Perry calls back lawmakers for fourth round at redistricting
Special session to start Monday
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, September 9, 2003
Gov. Rick Perry today called lawmakers to come back to Austin on Monday for a fourth try at drawing new congressional districts.
The topic died during this year's regular session when 51 House Democrats went to Oklahoma to prevent action.
The first two summer special sessions went down in flames due to Democratic senators' opposition to the Republican-controlled Legislature's plans to give the GOP a majority of the state's U.S. House seats for the first time.
Democrats now hold 17 of the 32 seats. Plans backed by Republicans could give the GOP as many as 21 seats.
Eleven Democratic senators fled to New Mexico in late July to prevent a quorum and block action. The impasse effectively ended last week when Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, abandoned his colleagues in Albuquerque and returned to Houston. He said he would return to the Senate floor when Perry called another special session, assuring the 21 members needed to conduct business. He said he would continue to fight redistricting.
The other 10 Democratic senators in Albuquerque now say they will return to Texas for a special session, though they also will continue to fight against redistricting.
"The Senate Democrats are coming home," they said in a statement issued today from Albuquerque. "Our return is an acknowledgment that the battlefield has changed."
In addition to congressional redistricting, Perry today ordered lawmakers to consider a list of eight topics, including several, such as government reorganization and some fiscal matters, that died along with the redistricting effort.
Added for the first time is consideration of the possible movement of the spring primary elections, a move that could be needed if Democrats succeed in stalling redistricting again.
Any new congressional boundaries drawn by lawmakers would have to be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice. There is uncertainty on the deadline for drawing new lines in time to gain the federal approval for use of the new districts in the March 2 primaries.
Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said Monday lawmakers should be able to agree on new district lines in two to three weeks. Optimism was not as high on the House side, where a spokesman for Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, said no progress has been made on the battle over a West Texas district.
Craddick wants it based in Midland. Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, wants it in his home town.
kherman@statesman.com; 445-1718