Sure, Texas had deal, but again too few lawmakers for vote

AUSTIN, Texas - With a big Texas football weekend under way, House Democrats took advantage of low legislative attendance and again broke a quorum in their battle to block congressional redistricting.

The lawmakers' disappearance Friday night meant the House, which already had approved a Republican redistricting bill, could not vote on a government reorganization bill some senators coveted. Senate Republicans had refused to vote on the redistricting measure until the House passed the unrelated bill.

When word of the Senate plan began to spread, most House Democrats bolted before a vote on the other bill was called, banking on enough Republicans leaving town for the Texas-Oklahoma football game to break quorum.

After attempts to round up the fleeing lawmakers failed, the House ultimately adjourned until this afternoon.

So Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Senate Republicans decided to wait to vote on the new congressional district boundaries that favor the GOP.

Both the House and Senate are to meet today in what could be the redistricting finale in the Legislature.

The weekend delay was another strange twist in six-month redistricting saga that included a quorum bust by 51 House Democrats who fled to Ardmore, Okla., in May and another by 11 senators who traveled to Albuquerque, N.M., over the summer.

"We never gave up and we never will," Rep. Garnet Coleman, one of the most vocal of the Democrats, said Saturday.

Democrats hold a 17-15 edge in the state's congressional delegation and want to keep existing district lines that were drawn by a court in 2001. Republicans, citing the state's increasingly conservative voting trends, say they should have the majority in the delegation.

The House-Senate redistricting compromise plan reached by Republicans with the help of U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay would likely give the GOP an additional six or seven seats.

Democrats say the plan will hurt minorities and rural Texans. They intend to mount a court challenge.

House Democrats walked out late Friday, even though they were present for the final House redistricting vote earlier in the day, because they decided they had better things to do, Coleman said.

Some of the legislators had weekend trips arranged. Others wanted to spend time with their families, he said.

It was well known that some House Republicans were heading to Dallas on Friday for the Texas-Oklahoma football game on Saturday and parties and fundraisers that coincide with it. So the Democrats left.

The Democrats' walkout came after lawmakers read aloud an e-mail from an aide to Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Barton that ridiculed Democrats and gloated over the Republicans' expected victory.

Barton's legislative counsel, Joby Fortson, sent the e-mail from his personal computer, Barton's office said Friday. It was forwarded to Democrats in Austin and in Washington and to members of the news media.

"As much as we despise her, she cannot be drawn out . . . the Queen lives!!!!" Fortson wrote about Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, whose Houston district remains Democratic.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 Contact the Times | Privacy Policy Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright