By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX – The 50-plus Democratic members of the Texas House who staged a Monday walkout to protest upcoming debate on a congressional redistricting bill held a press conference from their Ardmore, Ok., hotel Tuesday afternoon.
They made available copies of a letter sent to Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick noting that their walkout was not a challenge to his leadership. Instead, they said, the walkout was in response to a "relentless effort" by Washington Republican leaders to split Texas communities in an "outrageous partisan congressional redistricting plan."
The letter was signed by Rep. Jim Dunnam (D-Waco), who spearheaded the walkout.
An interesting postscript to the letter included these words from Dunnam, "As you now, we are at the Holiday Inn in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Please stop having our loved ones in Texas followed and staked out by law enforcement."
To view the letter, click here.