Dewhurst can change Senate's 2\3 rule, Justice Department says (Tex Fight)

[WillyT]

<snip>

As the Legislature ended its second special session on congressional redistricting today, all the players in the partisan standoff geared up to take their battle to a Laredo courtroom on Wednesday.

But within hours of the session's end, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a ruling that raised new questions about whether the courts will have any authority to settle the dispute.

The ruling found that the Senate did not need pre-clearance from the Justice Department to get rid of an internal rule that requires two-thirds of senators to sign off on any legislation.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst had waived that rule to clear the way for a new congressional map that would likely give Republicans a majority in the state's 32-member congressional delegation. The map is supported by a majority of state senators, but not two-thirds.

<snip>

Link: http://www.statesman.com/legislature/content/coxnet/texas/legislature/0803/0826redist_update.html

ASSHOLES!!!

:argh:

[Hobarticus]

1. WOW!!!

States' rights, right out the goddamn window!

Get your torches, time to take to the streets!!! This is HORSESHIT!

[kainah]

2. it makes sense that internal rules can be changed

without consent from any other group. I think it would be wrong, really, if that were not the case. However, they must change the rules using the CURRENT rules, which would still require the 2/3 majority.

[David__77]

5. Yours is the key point...

There is NO legal way for this to proceed unless there is a 2/3 quorum (or whatever the term is...)

[dfong63]

9. good thinking

[iam]

14. Perfect

Exactly right.

[ixion]

3. this is bogus

and a shining example of why the GOP sucks beyond anything that has every sucked before. :grr:

[WillyT]

4. What Did Davis Say ? --- Republicans Are Stealing Elections...

That They Can't Win Normally???

Keep this slogan afloat dear friends. It has to be driven into the psychies of the american voters, like a stake through a Vampire's heart!!!

:grr:

[screembloodymurder]

6. Repugnant

These people are enemies of democracy and the state. They must be stopped. In the polls or in the streets, it no longer matters.

[Bake]

7. The Justice Dept. "ruled"??? Excuse me?

I had no idea the DOJ had the authority to issue any kind of ruling, much less a ruling in an issue of Texas state law!

Disgusting.

The earlier poster must be right, I think. They MAY be able to change the rules, unless those rules are dictated by statute or the state constitution, but if they're gonna change them, they have to do it under the current rules.

Bake

[salin]

15. have to rely on those of you with formal legal training

to sort this out and make it clear. On the surface it seems very unsavory that it the DOJ would be involved in a state issue.

[neverforget]

8. US DoJ = fascist pigs

Bush Republicans hate democracy. If you can't win at the polls, change the rules! :argh:

[stickdog]

10. Whether it's 5-4, 1-0, recall to duly elected, Jeb Crow to Fraud Pros, or

2/3rds every 10 years to "fuck y'all voters, we're gonna slash & burn the system every chance we get," Republicans show their infinite respect for American oligarchy.

[Cronus Protagonist]

11. Changing the rules after the game has started?

Seems like it's time to call in James Baker again... WAIT! That only applies when Republicans are losing, right?


Fair & Balanced Buttons — The Cronus Connection

[last_texas_dem]

12. I hope we're not fighting a losing battle

It seems like the Re:puke:s have such a firm hold on all levels of gov't that they have the ability to push through whatever sort of messed-up re-redistricting plan they desire.

I thought "conservatives" were all about tradition and precedent, so why would Dewhurst be pushing to throw out a rule that has been adhered to by Texas state politicians for decades. Actually I know why, and I know most DUers do, too, but I just wonder if pointing out this hypocrisy to the :pukes:s falls on deaf ears. Do they really not see that breaking precedent could eventually come back to bite them if the Dems ever become the majority party in TX again and choose to implement the same tactics? Or is it because they're running scared that they even choose to engage in these tactics in the first place? Either way, further proof of the Re:puke:s living up to their "Grand Hypocrisy Party" nickname.

[booksenkatz]

16. The part of your post that scares me most

What if it will never come back to bite them in the ass if the Dems ever become the majority party in Tx again... because they know that the Dems will never become the majority party in Tx again?? These bastards are so confident in their slashing and burning, it's like they KNOW they will never have to worry about any of this stuff (both the state and the federal horseshit they're slinging) being used against them. What makes them so confident? Gee, can you say black box voting? Yeah, I knew ya could.
:tinfoilhat:

[WillyT]

17. Yep, That's What Keeps Me Awake At Night Too !!!

These guys are acting like they are not worried about their re-elction chances. Like they know something we don't.

:scared:

[sonias]

13. Dept of Injustice

is how Senator Royce West tagged them. This is Asscrack's DOJ after all, did we really expect a fair ruling from them? They went after affirmative action in Michigan remember. They were never going to rule against getting rid of anything they perceive as quotas. I think a whole lot of this redistricting fight has everything to do with section 5 of the voting rights act. That section is set to expire in 3 years and if the repukes get more control in congress, they will do away with it plain and simple. Texas is one of those stinky southern states that could not be trusted to play fair so they were stuck with section 5 and having each of their voting plans having to get pre-clearance from DOJ. They are sick and tired of having to play almost fair. They want their tyranny of the majority and they want it now.

Read more about section 5 and what it means to the south when we lose it from the Center for Voting Democracy
http://www.fairvote.org/vra/myths.htm

And the actual section here http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/sec_5/types.htm

I have more faith in the Federal court case in Laredo. Federal courts force DOJ and states to do a lot of things they may not like because they are the ones who interpret violation of voting rights act.

And if all else fails, any new maps these pukes pass will not stand up to voting rights act review. The longer this goes on, the more it costs and the uglier it gets this was all brought to us by the repuke party - the one that doesn't give a f**k about minorities. Wish the rest of America especially the minorities would wake up to that. the southern repuke party are the dixiecrats, same racist sentiment new party name.

Sonia

[Nottingham]

18. The Republicans are getting Desperate and ready to Make their Rules

But thats not a democracy! And if they could have done it all along then why did they wait so long!

No they are making rules just like a country with One Party
and that was the Communist and Nazi Party's claim to fame!

:bounce: Be Careful here REPUBLICANS

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

19. Aside from Austin...they can have their CRAPPY HOT STATE.

Texas, for the most part, sucks. The state is hot, dry, polluted (Houston, particularly), rabidly conservative (mostly), racist (can you say...recent car dragging of a black man), homophobic, and generally ignorant (hell, Bush lives there).

Now, I apologize to fellow DUers who remain in the state. If I had the funds, I would assist in your relocation to a state where fascist Repukes don't have a stranglehold on power.

JB

[BlueCollar]

20. looking to apply for political asylum

in New Mexico...