Texas- Redistricting battle gets uglier as lawsuits are filed

[Rose Siding]

AUSTIN -- Both Senate Republicans and Democrats filed lawsuits on Thursday concerning the Democrats' quorum break over the second special session on redistricting.

"We have filed a writ of mandamus today with the Texas Supreme Court asking them to enforce the Texas constitution and order that the absent Senators return to work. Obviously anytime anyone violates a court order they do it at their own peril," Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said in a press conference Thursday.

If the Texas Supreme Court sides with Republicans, Democrats could be fined or penalized should they choose to remain in New Mexico.

Meanwhile, an attorney for the 11 Democrats filed a lawsuit in a Travis County District Court, which claims they cannot be legally compelled to return to the Capitol.

http://news9sanantonio.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=3899

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[Walt Starr]

2. you are so wrong it's hard to tell where to begin

Redistricting already occurred two years ago in Texas. The Republicans want a do-over because they want additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. They are gerrymandering a solution to dilute minority votes.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[Walt Starr]

5. The Republicans blocked the Democratic plan

The courts determined the redistricting and the case was closed.

Now the Repugnant party wants a do-over, just like with California. The Republicans are all about winning at all costs and the Democrats in Texas are the first in the naiton to really stand up to the bullshit.

[GOPisEvil]

31. The Republicans blocked THEIR OWN PLAN!!!!!

Sen. Wentworth (R), chair of the redistricting committee in 2001, had a plan all ready to go. Sen. Sibley (R) tossed up roadblocks to it, so we had to go with the lines the court drew.

I can't believe someone with a front row seat missed THAT.

[tomp]

6. i thought you were front row center. nt

[sujan]

7. front row center facing backwards

[TankLV]

27. with his fingers in his ears loudly shouting "nananananananananana"

I believe he stumbled into here by mistake.

Maybe he would feel more comfortable and be able to spread his lies on a certain other site, hmmmmmmmmm?!

[tsipple]

17. What's to stop Democrats from doing the same thing?

This is exactly the point Texas Democrats are fighting. Democrats control the governorships of all sorts of states, and we can have lots of mid-decade redistricting all over the country. But is that democracy, to move district boundaries around every time one political party gets a little more power?

I think not. When there's a census, fight the redistricting fight. Then wait 10 years for the next fight.

[ibegurpard]

20. Wow...you are SO incredibly misinformed.

Do you know ANYTHING about redistricting? It is done after the census, which occurred in 2000. All states have ALREADY had an election with the new districts that were drawn post-census. You don't redraw districts willy-nilly everytime there's a change in party control. It is legally proscribed every ten years to coincide with the census in order to equalize population distribution.

[Impolitico]

21. Ivins

http://www.creators.com/opinion_show.cfm?next=2&ColumnsName=miv

This link should point you to Molly Ivins' article dated July 31. If it doesn't, navigate the archive until you find it. It boils down the whole saga into a brief (but highly entertaining, if appalling) itinerary.

Scary.

[sandlapper]

29. The last time the Texas Legislature actually drew district lines...

was in 1983 & only then because they were under a court order to do so. They didn't do it in 1991 & they didn't do it in 2001.

As a Texas resident, I don't demand much of my legislature, but is it too much to ask that they do the job that is required of them every 10 years?

[Rose Siding]

30. Where are you getting that information?

They not only did it once in 2001, but several times. The final was approved by the Federal court on Nov 28 2001- Plan 011885. They used the Senate plan and modified the one submitted by the House.

http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/research/redist/actions.htm

[Avalon Sparks]

4. I'm surprised that you didn't mention...

That during public forums the Texas Government held on redistricting, the public feedback was more that 80% AGAINST redistricting.

The majority of letters to the editor I've read in the Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Austin Statesman, and San Antonio Express News have also been against redistricting and the special sessions.I read all the letters in each of these papers EVERY day.

I'm proud of the Texas Killer D's - damn proud of them for not letting the GOPer's in the Texas government run all over them.

It's the only thing I've been proud about my home state for in a long, long time.

[alarimer]

19. goog for them

I am glad the Democrats are standing fast on this one. The redistricting plan was ludicrous. Austin was divided into 4 districts (in order to dilute the Deomcratic vote). One of those districts ran from Austin to the border, a distance of over 200 miles. In some places it was only 2 BLOCKS WIDE! It occurred to me though, that this plan could be stopped in the courts (maybe) if it were allowed to go into effect and someone sued because it underrepresented minorities. We have a new word for this (courtesy of Molly Ivins)- Perrymandering.

[tomp]

8. anything that is legal should be done...

...to oppose the fascists, especially the texas fascists.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

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[sujan]

12. 'I have not heard of politicians 'fleeing' the state before'

what about GOP fleeing 1993?

