Senate OKs redistrict plan as GOP feuds
Yes, kids, we could be looking at a FOURTH special session. Why? Because Governor Goodhair has pledged a Republican-friendly redistricting plan to the Dark Load, Tom DeLay. Now even Republicans are bickering.
AUSTIN -- As the Senate tentatively approved a Republican congressional redistricting plan after almost eight hours of debate Tuesday, Gov. Rick Perry raised the specter of a fourth special session if the bill fails because of GOP infighting over West Texas.
The legislation passed on a mostly partisan 18-13 vote. The only Republican to vote against the map was Sen. Teel Bivins, of Amarillo, who favors creation of a new congressional district around Midland. The Senate map does not create such a district.
Democratic senators entered the debate admitting Republicans have the votes to pass legislation redrawing the state's congressional district boundaries. They spent the debate building a future federal court challenge to the legislation, accusing the Republicans of a partisan power grab that will harm rural and minority voters.
"The Republicans want to cancel our vote just because they didn't like who was elected," said Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, noting five congressional districts vote Republican in statewide elections but choose Democrats for the U.S. House.
"Changing the maps by merging rural Texas counties and districts dominated by straight-ticket Republican suburban voters literally steals the votes of the independent and minority voters who chose those five congressmen," Lucio said.
But Sen. Todd Staples, R-Palestine, sponsor of the Republican plan, said his proposal preserves existing minority districts that are protected under the federal Voting Rights Act.
Staples said there are no proposed changes in seven predominantly Hispanic districts and one black district that already have been upheld as legal by the U.S. Supreme Court. He said it made minor changes in the predominantly black district of U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, and two minority-influenced districts held by Democratic U.S. Reps. Martin Frost of Dallas and Chris Bell of Houston.
The map would erase the Democrats' 17-15 majority in the state's congressional delegation. Republicans claim they should have the majority because the GOP holds every statewide office and a majority of the Legislature.
"I present this map to you today as a fair and balanced map," Staples said.
Staples' map would all but guarantee the Republicans three additional seats after next year's elections and would enhance the ability of GOP candidates to capture three others. A map approved last week by the state House would give the Republicans a 21-11 majority after next year's elections.
With all of the white noise surrounding redistricting, I can't help but wonder if the Legislature is managing to get any actual work done? Surely, this is going to come back to bite Republicans during the next election cycle. Or will it? Voters in this state have become such knee-jerk Republicans that Rick Perry could probably run naked through the Capitol rotunda in Austin without jeopardizing his poll numbers. Not that I'd like to see that any time soon....
