Texas Redistricting
By Monty Rainey (05/14/03)
Seldom does an issue generate so much misinformation as the recent Texas democratic walkout in the State House over proposed redistricting. To get a good look at what this is all about, we have to go back to the well known gerrymandering of the districts by the democrats in 1991. Founding father, Elbridge Gerry, inspiration for the term “gerrymandering”, would have been proud of the gerrymandering job the democrats managed to pull off in 1991.
Looking at the current demographics of Texas voters, we clearly see the Republican Party represented by nearly 60% of registered Texas voters. In the Texas House, we find 88 of 150 representatives to be Republicans, just under 60%. In the Texas Senate, we find 19 of 31 senators to be Republicans. Again, this amounts to slightly under 60%. Checking voter registration, once more we find the Republican Party represented by slightly less than 60%. So why is it, the voters of the state of Texas are represented in Washington by only 46% Republican representation? Enter the 1991 democratic redistricting.
Let’s examine how this is accomplished. For the sake of simplification, let us say we have a block of 100,000 voters to be divided into 10 voting districts. The voters are 60,000 (60%) Republican and 40,000 (40%) Democrat.
Each district will contain 10,000 voters.
District 1 is given 5,500 democrats, 4,500 republicans. Democrat controlled
District 2 is given 5,500 democrats, 4,500 republicans. Democrat controlled
District 3 is given 5,500 democrats, 4,500 republicans. Democrat controlled
District 4 is given 5,500 democrats, 4,500 republicans. Democrat controlled
District 5 is given 5,500 democrats, 4,500 republicans. Democrat controlled
District 6 is given 5,500 democrats, 4,500 republicans. Democrat controlled
District 7 is given 2,000 democrats, 8,000 republicans. Republican controlled
District 8 is given 2,000 democrats, 8,000 republicans. Republican controlled
District 9 is given 1,500 democrats, 8,500 republicans. Republican controlled
District 10 has 1,500 democrats, 8,500 republicans. Republican controlled
Total equals 40,000 democrats and 60,000 republicans. Clearly, there is a republican majority, yet by the gerrymandering of the districts, we see democratic control of the 10 districts by a margin of 6-4. This is precisely what was done in the 1991 gerrymandering of districts by the democrats.
If I may digress, there has been claims that redistricting was done is 2001. This is only partially true. Not all redistricting was completed during the 2001 legislative session. Anytime that occurs, the remaining redistricting is turned over to the courts and is then resubmitted to the next legislative session. No, the republicans are not trying to do something illegal here. They are simply finishing up old business that is left over from the 2001 legislative session.
So what are the consequences to be for the democratic walk out? Well, as is usually the case when democrats are involved, the taxpayers are going to take it in the shorts. State troopers were called out to search for the hiding democrats. I wonder how many man hours that added up to on a state wide level. Then of course there is a little matter of per diem pay the taxpayers are saddled with. Millions of dollars have been spent to date to get bills on the House floor to be voted on. All of that money was wasted the moment the democrats walked out. Our own Hays County Republican Executive Committee has spent numerous hours working on various election reform bills such as HB 2094, relating to voter assistance, HB 2085, relating to bilingual clerks at polling places, and HB 2149 relating to criminal conduct relating to elections. All of this work was for naught when the democrats walked out.
Then of course, there will be the future costs of a special session of the state legislature. This alone will amount to millions of taxpayer dollars. All of this comes at a time when the state is in the midst of a financial crisis. Here in Hays County, our own little Patty Rose is taking place in the walkout. (Is he even old enough to cross a state line without parental supervision?) I hope the voters of Texas and Hays County will remember this in the next election.
Oh and there is one more thing to add to all this. The democrats are meeting illegally. They are conducting business without being under the guise of the open records act. I, for one, would fully support criminal charges to be brought up for each of our esteemed representatives who have participated in this illegal walkout.
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