By Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 reporter
Dallas, TX – Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 reporter: Jim Dunnam, Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, picked the Ardmore Holiday Inn, just over the Texas border, as the Democrats' safe house. This town is where he met some of his future wife's family members years ago. Yesterday, before dozens of reporters, he said he was nervous all over again. But he was defiant too, when he uttered words more routinely spoken by Republicans.
Jim Dunnam, House Democratic Caucus Chairman: Don't mess with Texas. We're here in Ardmore, Oklahoma because the real problems in Texas are budget problems, school finance problems, and health care problems. They're being cast aside because of a power play by Tom De Lay.
Zeeble: De Lay, a Houston Congressman, has been pushing a redistricting plan all session because he's convinced Texas deserves up to seven more Republican seats in Congress. Laredo Democrat Richard Raymond says he has proof that De Lay tried to manipulate the legislative process.
Richard Raymond, Democratic Representative: Suddenly a few days ago, a hearing was announced. Halfway through the first day, there was a man there. I introduced myself and he said his name was Jim Ellis. I said, "Oh, you're Jim Ellis, you're Tom De Lay's political director. The next morning, when they brought in a map, it was Mr. Ellis who walked into the full committee with maps under his arms and a Republican committee member said, "The maps are here."
Zeeble: Democrats have repeatedly said Congressional districts were settled last session, when a panel of judges approved the map, and the state's Republican Attorney General and the Supreme Court OK'd it. So, they say, the issue should be settled until after 2010. But Republican Representative Jerry Madden from Richardson says redistricting routinely comes up.
Richard Madden, Republican Representative: We've had a redistricting bill almost every session I've been here. We did a redistricting bill in 1991, also in '93, '95. Redistricting happens all the time.
Zeeble: Madden, like his party leaders, also criticizes the Democrats' unwillingness to stand and fight.
Madden: We've had lots of times when we could have done the same thing and didn't. In the history of the Texas House, Republicans have never done that, because we thought it was counterproductive. There have been times to fight, and we stood and fought and not run away, but stayed and fought. When we got knocked down and bruised, we got back up and fought again.
Zeeble: Three Democrats missing Monday returned to the House floor yesterday and defended their colleagues' absence. State Representative Lon Burnham of Fort Worth says three other Democrats are in Mexico. The 51 in Oklahoma say they may have to stay in Ardmore through Friday, after the deadline passes, to consider new house business. Speaker of the House Tom Craddick has repeatedly refused to negotiate with the rebel Democrats, and Republican Party State party chair Susan Weddington wants an investigation into possible Democratic violations of the state's open meetings law. For KERA 90.1, I'm Bill Zeeble.
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