Ratliff to resign?

Byron points to this DMN story about Sen. Bill Ratliff, who in an interview was critical of the decision to remove the 2/3 rule from the second Senate special session. How firmly does Ratliff believe in Senate tradition? See here:

Mr. Ratliff, who had declined to comment on the redistricting fracas until Tuesday, also disclosed that in the summer of 2001 he was asked by Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land and current U.S. House majority leader, whether he, as acting lieutenant governor, would suspend the Senate's two-thirds rule so the GOP could push through a favorable congressional redistricting plan during a special session.

"I said, 'No,' I would not agree to that," he said, adding that the subject was not brought up again while he was the state's No. 2 officeholder.

And so DeLay's lapdog, Governor Goodhair, declined to call a special session in 2001, choosing instead to let the courts sort it out. You know the rest.

Further proof that this exercise is about nothing other than raw power: Ohio is considering re-redistricting, too, even though their legislature drew lines in 2001 and the GOP already has a substantial majority among its House delegation.

I'll be back to my usual level of blogging tomorrow, after I wade through my email. Byron and Gunther have been doing an excellent job keeping up with the story at Polstate in the meantime. Thanks, guys!

Posted by Charles Kuffner on August 20, 2003 to Killer D's | TrackBack