House, Senate Negotiators Bicker Over TX Redistricting as Deadline Looms

AUSTIN - Adopting new Texas congressional district lines without delaying next year's primary election seemed increasingly unlikely Saturday as a key House negotiator called the Senate's latest proposal impossible.

House and Senate negotiators are working around the clock to agree on a map that would increase the number of Republicans from Texas in Congress. Republican Gov. Rick Perry has called Monday the "drop dead date" to approve a map without affecting the state's March 2 primary.

But there is a constitutionally required 24-hour waiting period between when legislation is filed and when lawmakers can consider it, meaning an agreement must be reached earlier if there is to be a vote Monday.

"If a deal is not met by midnight tonight, it is almost inevitable that the primary election date will have to be moved," said Sen. Todd Staples, R-Palestine, bleary-eyed and weary from marathon map-making sessions.

Once an agreement is reached, it will take about eight hours to be prepared for filing, Staples said.

"If we haven't missed the deadline, we're pretty close to not meeting it," said Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, who has been the redistricting point person for the House.

King said the House negotiators made a "great offer" at 3 a.m. Saturday. The Senate countered with another offer later Saturday.

"I'm willing to keep negotiating, but this map couldn't get a majority in the House," King said.

King said the latest map would put two to four additional Republicans in the 32-member congressional delegation, which is now led by Democrats 17-15. The House's original map could have elected as many of six additional Republicans.

But, Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, disputed King's statement and noted that the conflict had been narrowed down to three West Texas counties.

"It is clear our House colleagues are suffering from sleep deprivation," Staples said.

Staples, Duncan and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst continued to meet Saturday evening. A spokesman for Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick said Craddick and House negotiators had left the Capitol and had no plans to meet again Saturday.

West Texas appears to be the primary sticking point in the redistricting effort, which already has been delayed by two Democratic quorum-busting boycotts.

Craddick, of Midland, wants the Permian Basin to anchor a congressional district to represent the oil and gas industry of the area. In the current map, Midland is represented by U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer of Lubbock.

But, Duncan wants to maintain his region's farm and agriculture representation in Congress.

The Democrats say the Republican maps would trample minority representation in Congress and have branded the effort a right-wing power grab engineered by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas.

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