Republicans yank parking from missing Democrats

Austin American-Statesman ^ | August 15, 2003 | Laylan Copelin

[Dog Gone]

Senate votes on new penalties in addition to monetary fines

A majority of the Senate's Republican members voted today to take away privileges, such as Capitol parking and meeting space, from their boycotting Democratic colleagues if the 11 Democrats in New Mexico don't return and pay fines assessed against them for leaving the state.

Senate Republicans approved the fines earlier this week, and the boycotting Democrats immediately said they will never pay them.

If the Democrats continue their boycott to Aug. 26, the end of the second special session, each would owe $57,000. Senate Republicans said the fines must be paid from personal funds. The additional penalties will begin at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday if the fines aren't paid by then.

"We don't want to penalize our colleagues," said Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound. "We want them to come back."

Along with cutting off Capitol parking and meeting space, the Senate Republicans said if the fines are not paid, the absent Democrats' staff would lose parking and access to the Senate floor. The Republicans also voted to eliminate all purchasing, travel, subscriptions, printing and cell phones for the absent Democrats and to limit their postage for constituent communication to $200 a month.

Not all of the penalties were unanimously agreed upon. Sens. Ken Armbrister, D-Victoria, and Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth, voted against barring the staff from parking on Capitol grounds, saying that would affect constituent services. Armbrister also voted against the overall set of penalties. He's the only Senate Democrat who did not leave the state.

Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, urged that the staff parking be eliminated because he was concerned that the absent senators would take over that parking when they return.

Sen. Bill Ratliff, R-Mount Pleasant, did not attend the session.

After the senators agreed to assess the additional penalties, several gave speeches about why they did it.

Wentworth said the issue is no longer about redistricting, but about whether the Senate majority can govern.

He said he worried that in the future, 11 senators could stop important business just by fleeing the state. He said the demands from the 11 Senate Democrats in New Mexico are unacceptable.

The Democrats left the state July 28 to block the Senate from considering a plan to redraw boundaries for Texas' 32 congressional districts. It takes 21 of the 31 members to conduct business in the Senate.

Democrats hold a 17-15 majority in the Texas congressional delegation, and Republicans want to overcome that. They say current districts were based on maps drawn to benefit Democrats. About six of the current districts have a majority of Republican voters but re-elected long-time incumbent Democrats in the 2002 elections.

Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott has said the current boundaries are legal and can stay until after the 2010 Census.

[solo gringo]

How about yanking thier senate seat then you will be makeing a statement IMHO.

[Frank_Discussion]

"We don't want to penalize our colleagues," said Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound. I do.

[sarasota]

Fines will be paid from the contributions funds to Dems. They probably have the assurances from their $ supporters, so the GOP Texans need to hit them somewhere else. Other suggestions?

[RockChucker]

....and the ball busting continues.

[Question_Assumptions]

If they keep them out of Texas through the next election, could they challenge their residency and qualifications to run for their seats?

[noexcuses]

Other suggestions?

Change the locks.

[Mamzelle]

re: residency requirements for Chicken D's--

Huh--I think you might have something, there!

[Servant of the Nine]

How about yanking thier senate seat then you will be makeing a statement IMHO.

That takes the same kind of supermajority as the redistricting, so it is moot.

I wish Republican in the US Senate had cojones this big. If they did they would hold a real filibuster and push some judicial nominations through.

So9

[lowbridge]

bump

[sarasota]

Perfect!

[Dog Gone]

Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott has said the current boundaries are legal and can stay until after the 2010 Census.

Selective, but not surprising, reporting by the newspaper. Abbott said in the same legal opinion that the legislature has every right to do redistricting now.

[cake_crumb]

LOL...they'll refuse to pay and may walk out (again) in protest (again) THEN they will hopefully lose their seats.

[jsbankston]

Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott has said the current boundaries are legal and can stay until after the 2010 Census.

Looks like the Texas AG is not supporting his own party on this one.

[HitmanLV]

I was talking online to a leftist acquaintence of mine who lives in TX. He was ranting about how unfair the whole situation was. I responded that the Republican designed redistricting is perfectly fair, and indeed, anything else would be unfair.

This was too much for him, so I let him release some steam.

I then quietly and calmly asked him if the majority party drew the redistricting in decades past? He had to agree 'yes.'

Then given that track record, it would be 'fair' to let the current majority party redraw the lines now. Anything less would give the majority parties of the past a benefit that you are not extending on the current majority party.

That is to say, even unfair districting is fair if it is uniformly applied.

He didn't see this one coming and still has a headache.

[Dog Gone]

Looks like the Texas AG is not supporting his own party on this one.

That's what the Austin paper wants you to believe. Nothing could be further from the truth.

[Roughneck]

Fines will be paid from the contributions funds to Dems. They probably have the assurances from their $ supporters, so the GOP Texans need to hit them somewhere else. Other suggestions?



We do not "need to hit them somewhere else" LET their supporters pay the fines! who gives a kr_P if democRATS loose their money supporting other democRATS! as long as the fines get paid and the people of TEXAS are REIMBURSED.

I hate democrats. Cant wait til they are all voted out.

[isthisnickcool]

If we are lucky maybe the Democrats can stay away for a few regular sessions. Texas would be better off. Same thing for the US Congress. It would be nice if all the Dems. just left. Hit the road. Does anyone REALLY think anything would change much if they were gone and didn't pass any new laws for a decade or so?

[Sacajaweau]

Residency...I agree there may be something there. There may also be an "absent" clause perhaps likened to "resignation or death".

[Ayn Rand wannabe]

Not all of the penalties were unanimously agreed upon. Sens. Ken Armbrister, D-Victoria, and Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth, voted against barring the staff from parking on Capitol grounds, saying that would affect constituent services. Armbrister also voted against the overall set of penalties. He's the only Senate Democrat who did not leave the state.

Well, at least one of them is man enough to stay and face the heat...