Posted on 07/30/2003 1:12:57 PM PDT by woofie
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
Eleven Texas senators say they are prepared to spend 30 days or more at the Albuquerque Pyramid Marriott, where they have been welcomed by Gov. Bill Richardson.
As part of that welcome, Richardson says he will have State Police protect the renegade Democrats.
They fled Austin on Monday hoping to block a Republican plan to redistrict the state's congressional seats. By leaving Texas, they are denying the GOP-dominated Senate a quorum.
But not everyone is happy with the Texans' visit.
Republican Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White wrote a letter to the governor Tuesday protesting the use of state money to protect the Texas Democrats.
"We are diverting our officers to provide a security force for something that is nothing more than a political party battle that doesn't concern New Mexicans," White said.
Richardson said, however, the state has a duty to protect high-profile guests. His office said only one officer has been assigned to the duty and no one is being paid overtime — yet.
He acknowledged that overtime might be needed if the senators make an extended stay.
White said in an interview that any time officers are on the job, taxpayer money is being spent.
"It's been a very violent summer and it's troubling that our precious resources are being used for a political purpose," he said.
In part, State Police are staying close to the lawmakers because of rumors that some Texans could hire private security officers to come looking for them. White suggested the Democrats hire a security force at their own expense for protection.
The senators, who have been holding news briefings for local and national reporters, say they want their Republican counterparts to include them and their constituents in the redistricting process before they will return.
They also accuse the opposition of changing procedural rules to benefit them for a special session called Monday by Gov. Rick Perry to deal with redistricting.
Republicans hope to control more of Texas' 32 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, where Democrats have a 17-15 majority.
At a news conference inside the hotel Tuesday, Richardson had a message for Texas Republicans, including U.S. House Majority Floor Leader Tom DeLay, who the fleeing lawmakers say is part of the remapping effort.
"I think he should back off," the governor said.
Poised in front of a Texas flag, Richardson said the Republicans should "put redistricting on the back burner and deal with issues affecting people, like health care and education."
Outside the hotel, Tom Childress, a Texan who moved to Albuquerque a few days ago, protested the senators who split.
"The people who elected these Democrats didn't expect them to run away. They expected them to do their job," he said.
The Texas battle could have ramifications in New Mexico.
"The probability of it (redistricting) happening here increases if they do it (in Texas)," said Senate President Pro Tem Richard Romero, an Albuquerque Democrat. "I think if Texas does it, people will look at it differently here."
New Mexico's redistricting following the 2000 Census was decided in the courts, and New Mexico Democrats unsuccessfully tried to revive the issue in this year's legislative session.
While it's the Republicans who are behind the effort to redraw Texas' districts, New Mexico House Speaker Ben Lujan and other Democratic leaders have said they would consider reopening the issue here if Texas Republicans prevail.
Richardson could put redistricting before New Mexico lawmakers at a special session this fall, but he said he's reluctant to do so.
"I am personally opposed to a redistricting session ... but I will leave the door slightly open because I am concerned about Republican efforts in Texas, in Colorado and in other parts of the country to disenfranchise voters," he said.
Journal staff writer Jeff Jones contributed to this report.
It's messed up in CA, but at least the people have a path available to fix things. In Texas, it looks like the Democrats can stall and by-pass the law to retain power (as the Dems did in Washington more than once). What can the people of Texas do as long as Texans are locked into Democrat-gerrymandered districts created back in 1990. The people will never be heard (just the Democrats in the 17 districts that Democrats now hold).
Good luck, Texans! Through the bums out, if you can. Maybe you guys can have a volunteer possee to seal off the border to KEEP those guys out of the state. What are they going to do then, protest that they won't be allowed back home after they illegally left to avoid doing their duty?
FReegards.. SFS
Isn't there some outfit called the Texas Rangers, or something? Or does their jurisdiction only go to the state line?
Surely to God, there must be some legality to bring them back, and charge them with malfeascence in office, or something!
Two words: Governor's Warrant.
Two requirements:
1-governor w/guts.
2-judge with guts.
Two possible outcomes:
1-NM honors Full faith
2-NM and TX fight, Fed steps in.
Ain't that the way it goes?
No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.
It seems to me that the Governor of New Mexico, endorsing the Democrat revolt in Texas by using New Mexico police to protect renegade Texas politicians, is entering into an agreement or compact with another state, especially since he also mentions Colorado and elsewhere.
-PJ
Reread my post -- I was saying that BUSH "is not a failure" regardless of whether or not he's "dumb." Are you saying that because of what's going on in New Mexico, Bush is a failure?
Not sure about that, but if I was governor of Texas, I sure as hell wouldn't let them back in. They can start a new life in New Mexico selling used cars. The state of Texas can seize their property. Oh I can think of all kinds of ways to screw those demoncrats over!
I don't think so. That has to do with war, not political nonsense like this. Also, it says "with another state," not "any body or agency of another state."
I think that probably there would have been some Constitutional safeguards against this sort of thing if the authors had imagined that someone would do something so durn devious. I mean, can you believe that the founding fathers wouldn't have loaded their muskets if they had witnessed something like this:
At a news conference inside the hotel Tuesday, Richardson had a message for Texas Republicans, including U.S. House Majority Floor Leader Tom DeLay, who the fleeing lawmakers say is part of the remapping effort."I think [DeLay] should back off," the governor said.
Poised in front of a Texas flag, Richardson [the freaking governor of another state] said the Republicans [of a state that he has no business in] should "put redistricting on the back burner and deal with issues affecting people, like health care and education."
From California to New Jersey to Florida to Texas to New Mexico, this is what the Democrats are all about: finding or inventing loopholes so they can do what they wamn dell please.
Many parts of the Constitution have run-on sentences that combine separate issues. The First Amendment is a combination of what was several proposed amendments. Just because parts of Article I Section 10 Clause 3 refer to war, I don't take the entire clause to be about war. What does it mean "enter into agreements or compacts...?" Let's create a "penumbra" of the Constitution of our very own.
Also, it says "with another state," not "any body or agency of another state."
What is "another state" if not its executive or legislature, since those are the elected representatives of the people of the state?
-PJ
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