Texas calls third special session for redistricting

[DK666]

Here we go again.....


http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/09/09/texas.redistricting.ap/index.html

[pfitz59]

1. Bush* crime family continues................

the destruction of America! "When in the course of human events......" These fuckers!

[Brazosboomer]

2. Durn John Whitmire!!!

(For people from foreign states: John Whitmire is the so-called Democrat who defected, making it the Texas Ten.)

Heck, Whitmire is the modern-day Moses Rose (the coward who left the Alamo and an example of cowardice taught to every Texas schoolchild).

I sure hope Whitmire is toting a large suitcase filled with cash, because everybody sure thinks he is.

[elfwitch]

3. Embarrassing

People are making it very difficult to be able to tell anyone that you are from Texas.

First, the Chimp in Charge claims this as his home state when he wasn't even born here. That pretty much ruined it for all of us natural born Texans.

Then you add this whole redistricting thing in, now everyone is convinced that to be from Texas is to be a blathering fool or a complete ass.

I am going to have to start telling people I'm Canadian or something.
:grr:

[AndyTiedye]

8. It Was Great While It Lasted

but now we gotta chalk up another 7 safe seats for the evil empire.

It's hard to play cards with someone who has a printing press cranking out an unlimited supply of aces.

[ixion]

11. as someone who is currently 'trapped' in Texas

because of work, I couldn't agree more. Very embarrassing indeed.

[damnraddem]

4. How many House members would it take to leave the state?

The senators already paid their dues.

Won't a holdout for about one more month do the job?

[GOPisEvil]

6. Uh, the House members left FIRST...

Remember Ardmore?

The Republicans will just move the primaries to a later date if they don't get their way soon.

Federal court is about our last chance...

[library_max]

7. The Republican plan has already passed in the house

So it wouldn't do any good. Also, house Democrats did break quorum first, during the regular session.

[Dudley_DUright]

10. My understanding of Texas leg. rules (but I could be wrong)

is that all legislation not passed by both houses at the end of a session gets cleared off the decks and both houses have to pass it again in any subsequent session (including special sessions) which I would take to mean that the house could deny a quorum again and nothing would pass. Of course that does not mean that they will summon the courage to do so.

[library_max]

5. Interesting

I can't help noticing that CNN left out a crucial piece of the story.

In the first special session on redistricting, Democrats of both houses stayed and voted. The only reason the house Democrats bolted in the first place was because Gov. Perry and the Republican leadership was trying to sneak through redistricting "under the radar." Once Perry had put his fingerprints on it by calling a special session, they were willing to stay and vote.

But the Republicans lost the vote in the Senate. They didn't have enough of a majority (two thirds required) to bring up the proposal for a vote.

So Lt. Gov. Dewhurst unilaterally changed the Senate voting rules for the second special session, allowing a bare majority to call up a bill for debate and a vote.

It is critical to understanding the flight of the "Texas 11" that they left the state and broke quorum only after the Republican leadership changed the rules so they could win the vote. This is the "little detail" CNN left out of the story.

[Judi Lynn]

9. Never heard this before!

Thanks for the illumination.

Definitely is an important detail.