Fight's not over yet: Floor debate on Texas redistricting map heats up today

AUSTIN (AP) — In the last round, Democrats in the Texas House battled a congressional redistricting bill by fleeing to Oklahoma. They aren't divulging what they'll do when the House fight resumes today.

"Show up and find out," Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco, leader of the House Democratic Caucus, said before the July Fourth weekend arrived.

That's been the tone for the past week, since a special legislative session for congressional redistricting began.

The GOP is gunning for a grip on the 32-member Texas delegation in Congress. Democrats currently hold a 17-15 advantage, but Republicans — urged on by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Sugar Land — say existing congressional boundaries don't allow for the election of Congress members who reflect the state's increasingly GOP voting patterns.

"We just want lines that are more fair than they are now," said state Rep. Mike Krusee, an Austin area Republican on the House Redistricting Committee.

On Saturday, in a mostly party line vote, the panel approved a plan that supporters say could allow for the election of as many as 21 Republicans from Texas to Congress. The proposal now moves to the full House, where the GOP is in control, 88-62.

Calendars Chairwoman Beverly Woolley, a Houston Republican, said she expects a tense atmosphere in the full House.

"Judging by the committee hearings, I'm sure there will be lots of objections," Woolley said. "But I believe we've got a map that does represent the population of the state."

It was one of several maps that had been considered last week by the redistricting committee. Its author, Republican Rep. Kent Grusendorf of Arlington, said his plan is a fair one. He said it will allow for effective rural representation and improve on a previous Republican map by ensuring minority communities in Waco are not divided.

Most Democrats on the committee, though, cried foul. Rep. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo, said the proposal will eliminate rural and minority representation across Texas.

He has accused Republican lawmakers of trying to create "political ghettos" where minorities have no voice.

Any redistricting plan must get approval from the Department of Justice that it is fair to minorities under the federal Voting Rights Act. New congressional lines also would likely be challenged in court.

Raymond continuously has argued with Republicans on the redistricting committee and repeatedly suggested Chairman Joe Crabb, a Republican from Atascocita, has discriminated against Hispanics during the process.

Raymond questioned whether public hearings provided sufficient access for Spanish speakers. He criticized Crabb for asking a Hispanic Korean War veteran who was testifying to provide his Social Security number. Raymond said that was inappropriate.

After Saturday's committee meeting, Raymond said he might have the grounds for a "point of order" — a parliamentary move to stall debate on the bill — because he was not recognized by Crabb to continue discussion on the Grusendorf proposal.

In May during the regular legislative session, 51 Democratic legislators staged a walkout to prevent a quorum in the House, blocking a vote on the redistricting bill.

The lawmakers traveled to Ardmore, Okla., and stayed in a Holiday Inn for four days. They were beyond the state line so Texas troopers couldn't bring them back, as had been ordered by Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick. They stayed away until after the House deadline for passing bills.

A similar tactic isn't likely this time, said Rep. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, the only dissenting vote on the calendars committee Sunday.

"I don't have a problem with doing it, but I think that many of my colleagues have already put their careers at risk in the last walkout," Menendez said.

Democrats want to keep the existing congressional map drawn by a three-judge federal panel in 2001.

"The community of color is very well represented by the current members of Congress," said Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine.

But one black Democratic legislator, Ron Wilson of Houston, who is on the redistricting committee and a member of Craddick's leadership team, has been siding with the Republican effort. He has praised a GOP effort to create a new minority congressional seat.

Here's a basic question from a non-Texan:

Can the Dems filibuster this to death, or does the GOP have the means to force a vote?

There is no filibuster allowd in the TX House of Representative. To my knowledge no state House has a filibuster option. There is a filibuster allowed in the TX Senate but not on every issue. And in TX, the filibuster must be one senator at a time, he cannot yield the floor to someone else, and then come back for more speechmaking himself. The roadblock in TX is thed 2/3 rule to bring up an issue in the State Senate. But this can be suspended by the lieutenant governor. And now Dewhurst is reported on board for redistricting. Presumably he was angered by the House Democrat walkout in May.

This looks as if it will go through, but I'll be happier when it's a done deal.

The Dems don't look very good when they talk about "people of color" to cover up the fact that that means Hispanics, and blacks need not apply. I don't expect many blacks to be grateful to the Republicans for giving them another district, but at least it should increase tensions within the Democrat party. How long can the continue taking from their black constituents and giving them nothing back but a little excess gravy?

He has accused Republican lawmakers of trying to create "political ghettos" where minorities have no voice.

I know it's a real reach but the majority makes the rules.

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