to show up, but didn't really know what they were.

Good move on the Governor's part!

[caisson71]

Seal the state borders, stop all out of state air transportation, stop the trains, stable all the mules and post a bounty on any state legislature found outside the legislative halls. Than, do the people's business.

[Bullish]

So again they run away and hide?

What happens then?

[Cincinatus]

How are they going to keep the Dems from bolting?

My understanding is that during special session, quorum calls only require a simple majority, not the 2/3 majority of regular session. So,.....

Let them bolt.

[RonF]

Seal the state borders, stop all out of state air transportation, stop the trains,

Oh, yeah, that's going to keep the constituients happy, especially the ones using that air transportation, trains, etc. And the FAA and DOT might have something to say....

[Dane]

The Holiday Inn General Manager in Ardmore, OK, is now shouting,

"Yes, my motel will be filled on the night of June 30th."

[Consort]

Let's see if they planned it better this time.

[Xenalyte]

Now if Dewhurst would just grow a pair, we might be able to get something done.

[jrawk]

Awesome!

The Obstructionist Dees are already squealing like stuck pigs BTW.

-- lates
-- jrawk

[Quix]

I'll consider them outsmarted only if he pulls off the redistricting without the RATS escaping again.

It seems to me, they ought to be in 'protective custody' or some such from the hand delivery of the letter to the finish of the session given their escapist activities before.

[mewzilla]

I was thinking that the Holiday Inn might want to think twice before becoming a roach motel again.

[StupidQuestions]

Gerrymandering is always corrupt politics … no matter which party does it. This is Gerrymandering, pure and simple.

[arkfreepdom]

And the solution is?

[schaketo]

Remember the Alamo!