14-05-2003 05:03									#1
	Texas Democrats run for the border! Inflate your Upload Space

Now this is interesting...

quote: Texas Democrats Walk Out of Vote in State Legislature VOA News 13 May 2003, 22:00 UTC They're nicknamed the "Killer D's," although their actions may suggest otherwise. More than 50 Democrats from the U.S. state of Texas have walked out of the state legislature in recent days to avoid a vote on a Republican-led plan to redraw congressional districts. They say the plan is unfair because it will increase the number of Republican-held seats in the U.S. Congress. Officials dispatched state troopers to arrest the Democrats in Texas. But they escaped to the border state of Oklahoma and are holed up in a motel in the city of Ardmore. The 150-member Texas House of Representatives has since been unable to vote on the measure because a two-thirds presence is needed to conduct a vote. Texas Governor Rick Perry, a Republican, called the Democrats "cowardly and childish." He said they were elected to do a job, and that "jeopardizing vital programs and hiding out in another state is inexcusable." But the Democrats say they will not vote on the redistricting plan because it is being pushed in a sneaky way by U.S. Congressman Tom DeLay, a Texas Republican. In 1979, 12 members of the Texas Senate used the same tactic to kill legislation they thought was written to benefit former Texas Governor John Connally and then-California Governor Ronald Reagan, both Republicans. The walk outs were called the "Killer B's."

	14-05-2003 05:04									#2
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You bet. Their ass is grass.
I go back out tonight to man the Red River with the other Rangers.

	14-05-2003 05:05									#3
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You send your troops to arrest abstaining politicians ?

	14-05-2003 05:06									#4
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Politics, Texas style!

	14-05-2003 05:07									#5
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Damn skippy we do.
You think they'r elected to go low-renting it in Ardmore, Oklahoma?

	14-05-2003 05:08									#6
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I didn't imagine they're elected to rubberstamp a political cheat from the incumbent party

	14-05-2003 05:09									#7
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Apparently, legislators wanted to do some really serious gerrymandering, something along the lines of some districts stretching over a hundred miles while being only two blocks wide at places. I'm looking for a source for that, so far I only heard it on the radio.

	14-05-2003 05:10									#8
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Spiffor: Texas is just wierd. Sloww knows.

	14-05-2003 05:12									#9
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Weird ? No.
Some of it has to do with the "Robin Hood Act".
Taking from better-financed schools, and giving to less-advantaged.
That's only part of it, though.

	14-05-2003 05:16									#10
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It is a legitiment tactic just like Newt's numerous filibusters back in the early 1990's.

	14-05-2003 05:17									#11
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quote: Originally posted by cyclotron7 Apparently, legislators wanted to do some really serious gerrymandering, something along the lines of some districts stretching over a hundred miles while being only two blocks wide at places. I'm looking for a source for that, so far I only heard it on the radio.

pretty much every party does this in every state

Jon Miller

	14-05-2003 05:17									#12
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I'd say that politicians fleeing the state to convey a political message not once, but twice in 25 years is wierd.

	14-05-2003 05:18									#13
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quote: Originally posted by cyclotron7 Apparently, legislators wanted to do some really serious gerrymandering, something along the lines of some districts stretching over a hundred miles while being only two blocks wide at places. I'm looking for a source for that, so far I only heard it on the radio.

The real problem was that the GOP was ramming through something that wasn't called for. Redistricting is done every 10 years, and the GOP decided to redraw things to their liking once they got into power, well short of the normal timeframe. Since their only reason for doing so is blatant partisan politics, I don't blame the Dems one bit for walking out.

	14-05-2003 05:19									#14
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Jon, I'm aware of that. Obviously, gerrymandering is something everybody does. This is just funny for the sheer scale of the gerrymandering and the reaction of the opponents.

I'm wondering whether fleeing the state like this is illegal. I mean, the legislators aren't chained to their desks and can go as they please, but what are the laws on just leaving for an extended period?

	14-05-2003 05:21									#15
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I think you over-simplify, Boris.

In the history of Texas, there have been very few Democratic governors.
No need to "strike while the iron is hot", so to speak.

	14-05-2003 05:21									#16
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Hmm, apparently warrants have been issued for their arrest. Can the legislature get quorum with 58 members in jail?

	14-05-2003 05:22									#17
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quote: Originally posted by cyclotron7 Apparently, legislators wanted to do some really serious gerrymandering, something along the lines of some districts stretching over a hundred miles while being only two blocks wide at places. I'm looking for a source for that, so far I only heard it on the radio.

Dems did this about 10 years about in Tennessee. the supreme court eventually knocked down the gerrymandered districts but the Dems still got two election victories before they were forced to play fair.

Personally, I think they should pass a law requiring all districts to be as close to a square shape as possible so as to prevent politicians gerry-mandering and cheating all the time.

	14-05-2003 05:24									#18
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This is hilarious to a lot of people outside of Texas.

	14-05-2003 05:26									#19
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So what exactly are they being charged with? Refusing to show up for work?

	14-05-2003 05:27									#20
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Outside? Hell. It's hilarious to people IN Texas.

	14-05-2003 05:29									#21
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quote: Originally posted by Oerdin So what exactly are they being charged with? Refusing to show up for work?

That's what I'm wondering. What's the warrant for?

	14-05-2003 05:29									#22
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I dare the Rangers to cross the border into Oklahoma. I double-dare them!

	14-05-2003 05:31									#23
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HA!
Like the Okies caould stand before Texans. Please.

	14-05-2003 05:33									#24
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Okies! Dem fightin' words! (Like I'd know, since I'm north of Nebraska!)

	14-05-2003 05:34									#25
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Oklahoma has a GOP gov, can't he extradite them south across the border?

	14-05-2003 05:36									#26
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That's not an Okie.

Seriously though, old Rick Perry the governor is hot.
I don't blame him really.
And not all Democrats left. Some realized they have obligations and stayed.

	14-05-2003 05:48									#27
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Haven't noticed if anyone else has said it:

1) It's actually against the law in Texas to hold up legislative sessions in such a manner. Read it somewhere in some non-editorial article recently.

2) The redistricting was supposed to happen in 2000 after the 10yr national census, but it got held up (don't recall why). In 2001 the court settled the issue, but now the GOP dominated legislature wants to resettle the issue. That's why the Dems are throwing a fit. They feel (rightfully so) that Texas shouldn't be redistricted 3yrs after the the traditional time, nor after a settlement was already in place. While I don't agree with the manner that the Dems are going about this, I do agree that the GOP needs to drop their plans to force redistricting so late after the last census.

Suck it up and wait until the 2010 census is completed.

	14-05-2003 05:51									#28
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A census taken isn't a census complete.

And no, that isn't just true in Texas.
New York and many, many other states had to re-work their figures.
We just waited for the completion.

	14-05-2003 06:21									#29
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I smell another Waco coming...

	14-05-2003 06:25									#30
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quote: Originally posted by Boris Godunov The real problem was that the GOP was ramming through something that wasn't called for. Redistricting is done every 10 years, and the GOP decided to redraw things to their liking once they got into power, well short of the normal timeframe. Since their only reason for doing so is blatant partisan politics, I don't blame the Dems one bit for walking out.

Oh, puh-leeze. I'm not casting aspersions on your claim, but on your implication that this is a new tactic by the GOP. Fact is, Boris, redistricting is ALWAYS a priority whenever a state has power switch from one party to the other, regardless of what the current law says.