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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: American Spirit who wrote (464094)	9/24/2003 8:27:39 PM
From: Hope Praytochange	Respond to of 769670

Texas Senate Approves New Congressional Map Redistricting Vote Comes After Months of Political Battle, Including Democratic Walkouts in the Senate and House The Associated Press Wednesday, September 24, 2003; 6:01 PM AUSTIN, Texas -- After four turbulent months, three special legislative sessions and two Democratic walkouts, both houses of the Republican-controlled Legislature have adopted redistricting plans that could give the GOP control of Texas' congressional delegation. Some obstacles to final passage remain, but the worst of the squabbling among lawmakers in the Lone Star State appears to be over in what has amounted to a crushing defeat for Democrats. "Today certainly nears the end of a very long but effective process," said Republican Sen. Todd Staples, who sponsored the redistricting map. "I look forward to continuing it to the end." The Senate gave final approval to its redistricting legislation Wednesday. The House adopted its own map last week. Negotiators from both houses still have to work out their differences before the new map becomes a reality. And the Democrats have vowed to sue. Nevertheless, the Senate's approval of the legislation removes a major hurdle in the GOP's effort to redraw Texas' congressional districts in their favor -- a high-stakes battle with national implications. The Democrats currently control Texas' congressional delegation, 17-15. They have branded the GOP effort a right-wing power grab engineered by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. "It's about power, the raw, naked grab for power," Democratic Sen. Eliot Shapleigh said. States are required to redraw their congressional districts after the census every 10 years, but a federal court drew Texas' map after state lawmakers failed to do so in 2001. Republicans say districts should be redrawn by the Texas Legislature, while Democrats say the current map should stay in place until after the 2010 census. They have fought the GOP push at every step, twice fleeing the state this year to thwart the passage of redistricting legislation. The Democrats say the Republican maps would trample minority representation in Congress, while the GOP says voting trends show that Texas should have more Republicans in Washington. In the House map, Republicans could pick up as many as six additional seats. Republicans say the Senate map could allow the GOP to gain three to five seats. The biggest remaining obstacle is a dispute between Senate and House Republicans over how to configure districts in rural West Texas. Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick wants a map that would create a base for a congressional seat in his oil- and gas-rich hometown of Midland. The Senate map, pushed by Republican Sen. Robert Duncan of Lubbock, would pair Midland with the larger city of Lubbock, keeping that agriculture-oriented city the base for a congressional seat. After their long redistricting fight with Democrats, it is unlikely that GOP legislators will let party infighting prevent passage of a bill. Republican Gov. Rick Perry is working to make sure that does not happen. "If we can help to work through any hurdles that are out there -- the West Texas issue was one of those -- then we're happy to do that," said Perry, who offered a West Texas compromise earlier this week. "I'm still very optimistic about getting this done in the not-too-distant future." The redistricting furor reached a fever pitch in May when 51 House Democrats fled to Ardmore, Okla. -- beyond the reach of the law in Texas -- to prevent action in the House. Then in July, 11 Senate Democrats slipped across the state line and holed up at hotel in Albuquerque, N.M., for six weeks, bringing the Senate to a standstill. When one of the Senate Democrats finally broke ranks, the Republicans got their quorum and began a third special session.