Remap war heading for Senate floor: Panel OKs map Plan approved as GOP bickers over West Texas
This will be a vote along party lines. We know that. We're in the third quarter now, and the third quarter is that the Republican majority is going to win this one. The fourth quarter is going to be the courthouse.
- Sen. Royce West (D- Dallas)
Is anyone else as sick of this story-that-never-ends as I am?? Governor Goodhair's third special session is now underway, and the continuing fight over redistricting is about to head to the Texas Senate. Can y'all PLEASE come up with something resembling a resolution so y'all can get back to doing the business of the people of Texas? That is, after all, what you were elected to do, no??
AUSTIN -- A key committee Friday sent the full Senate a Republican congressional redistricting plan, setting the stage for debate next week in a chamber still seething over a Democratic boycott and retaliatory Republican sanctions.
The Senate Jurisprudence Committee approved the plan on a partisan 4-3 vote, with only Republicans voting for it. Democrats continued attacking the plan Friday, but the biggest obstacle to ultimate passage of a redistricting bill is Republican infighting.
Jurisprudence Committee Chairman Robert Duncan,R-Lubbock, indicated Friday that redistricting efforts may fail if House Speaker Tom Craddick sticks to his demands for a congressional district based in his hometown of Midland.
"He's got to decide whether he wants to have redistricting," Duncan said. "Are we going to have redistricting, or are we going to have Midland? Is this about Texas, or is this about Midland?"
The redistricting plan that the House has passed in each of the three special legislative sessions gives Midland a congressional district by combining the core portions of districts held by U.S. Reps. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, and Charles Stenholm,D-Abilene.
Neugebauer is a freshman lawmaker, while Stenholm has been in Congress since 1979 and is the ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.
"You'd lose one of the two," Duncan said.
"You're pitting a Republican freshman against a longtime, popular Democrat who is the ranking minority member on the Ag Committee, which is an important committee to the commerce of West Texas."
Abilene Mayor Grady Barr and Taylor County Republican Chairman Paul Washburn held a news conference on Thursday to oppose the House redistricting plan, according to the Abilene Reporter-News.
Earlier this week, Craddick accused Duncan of breaking a deal in May to go along with the House configuration for West Texas. Duncan said he never had a deal with Craddick.
Craddick spokesman Bob Richter on Friday said the House map is Craddick's beginning negotiating position. But he said Craddick did not want to start negotiations until the Senate passes its map. Richter noted the House and Senate maps are different statewide.
"There is always room for compromise. The maps are quite different, not just in West Texas," Richter said.
The problem here is that the redistricting issue has turned into a major league pissing contest. Too many people have their egos on the line. While there is talk of room for compromise, it seems that everyone is expecting compromise to come from someone else. At this rate, I expect the issue may be settled at about the time I'm ready for my retirement party.
Can we just get on with it already??
