Texas House preliminarily adopts new redistricting map
Texas Democrats are about to see their last bastion against the Republican hordes- the state's Congressional delegation- go the way of the buffalo. The Texas House of Representatives have approved a redestricting bill that will likely turn a 17-15 Democratic majority into a 21-11 GOP majority after the 2004 elections.
AUSTIN -- Democrats vainly battled against inevitable defeat as the Texas House approved a Republican redistricting plan early today that likely would eliminate six incumbent Democratic congressmen in next year's elections.
"We are all tired, and some of us have been beaten up and bruised in this process," Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio, told the House as debate began on the measure Monday afternoon.
Democrats argued that the public had no meaningful input into drawing the maps and that the proposed congressional districts would harm rural representation and dilute minority voting rights.
But with Republicans holding a substantial House majority, passage of the partisan measure appeared likely from the moment the mostly somber debate started. Republican lawmakers rarely bothered to counter Democratic arguments, and the House officially approved the bill at 12:03 a.m. today on an 83-62 vote.
Five Republicans voted against the measure and two Democrats, Reps. Ron Wilson of Houston and Vilma Luna of Corpus Christi, voted for it.
"It's a fair map. It's been an open process," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford. "Race had nothing to do with the drawing of the district lines. Our purpose was purely political."
Indeed, the purpose behind this redistricting plan seems to be nothing BUT political. "Payback" seems to be the Republican philosophy of the day. The best interests of the people of the state of Texas would seem to have been barely an afterthought, if indeed it was ever considered. The new redistricting plan is a great thing if you happen to be a white Republican. If you happen to be a member of a minority group (that means you, Hispanics), however, it looks as if you're going to be back to hoping The Man looks out for your best interests. Yeah, right....
