Five TX Democrat Senators Coming to Laredo for Redistricting Lawsuit

Laredo, TX, Morning Times ^ | 08-27-03 | Cortez, Tricia

[Theodore R.]

Five senators coming for redistricting lawsuit

BY TRICIA CORTEZ Times staff writer

Wednesday promises to be another hot one for Laredo - politically speaking, that is.

Five of the 11 Democratic state senators are scheduled to fly in from Albuquerque for the first hearing on the congressional redistricting lawsuit that involves Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.

Chief U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen will preside over all pending legal motions in federal court.

The five state senators scheduled to attend the Laredo hearing are Judith Zaffirini (Laredo), John Whitmire (Houston), Eliot Shapleigh (El Paso), Royce West (Dallas) and Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (McAllen). With the exception of Zaffirini, the other four are attorneys.

After the hearing, all five are expected to return to Albuquerque, which will remain their base of operations for the remainder of the redistricting battle.

It is unclear if Perry will call a third special session Wednesday while the five Democrats are in town.

If so, there would be a call on the Senate and law enforcement officials could arrest any missing senators and return them to the Capitol. Only one of the Texas 11 is needed to make quorum.

On Tuesday, Dewhurst said "there would be no attempt to arrest the Senate Democrats if they came back to Texas," according to the Quorum Report.

Zaffirini, however, said she and the others are planning their Laredo arrival carefully.

"Don't be disappointed if we don't get there because we are playing this one by ear," she chuckled from Albuquerque.

"The word that we have is Perry will call another special session after Labor Day - that is the information we have. If we get information to the contrary, we will not go to the hearing and will turn around and fly back, if we have to," she said.

Commenting on the federal hearing from Austin, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst said Tuesday the Democratic strategy was to try to "win something in Laredo in front of a friendly judge tomorrow," according to the Austin-based Quorum Report.

The lieutenant governor, who serves as presiding officer of the Texas Senate, further noted Republicans would mount an immediate appeal to the 5th Circuit or Supreme Court if the Democrats are successful in Laredo.

He also said he would not restore the two-thirds rule if Perry decides to call more special sessions on congressional redistricting.

The second 30-day special session ended Tuesday and marks the third failed attempt by the state's Republican leadership to pass a controversial GOP-designed map this legislative year.

To date, the state has spent $3.4 million on the two special sessions and court costs could run another $5 million, for a total of $8.4 million in state taxpayer money.

State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio), one of the Texas 11, said Tuesday the $8.4 million could have been better spent on 100,000 outdated textbooks or restoring health insurance funds for 16,800 school teachers.

Despite the Texas 11's repeated attempts to get President George W. Bush to call off the redistricting fight in Texas, "he has ignored everything," Zaffirini said.

She affirmed the Texas 11 remains "strong and totally committed to a winning strategy. We're confident that in the end we will prevail."

The federal lawsuit filed by the Democrats charges Perry and Dewhurst with "intentional discrimination aimed at a particular protected group of people - minority voters and their elected representatives," lead attorney Gerald Hebert stated previously.

The four counts allege that Perry and Dewhurst violated the U.S. Voting Rights Act, the U.S. Civil Rights Act and certain provisions of the U.S. Constitution by abandoning the Texas Senate's two-thirds rule and failing to obtain pre-clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice.

(Staff writer Tricia Cortez can be reached at 728-2568 or tricia@lmtonline.com.)

08/27/03

[mewzilla]

Book'em, Dan-o!!!

[TennesseeProfessor]

To date, the state has spent $3.4 million on the two special sessions and court costs could run another $5 million, for a total of $8.4 million in state taxpayer money caused by the cowardly democrats fleeing the state in a desparate attempt to cling to power

[theDentist]

Drag 'em in.

[Arrowhead1952]

Five senators coming for redistricting lawsuit

Get the TXDPS and arrest the five. Haul them to Travis County jail and book them. Call another special session and let's get this over with.

[Roughneck]

These socialist dems better watch their little-minded selves, they are also subject to lawsuits brought about by the people of Texas. These childish socialist dems are holding up our states business - a LAWSUIT will be forthcoming if they do not cease and desist their obstructionist tactics1

[mathluv]

On another thread, they have cancelled their trip.

[MEGoody]

These Democrats are criminals. They are thieves, because they take money from the state coffers for no work performed. They are guilty of dereliction of duty. They are guilty of accepting illegal contributions.

They should be jailed.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Teh Republicans are within the Texas Constitution to declare that the Chicken Dems are no longer legal residences of the districts that they represent and to fill their vacant seats.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Let's have a special session at the courthouse "green room"

[mathluv]

Where does it say this?

[Blood of Tyrants]

Do a google search on "Texas Constitution" and you can find it easily.

[Theodore R.]

I would think that DPS could not arrest them in Laredo, for a Democrat "human chain" would protect these five Democrats, who are "heroes" to most in South TX. People in south TX loathe Republicans. They see them as "rich and greedy" people trying to keep down "the little people."

[hopespringseternal]

On Tuesday, Dewhurst said "there would be no attempt to arrest the Senate Democrats if they came back to Texas," according to the Quorum Report. </i.

If these sorry clowns are allowed to set foot in Texas without having their sorry carcasses dragged back to the senate chamber, Dewhurst will have failed to perform the responsibilities of his office.

[deport]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/971249/posts?

ALBUQUERQUE — Claiming there's a plot to arrest them, the Senate Democrats abruptly cancelled their plans to return to Texas today for a court hearing in Laredo.

As many as seven of the 11 Democrats who killed congressional redistricting by fleeing the state had planned on attending a hearing today on their lawsuit in federal court.

But Democratic consultant Harold Cook said the group cancelled the trip after the Democrats obtained "credible evidence" that Gov. Rick Perry intended on calling another special session and "deputized officials" would try to detain the senators.


Cook did not say what the evidence was, but said a Republican senator advised his Democratic colleague not to return to Texas today.

"They haven't come this far just to get caught," Cook said.

The senators were expected to board a private jet about 5:30 a.m. this morning, but they cancelled the flight after a late-night meeting that ended shortly before midnight.

[staytrue]

These Democrats are criminals. They are thieves

Not only that, but they may lose their texas residency and may not be able to run for office.

[deport]

Not only that, but they may lose their texas residency

---

Where are you getting that?...... link, source, etc?

[shiva]

Damn it! Let's get this show on the road, Republicans. I'm fed up with this crap!

[mathluv]

Did, and do not see where you get this.

[Blood of Tyrants]

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/txconst/sections/cn000300-002300.html