"I guess I'm freeper becuase we're not allowed to criticize our own party, just yell and scream and complain about the enemy."

Maybe but one thing is for sure, you are horribly misinformed about your own state whilst being in the 'front row center'.

[Rose Siding]

14. Two jets belonging to supporters were used

Odd how concerned you were just then over fuel conservation when in your first post, SUV's are all about everyone being free to chose :eyes:

You're aware, I guess that the Senate rules were changed to get DeLay's map to the floor if the Dems cave? Have you seen the map? Have you seen how convoluted the map is?

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

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[dansolo]

28. If it quacks like a freeper...

The Governor was planning on arresting them, and New Mexico was too far away for buses. A private jet was the only option. Otherwise they would have been intercepted. It also allowed them to disguise their intentions and leave at a moments notice, which was a good thing because they had very little warning about the start of the special session (I believe only a half an hour) For a person who is allegedly right there, you are amazingly ill-informed about the facts.

[damnraddem]

10. As I understand it, redistricting was already done after the 2000 Census.

The Repugs want to do a gratuitous second job, now that they have a majority. Preventing a quorum is a tactic that can be, and is, used in politics. It has its dangers, but it IS a way for a minority to protest how a majority is running roughshod over it's rights. MORE POWER TO THE DEM LEGISLATORS SITTING IN NEW MEXICO!

[Fleshdancer]

13. I'm in Austin

and it doesn't get more "front row" than that. Redistricting has already occured two years ago in this state. This is nothing more than a cheap power grab and my Representative stood up for me and now the Senators are doing the same.

Heaven forbid I should want the people who are elected to represent my interests do so while living in my city and not 450 miles south from Austin! This didn't pass in the regular session (and remember, not one politician left for that) it didn't pass in the first special session (which cost you and me over 1 million dollars) and it won't work in the second special session (and yes, we're forking for this one too). It is done. The districts are already carved out, enough is enough.

[Noxmtbnk]

18. Republicans have done it too..

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2033617

" AUSTIN -- Gov. Rick Perry today defended a 1993 Republican quorum bust to block a judicial redistricting resolution, but continued to criticize 11 runaway Democrats still holed up in a New Mexico hotel in an effort to stop a congressional redistricting measure.

"They need to find a better argument than that," Perry said, referring to the 10-year-old quorum bust in which 11 Republicans -- then the minority in Texas politics -- countered a racially tinged judicial redistricting resolution by going into a closed-door session at the same time the Senate was set to convene and vote on the measure. "

The only difference is in 1993 the Lt. Gov. respected the will of the republicans, multiple special sessions weren't called in an attempt to push the matter through. I've heard we're spending $1 billion on these special sessions, it's ridiculous.

[newyawker99]

32. Hi Noxmtbnk!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Cheswick2.0]

22. 3) we? LOL

I don't believe there are that many conservatives in TX, just the usual garden variety freaking rightwing liars and the idiots who vote for them.

The state had redistricting two years ago, get your google going and admit you are wrong.

We didn't get upset because Gore won the electoral vote and bush took office. We are pissed because Gore won the popular and the electoral votes, and bush took office. ......anything else you need to know?

[yankeedem]

26. Remember Bob Uecker saying

"I must be in the front row"? Don't know why it came to mind, just sharing.

http://www.adweek.com/aw/creative/top20_20years/top20_14.jsp

[damnraddem]

9. The Dems might be fined or penalized, but ...

if they remain in NM, the GOP won't get their redistricting.

[David__77]

16. let them fine them--it'll backfire!

The establishment will never allow one of the two parties to be hounded out of existence. Won't happen, on either side. All they will do is produce Democratic martyrs.

[searchingforlight]

23. If they are fined I will contribute to help them pay. I will support

anyone who stands up to the ploys of DeLay.

[sduncang]

24. Texas Redistricting

I'm a Texan and follow our local politics closely. Our last redistricting was in 2000. As I recall a three member panel of judges approved the current plan, which actually favored Republicans. So, we already had our once-every-ten-years redistricting and already had elections based on those districts. Then, here comes Tom Delay, of all people, and we've got our current mess - which eventually will end up in court.

The Democrats in New Mexico (and formally those in Oklahoma) are employing a very common and legal legislative tactic. And, Republicans have been upstaged and out-manuevered. The local media are beginning (finally) to pick on this and the general trend in the media is that the Republicans need to give up the ghost.

I suspect this is another Karl Rove-Dick Cheney behind the scenes plot.

[Rose Siding]

25. Glad to hear about your local media trend

This has been an inspiring story to follow.

Welcome to DU, sduncang :hi: