Rebel Democrats want redistricting dropped
From the UPI National Desk
Published 5/13/2003 4:47 PM
ARDMORE, Okla., May 13 (UPI) -- Rebel Democrats refused Tuesday to return to the Texas House unless Republican leaders drop a congressional redistricting bill backed by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
About 51 Democratic state representatives are holed up at a Holiday Inn in Ardmore, Okla., just across the state line, where they are safe from state troopers dispatched by Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, a Republican. Their absences are preventing the quorum GOP leaders need to conduct business in the 150-member House.
The Democrats reported their absence to Craddick early Monday, the day the congressional redistricting bill was to come up for debate. At least two-thirds of the members are necessary to conduct business under the House rules. The state troopers dispatched by Craddick have no jurisdiction in Oklahoma.
The Democrats say DeLay is behind the recent move to push a new redistricting plan through the Republican-controlled Legislature to increase the number of GOP members in the Texas delegation. There are currently 17 Democrats and 15 Republicans. The GOP could pick up at least four more seats.
DeLay has said the current Texas redistricting plan doesn't represent the political sentiment of Texas, which last year elected the first Republican Legislature since Reconstruction. All the major statewide offices in Austin are now held by Republicans.
At a news conference Tuesday, Democrats said the walkout was the only option they had left to stop the redistricting bill. They pointed out that only two states, the other one being Colorado, have been asked to address redistricting this year.
"We have a message for Tom DeLay, 'Don't mess with Texas,'" said state Rep. Jim Dunnam, of Waco. "We did not choose the path that led us to Ardmore, Okla. Tom DeLay chose that path."
Full text:
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=...3-041556-4127r
