Category Archives: Killer D’s

Governor Perry’s “compromise” map got a big raspberry from Senate Republicans. Full coverage is here, here, here, here and here. Here’s what they’re saying about it, taken from each of the new accounts: Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, questioned the value … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Things must be getting serious in GOP Land, because Governor Perry has finally deigned to a greater degree of involvement in the redistricting mess than just calling special sessions and declaring his hands to be clean. Today he proposed a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Texas Monthly, which named Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst one of its Ten Best Legislators of 2003 for his great birpartisan work during the regular session, is having second thoughts now. I’ll try tosay more about this later, so go check … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The more I read about the latest version of the Staples map that was passed out of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee yesterday, the more I think that it’s the Republicans’ best chance to get a map that increases their delegation … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Just an AP wire report with little detail right now, but a map was passed out of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee on a 4-3 vote along partisan lines. The map is apparently the Staples map with some tweaks, according to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

So much for the brief displays of civility that occurred on Tuesday. Sanctions were lifted against the Democratic Senators yesterday on the condition that the Dems not break quorum again between now and the next regular session in 2005, meaning … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’m starting to have a hard time figuring out all the implications and corollaries of the different redistricting plans. You’ll see why in a minute. The Chron paints a potentially bleak picture for the Democrats: [T]he Senate Jurisprudence Committee began … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Statesman blog Lasso makes a couple of points about redistricting stuff from yesterday that I hadn’t contemplated: – Nobody is even pretending any more that redistricting is something being done by the Legislature alone. Instead, the maps are being … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Two main themes in the news today: The Senate returned to its usual level of collegiality, as everyone played nice with each other and sentiment turned towards dropping the fines that were levied against the boycotting Democrats, and the dispute … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Both chambers of the Texas Lege were back in business (however briefly) yesterday, though on the Senate side it was strictly show business. I’m not going to spend too much time on that aspect of it in this report, but … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Byron has most of the coverage worth reading. Basically, the Senate convened, a quorum was announced, and a motion to adjourn was recognized and approved, all before the Texas Ten entered. The gallery, which was packed with Texas Ten supporters, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Although I expect Texans will be disappointed with the inability to accomplish this task, I believe Texans would be even more disappointed if we expend considerable sums of taxpayer money to call a special session that has no promise of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Feeling a bit lazy on this beautiful Saturday, so I’ll point to the news coverage and leave the rest to you. Key points: Dems will probably appeal, no word on whether the GOP will try to enforce sanctions, and of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

No surprise, really. A three-judge federal panel in West Texas today dismissed a lawsuit filed by senate Democrats hoping to derail a new round of redistricting in Texas. The Democrats argued that Senate rule changes by Republicans to further the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The three-judge panel heard arguments from both sides yesterday in the Democrats’ federal lawsuit which alleges that scrapping the traditional two-thirds rule in the redistricting battle harms minority representation. Judges Patrick Higginbotham of Dallas, Lee Rosenthal of Houston and George … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’m a little pressed for time this morning, so I’ll pass you on to Byron for the news accounts of the Demoratic Senators’ return. Instead, I’ll discuss a couple of other points, as sort of a preview for next week. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s official: the third special session in our neverending legislative season will begin Monday at noon. The Democratic holdouts will be there. Full coverage, though there’s not much different from what was in this morning’s papers is in the Chron, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The remaining members of the Texas 11 in Albuquerque announced late last night that they would return to Texas on Thursday for the hearing in front of the three-judge panel in Laredo. “We will say goodbye to the great people … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Just a brief overview from here: Sen. John Whitmire is now saying that he will definitely attend the next special session, whenever that may be, in order to fight redistricting on the floor of the Senate. This guarantees a quorum, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The remaining holdout Democrats are taking their case nationwide, with the support of MoveOn. The tour, financed by the Internet-based liberal activist group MoveOn.org, will complement the organization’s radio, TV and newspaper ads. MoveOn.org will spend about $1 million on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Back in Houston, Sen. John Whitmire has his say about Albuquerque and his still-boycotting colleagues. As the hotel walls grew more confining, the options of returning to Texas to deliberately get arrested or persuading 51 House members to take a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Sen. John Whitmire has announced that he will return to Houston tonight, thus abandoning the ongoing boycott of the Senate in an attempt to kill redistricting. Whitmire, who had not even unpacked his bags after returning today from Houston where … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Well, it looks like I was wrong about how much longer the Texas 11 will stay away, at least if Sen. John Whitmire gets his wish. Sen. John Whitmire said today he secretly spent the last five days in Houston, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Monday’s Chronicle had an article that paints a pretty bleak picture for the Texas 11. With almost all hope gone that state or federal courts will intervene on the Democrats’ behalf, the self-exiled senators now appear to have two basic … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’m not feeling very pundit-like (punditesque?) today, so I’ll go for the easy and cheap shot by pigpiling on the Chron’s hotshot new columnist Rick Casey, who comes to the amazing conclusion that maybe, just maybe, competitive districts for elected … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals has named the three-judge panel to hear arguments in the Texas 11 Democrats’ lawsuit which contends that dropping the 2/3 rule is a violation of the Voting Rights Act. The panel includes George … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Quorum Report points to a pretty fascinating editorial on Rick Perry, Kay Bailey Hutchison, and redistricting in the Park City Peoples Newspaper. This looks to me like a little suburban Dallas rag, and I daresay they’re more R than … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Good news and bad news for the Senate Democrats, I guess. A federal judge in Laredo has called their lawsuit against redistricting “all but totally frivolous” but agreed to let the three-judge panel review it anyway. U.S. District Judge George … Continue reading → Continue reading →

As of yesterday, several of the Texas 11 were planning to make a quick trip to Laredo to attend a hearing on their federal lawsuit today. There were concerns that such a trip carried risks. [Governor] Perry has said he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Justice Department has issued a ruling saying that the Senate did not need pre-clearance from them in order to do away with the 2/3 rule in a special session on redistricting. “Our analysis indicates that the practice in question … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Today is the last day of the second special session, the fourth such session ever to end without a bill being passed. It’s unclear as yet when the next session will be called, as Gov. Perry has made no announcement … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Just a quick look at the not-much-to-say-but-we’ve-gotta-write-something stories about the Texas 11. Next week, as this session ends and the federal courts make some rulings in the various suits and countersuits, there’ll be some real news. Anyway. The Senators miss … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Something I totally forgot to mention in yesterday’s post about the Texas 11 was a remark that Governor Perry made that was quoted in the Chron. Gov. Rick Perry has said he will call another special session if the Democrats … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I guess I don’t have any more excuses for avoiding Killer D/Texas 11 stuff now that I’m safely out of class and back in touch with the world. There really isn’t much to report – the Dems have amended their … Continue reading → Continue reading →