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Finally, Some Reporting

There's a lot of confusion over the walkout by Texas Dems from the legislature, and most of it centers on the mistaken notion that the legislature has already carried out redistricting, and that it's somehow not fair to return to the issue.

In reality, the legislature has never voted on a redistricting plan following the 2000 census, and the redistricting that took place was decided by federal judges. As I've said repeatedly, I prefer that we follow the constitutional design of our great state -- and that constitutional design places the responsibility for redistricting with the representative branch (making allowance for other options only if the legislature abdicates its responsibility).

Amid all of its cheerleading for the Dem walkout, the Comical finally got around to reporting these facts:

Texas Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, criticized the Democrats, saying Republicans could have halted the House with quorum-busting walkouts in 1991 and 2001 redistricting but didn't.

Craddick said the Republicans want to vote on a congressional redistricting plan because they did not get a chance in 2001.

The House in 2001 had a Democratic majority and was led by then-Speaker Pete Laney, who is among the Democrats now in Ardmore. Laney never brought congressional redistricting to the House floor for a vote.

When the Legislature failed to redraw congressional boundaries, a three-judge federal court stepped in and drew the current districts.

Raymond said there is no reason to draw new congressional maps now because the court-ordered map has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court as acceptable under the federal Voting Rights Act.

DeLay made it clear Tuesday that he would not relent. He said Texas needs a redistricting plan authored by the Texas Legislature, not the three-judge panel.

Agreed.

You want to know the one thing I worry about (and have been for months)? That the Texas GOP will somehow overreach on this thing, and wind up screwing themselves much like Georgia Democrats did.

Even so, the power of redistricting resides with the legislature in Texas. That's the constitutional design. And I would prefer they make the decision instead of unaccountable federal judges. That shouldn't be regarded as an outrageous preference.

(Update) House Speaker Tom Craddick takes the Comical to task.

(05-15-03) I'm not usually a Cal Thomas fan, but he seems to have a good grasp of what's going on.

The guys at RealClearPolitics get it right also.

[Posted at 23:01 CST on 05/14/03] [Link]

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