Robert Duncan: TX Senate Still Has Shot to Pass Redistricting Map

Duncan: Senate still has shot to pass map By SEBASTIAN KITCHEN AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

As the Legislature's special session on redistricting enters its final eight days, state Sen. Robert Duncan said Monday he believes there is still time for the Senate to pass a plan.

Duncan, the Lubbock Republican who chairs the Senate Jurisprudence Committee, said that in his experience in the Texas Senate, "It is hard to declare anything legally dead until the session is over or time limits have run out.

"There's still plenty of time to get a bill out of committee and onto the floor and out of the Senate."

His comments to The Avalanche-Journal came on the same day that a Democratic senator assigned redistricting to the political scrap heap — at least for the current session.

"It's dead. It's dead, it's dead, it's dead," said Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, who opposes redrawing congressional lines.

Republican Gov. Rick Perry, meanwhile, sounded more firm in his comments that he will call another special session if lawmakers do not approve a congressional redistricting plan before this session ends July 29.

When asked when he would call another session if no map is approved, Perry said: "I would suspect it would be relatively soon. I think we've got work to do."

On Monday, Sen. Todd Staples, chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus, put forth two new maps for the Senate Jurisprudence Commit tee in addition to the proposal he presented last week that could give Texas Republicans as much as a 22-10 advantage in Congress.

Projections under the new maps appear similar, though Staples, R-Palestine, would not say how the Texas GOP would fare under the proposals.

Democrats and leaders throughout much of West Texas have roundly criticized Perry's decision to call a special session on redistricting.

Duncan said Staples's maps address many people's concerns. He said West Texas and many rural districts have minimal changes.

"In all plans, the 19th Congressional District is largely the same," Duncan said. "... There is nothing substantial to change the character of the district."

Public testimony before the jurisprudence committee ended Monday after 2,000 to 3,000 people testified, Duncan said. The majority opposed redistricting, he said.

Duncan set Wednesday as a target vote for a vote in the jurisprudence committee.

A Republican has joined with 11 Democrats in pledging to block Senate action on redistricting. Under Senate rules, the anti-redistricting forces have enough votes to stop a vote.

Two thirds of the Senate's 31 members must support bringing a measure to the floor for debate.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, a Republican who presides over the Senate, has said he would keep that rule in place this session.

However, if Perry calls a second special session, Dewhurst said he would do away with the two-thirds rule so only a majority of senators would have to support the bill for debate.

The 12 votes to block redistricting is an obstacle in this session, Duncan said.

"The is going to have to be some change of heart or change of mind before a vote on the Senate floor would occur," he said.

Duncan said the plans before the Senate "certainly are defensible under the Voting Rights Act." Still, any plan put forth likely will face a court challenge, he said.

Republicans, led by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Sugar Land, are leading the charge to redraw the congressional boundaries.

Democratic senators say they are weighing their options, including boycotting the Senate, if a special session is called and Dewhurst does away with the rule.

The last nine days won't yield anything, but the second special session could resolve it all in a week. I wonder if some of the border funding plans will be brought up in the first special session is there is no remap approved.

I don't know exactly what the "bullock precedent" is. Could it be this:

Dewhurst said he would do away with the two-thirds rule IN A SECOND SPECIAL SESSION so only a majority of senators would have to support the bill for debate.

Bullock was elected comptroller in (perhaps 1974) but certainly in 1978, 1982, 1986, then lieutenant governor in 1990 and 1994. So he was lt. governor when the 2/3 rule was waived in another redistricting disute about 1992.

Now if Democrats boycott a second special session, I don't know what can be done. Can the 2/3 members present rule also be scrapped?

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