Burnt Orange Report

McAllen Senate Redistricting Hearing Shut Down

By Byron LaMasters

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times is now reporting on the story:

About 300 members of the American GI Forum and United Farmworkers Union took over a state hearing on congressional redistricting, shouting, chanting and expecting to be arrested.

Texas state troopers and McAllen police flanked each end of the six exits to hall where the hearing was scheduled this afternoon. Members of two Corpus Christi chapters of the GI Forum along with residents of the Rio Grande Valley prevented state officials, including state Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, from speaking by shouting and chanting.

Leaders of the groups had promised civil disobedience and said they expected to be arrested.

The crowd, opposed to a Republican attempt to redraw congressional districts to give the Republican Party a greater advantage, wore t-shirts and carried signs disparaging U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. DeLay, R-Sugar Land, has been the primary instigator of the redistricting effort.

Among the chanting crowd were U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz's chief of staff, Lencho Rendon, and his brother Mike Rendon, who is chairman of the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority and runs Ortiz's security company. Ortiz's district is among the expected targets for a redraw to his disadvantage. Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, has represented the district for more than two decades.

Also among the chanting crowd was state Rep. Miguel Wise, a Valley Democrat, who wore a t-shirt that said, "Deny Delay. In America, voters pick their congressmen. Congressmen don't get to pick their voters."

This story is being reported by the Quorum Report. Apparently the hearing was supposed to start at 3 PM. However, by 3:30 PM the senators were unable to get people quiet, despite pleas by U.S. Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-Mercedes). There is a quorum of the senate committee present, but they are unable to hear testimony. The crowd is chanting "We want justice! Shut it down!". Before the hearing, there was a press conference where the Tejano Democrats chair called the redistricting process racist. The GI Forum and the United Farmworkers both organized their memberships to attend the hearing and their presence is contributing to the environment.

This was reported by the Brownsville Herald

Some 1,500 people are expected in McAllen, and Rubén Hinojosa said he expected the United Farm Workers and various veterans groups to be present. An average of 200 people have attended other public hearings around the state, he said.

They were angry in today's Austin hearing, too. The Austin American Statesman reports:

An angry crowd hissed Texas lawmakers after a public hearing was dismissed Tuesday afternoon because a Republican congressional map was not ready as expected.

The audience, mostly from Austin, had gathered to testify after receiving e-mails from endangered U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, the Sierra Club and other organizations. Doggett is one of several Democratic incumbents that are expected to be drawn into Republican districts.

Rep. Joe Crabb, chairman of the House Redistricting Committee, dismissed the hearing shortly after 2 p.m., saying the GOP map was not ready. He told the crowd they could return at 7 p.m. Tuesday to testify.

Crabb, R-Atascocita, dismissed the hearing as Democratic members of the House Redistricting Committee were trying to object.

A member of the audience joined in.

"Point of order!," said Shudde Fath, a longtime Austin environmental and community activist. "Could you hear from the public who came to testify?"

"You can testify tonight at 7 p.m.," Crabb said. The hearing will take place in Room E2-036 in the Capital Extension.

Rep. Lon Burnam, a Fort Worth Democrat who is not a member of the Redistricting Committee, ran to the front of the committee room, shouting, "I'm ashamed of the Texas House of Representatives."

Democrats have complained that the special session, called by Gov. Rick Perry to redraw the state's congressional, map, is rushed and has excluded the public. Last week the Redistricting Committee divided into three subcommittees to take public testimony in six cities. Democrats complain that the transcripts of the hearings, however, won't be available before the Redistricting Committee votes on a map.

Down the hall from the committee room, in the bowels of the Capitol, Republican map-makers are working.

The office has a sign that reads. "Closed. Open Door Policy. Just knock. And it shall be opened unto you."

Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, is the author of the new map. He hardly is drawing it by himself.

King is balancing the desires of House Speaker Tom Craddick, U.S. Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Republican members of Congress and his legislative colleagues who may want to run for Congress.

Sources familiar with the map say of the process: "It's a nightmare."

King's version in May prompted 51 House Democrats to flee to Oklahoma and boycott any House action on redistricting.

That map split Travis County, which now is shared by Doggett and U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, into four districts. One sprawled to the Mexico border, another stretched to the suburbs of Houston and two reached into San Antonio.

Members of the redistricting committee who have seen King's latest version of the map say Travis County is split three-ways and that Doggett would not be able to win any of the districts. But that could change as Republicans huddle over a map still in the making.

Posted by Byron LaMasters at July 1, 2003 04:18 PM | TrackBack