Special Session
The Texas Lege went into special session yesterday. For you folks from outta town, the Lege only meets every other year for a few months. That’s all the punishment we can take.
The purpose of the special session is redistricting. Michael Li explains all the foreign language involved in redistricting – including CVAP, preclearance, and coalition district. For the average citizen in Texas, redistricting is like God – nobody understands it, you can’t see it, and you have to accept it on faith.
Redistricting is supposed to be the only topic in the special session but rumor has it that 60 GOP Legers have written a letter to the Gov wanting to have more anti-choice on abortion bills during the special session. It seems that Democrats – although in the minority – did surprisingly well during the regular session on women’s issues. Republicans just now noticed it. When ya hit them on the head with a hammer, it’s at least two days before they say ouch.
Pray for us because by law Rick Perry determines what issues can be discussed in special session. The downside is that he’s crazy. The upside is that he can’t remember more than two things at once.
And, for those of you keeping score, Rick Perry has now hacked off his own party and made money laundering legal in Texas politics.
The measure, SB 346, would have required 501(c)4 social welfare groups that spend more than $25,000 in a calendar year on political expenditures to disclose contributions above $1,000.
Even fellow Texas Republicans are calling it shameful and it passed overwhelmingly in both the House and the Senate. We can only guess when and where Rick Perry wants dirty money.
I know I just stay confused. But hasn’t this “re-districting” thing been to a few federal courts, and haven’t the judges already ruled on this? And to add to the confusion, wasn’t it even approved by somebody who said he spoke for the Latinos in Texas, and said they were all happy with the ruling? So, why are we dancing this dance again?
The Republicans in the Lege have already carved Texas up like chopped barbecue beef on a bun, to favor most Republicans who either now hold office, or may run in the future. What is their problem now? Anybody know?
1Miemaw –
From my understanding (I could miss a few steps in this ongoing dance, forgive me if so) –
The Federal Judge only ruled that the lines that were drawn and approved by the courts in San Antonio could be used for the 2012 election, since the DOJ rejected the lines as they were drawn by the 2011 Texas Lege.
Lawmakers had a decision: to use the lines drawn by the courts in San Antonio or attempt to redraw them into better (read: not as gerrymandered) districts. From my understanding, the decision to keep the lines as they were in 2012 was not popular with either party, though I could be wrong on that count. So, they are attempting to redraw the official lines in this legislative session.
2CVAP, preclearance, and coalition district fits right in with what we have here in D.C. as in “pre-hearing” hearing. Get it?
3Redistricting is another way to control who wins what elections. I wonder what they’re going to do to Doggett’s district THIS time.
4Also, I hate to tell you but state reps get together and swap areas so the Dems and the GOPs can have a chance at winning a certain area. It makes lots of us pretty annoyed but other than letting the whole thing be done by a big fancy computer, I don’t know what we can do.
5Can’t hurt to ask: to propose the establishment of a non-partisan or bi-partisan body to draw legislative districts that more closely resemble existing communities and geography; precluding the practice of gerrymandering. The Post Office’s system of zip codes might be a workable model for this. Again, this effort may not be successful in this Special Session, but you would have made a first step towards bringing representative democracy to Texas.
6http://liquiddaddy.blogspot.com/
It would make sense, Charly Hoarse, except that there are substantial forces in Texas that do not want representative democracy in Texas.
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