Voting Rights

WomenMatter will continuously post updates on all this and other issues as we monitor the continuing philosophical and practical debates nationwide. Please check back often for updates. Past updates are available for reference on the Voting Rights Archives page.

Don’t Mess With Texas State Senators: The Standoff over Redistricting

The “Don’t Mess with Texas" slogan should be changed to “Don’t Mess with Texas State Senators." All 31 Texas senators are sticking to their guns on the important issue of redistricting.

Republicans say

Texas Republicans want to redraw the state’s congressional districts. They believe that state voting trends reveal a large Republican majority that is not reflected in the state’s Congress. Currently, the Texas House of Representatives has a Democratic majority of 17 to 15. The State Senate has a Republican majority of 19 to 12.

Since Republican voters are the state’s visible majority, Republicans feel that they should dominate both houses. The redistricting efforts are an attempt to make that happen.

The Republican redistricting proposals divide Democratic districts into pieces, redistributing Democratic voters to Republican districts. Essentially, they create new Republican districts by annihilating Democratic ones. Texas Republicans do not deny their strategy, but unlike Democrats, they believe that it is fair. Redistricting allows more Republicans to be represented in the State Congress, so, in a sense, Texas Republicans are simply protecting their constituency.

Democrats say

Of course, Democrats see redistricting quite differently. The Democratic districts that Republicans are hoping to carve up are non-white and rural. Relocating these voters to Republican districts silences minority voices that are already struggling to be heard. The Democratic State Senators who are up in arms over redistricting believe it to be a race issue. They say Republican redistricting proposals effectively prevent political participation by minorities; they say redistricting is a violation of Civil Rights.

Self-imposed exile

11 out of 12 Democratic Texas senators have left the state in protest. By leaving, they are able to bring redistricting efforts to a screeching halt. If they were to have stayed in Texas, they could have been ordered to participate in Senate proceedings. But once out of state, they can’t be touched. Senate proceedings are not considered valid unless two-thirds of the Senators are present, in other words, the Senate requires a quorum to operate. With 11 of the Senators out of state, the Senate cannot operate.

The Texas Senators are hanging out in Albuquerque, New Mexico until Republicans agree to reinstate the procedure that requires two-thirds of the Senate to approve a debate, or, the two-thirds rule. This rule allows the minority to prevent legislation that it strongly opposes; they can block a bill before it gets to the Senate floor.

The Lieutenant Governor (who presides over the State Senate) is able to bypass the two-thirds rule and bring a bill directly to debate. David Dewhurst (Lt. Gov.-R) has done just that. Texas Democrats know that when the redistricting proposal reaches the floor, it will be passed, so placing themselves in self-imposed exile is the only way to keep redistricting from happening. (The proposal has already passed in the House, and Governor Rick Perry has made it clear that he would sign it.)

Facing a big fine

Texas Republicans are outraged because 11 Senate Democrats have halted Senate proceedings. Republicans turned to the State Supreme Court, hoping that, somehow, they could order the AWOL Democrats to return to Texas. But the court claimed that it had no jurisdiction in this matter.

So, Republicans have taken another approach. They plan to fine each Senator for each day that they hold up the Senate, beginning August 14th. The special session ends August 26th, and if the Democratic Senators hold out that long, they could face $57,000 a piece.

The 11 Democratic Senators are not worried. They remind Republican Senators that the fines are not valid, because they were instated without a quorum.

Standoff

Both sides are standing their ground and show no signs of giving in. Both Democrats and Republicans are remaining loyal to their constituencies, and are likely to be hailed for it. The outcome is uncertain, but Texas Senate Democrats may want to start shopping for real estate in Albuquerque because Lt. Gov. Dewhurst can continue to call special sessions, therefore continuing the stalemate.

Redistricting is an issue in all states: a reminder that party majorities rule

This is a national issue as states are allowed to redistrict every ten years after the census. The stated purpose of redistricting is to make each district represent as close to the same number of citizens as possible, thereby keeping representation fair even though populations shift and the total number is frozen by law.

It is very important to be the party in power in a state the year after the census. This requires parties to think and plan ahead. When one state loses population and, therefore, a representative or two, an important fight is on to decide which neighborhood wins and which loses. Among states with growing populations there is a parallel fight to see which neighborhoods gain the representatives.

To let your representatives know what you think about redistricting, click here. To discuss this topic with other WomenMatter readers, click here. To learn more about Voting Rights, click here.

Update Posted on: 8/27/2003

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