House passes redistricting map (TX)

[JayS]

House passes redistricting map
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
http://www.statesman.com/legislature/content/coxnet/texas/legislature/0703/0729house.html


After spending Tuesday morning trying to round up a quorum, the Texas House got down to business and passed a congressional redistricting map.

The chamber didn't have a quorum when it met this morning at 10 a.m. Only 96 of the 150 members showed up — four short of the number necessary to conduct business.

Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, ordered the doors locked and placed a call, or order to return, on those who are missing — mostly Democrats.

But shortly before 1 p.m., enough members had returned to allow business to resume. The House then voted to suspend its normal rules requiring separate committee meetings for new bills and passed, by a 75-26 vote, the same map it had approved earlier this month during the previous special session.

The suspension of the rules angered some Democrats .

*SNIP*

[lcordero]

1. Hold on a minute

I hope that the Democrats file criminal charges against Craddick. Detaining somebody against their will without a criminal charge is supposed to be illegal.

[NewJerseyDem]

6. No

I read that Tip O'Neil would do the same thing when he was Speaker of the Massachusets house. I assume that it is legal because it is also illegal to normally arrest people and force them to go somewhere but legislators can be forced to show up at work. Craddick didn't do anything illegal. There are special rules for the state legislatures.

[qandnotq]

11. it's got to be a fire code violation at the least

you can't just lock all the exits with people inside.

[LoneStarLiberal]

14. Parliamentary Procedure

I think what they mean by "barring the doors" is more a trick of parliamentary procedure than actually barring the doors, though the doors would be closed and locked by the Sergeant-At-Arms.

Barring the doors forces a legislative body into voting procedure if I remember correctly. It's a tactic that can be used to force a vote on a subject before its appointed time.

[Richardo]

2. Rules? GOP don't need no stinking rules...

All Texas Dems - write a <200 word email to our esteemed "Governor" protesting this travesty (his website does not accept messages of more than 200 words) ...I sent the one below to him yesterday:

http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact

Dear Governor Perry:

Regarding your call for a second special Legislative session to take up redistricting:

As a Texas taxpayer, faced with a severe reduction of services caused by your $10 billion budget shortfall, I cannot express forcefully enough my displeasure with this capricious, childish and obviously political waste of the state’s scarce financial resources.

What is it about you and your fellow Republicans that you cannot take "no" for an answer? Why must every political rebuke be met with hostility, pettiness, and constant attempts to unilaterally change the rules in your favor?

For a party of supposed "adults", most of the behavior I see from you and your colleagues in Austin and Washington compares unfavorably to most 4-year-olds I know.

Might I suggest that if you persist in this unproductive and frankly unAmerican behavior, that at least you, Lt. Gov Dewhurst and your puppetmaster Rep. DeLay pay for the expense out of your own pockets? At least then the rest of us – many of whom voted for the Representatives you seek to unseat (remember elections?) – will not have to bear the financial burden of this ongoing fiasco.

Sincerely,

Rich(ardo)

[DemoTex]

3. Why didn't the Texas house Dems join the senate Dems in New Mexico?

That would have been a much stronger message to Gov. Delay and his poodle, Little Ricky.

Also, does not locking them in the house chambers constitute a form of kidnapping if it is against their will? These Texas repukes are dangerous and desperate.

[ramapo]

4. How'd the Democrats vote?

I hope none voted for this measure but wouldn't be surprised if some did.

[short bus president]

5. but it's still a no-go without the TX Senate, right?

The TX Senate Dems in NM are able to stop this thing no matter what the House does, aren't they?

[JayS]

8. I think it can still go forward but it will be more difficult.

http://www.statesman.com/legislature/content/coxnet/texas/legislature/0703/0729redist.html

"Dewhurst announced weeks ago that he would not adhere to the 21-vote rule during the second special session. Though Democrats say it's a sacred Senate tradition, Dewhurst has referred to about 20 times it's been skirted, including during redistricting efforts controlled by Democrats"

[lastliberalintexas]

10. Correct

The Senate can not (legally) conduct business without a quorum. The operative word there I guess is legally! The House had already passed this same map in the first special session, so this House vote is nothing new. The Senate had been fighting over this for the past couple of weeks and could not reachan agreement on the map.

Then, repub Senator Ratliff announced that he would side with the Dems and vote against the measure. By doing so, Ratliff ensured that the bill would not be voted on, since longstanding Senate rules require 2/3 agreement to even consider a bill. At that point, Dewhurst threatened to change the Senate rules to only require a simple majority, so the Dems threatened a walkout.

The first special session was not supposed to end until today, but the Dems got word that Perry was going to *surprise* call the second one a day early so that they could lock the Dems in at the Senate. After hearing that, the Dems (all but one anyway) decided to beat Perry to the punch, and headed for the proverbial hills!

As long as the Dems can stay out of state, they can prevent a quorum and prevent ANY Senate action. The problem is, Perry can call as many special sessions as he wants, so they could be in for a looong stay in NM.

[leQ]

13. didn't perry say he was going to change the 2/3 rule for a majority rule?

how would that work then? don't they need 2/3 (supermajority) to overturn a supermajority requirement? it would seem pretty absurd to allow a simple majority overturn a supermajority rule.

[lastliberalintexas]

15. It was Dewhurst

Our Lt Gov is the Presiding Officer of our Senate and has the authority to change the rules of procedure for the Senate. What he threatened to change was the rule requiring a 2/3 vote to send a bill to the floor for a vote. We have enough votes to block that (11 Dems and 1 Repub), so the re-re-districting would never even get to a vote, much less pass.

They also need 2/3 to meet a quorum to conduct ANY Senate business. With the Senate Dems holed up NM, the Senate lacks a quorum and can't take any action on any legislation.

[aquart]

7. Who are the gutless Dems who returned?

And why were they stupid enough to do it?

[JayS]

9. None of the ones that went to NM have returned. This is all...

...happening on the House side.

[Noordam]

12. I would not call the Texas House Dem gutless

they went out of state the first time, now it is the senates time.

They are taking turns :)

[Onlooker]

16. Texas question

Must redistricting be done by a certain date? For how much longer do the Dems need to keep doing this in order to prevail?

[NewJerseyDem]

18. Probably required shortly before primary

Whenever the primary registration deadline is probably when redistricting would have to be done. I don't know when that is so I can't give you anything more specific, but it would depend on if the congressional primary is with the presidential one. So, I would assume that around then is when the redistricting plan would have to be done. That is just a guess since I'm not from texas but it makes sense.

Also, they could try to do the same thing for the 2006 elections and the 2008 elections and the 2010 elections so this could go on for a while if the republicans stay in power in the legislature.

[TankLV]

21. Wrong on all counts!

1) Redistricting was ALREADY voted on and a plan was enacted.

2) Redistricting can only occur after a census - every 10 years.

The repukes had their shot, used it, can't legally do it again. What they are attempting to do is nothing short of a coup - plus changing the rules everyone has had to follow when things don't go their way.

[TankLV]

22. Wrong on all counts!

1) Redistricting was ALREADY voted on and a plan was enacted.

2) Redistricting can only occur after a census - every 10 years.

The repukes had their shot, used it, can't legally do it again. What they are attempting to do is nothing short of a coup - plus changing the rules everyone has had to follow when things don't go their way.

[sonias]

17. This photo I just got says it all

This is an actual photo of a brave Texan telling it like it is in front of the Governor's mansion.

Sonia

[Elidor]

19. OMG - now there's a classic!

[AnnabelLee]

20. Oh, that is priceless!

Made my day.:-)