Wow. A key witness before a federal three-judge panel considering the Texas redistricting challenge appeared to make a major concession Wednesday to the case made last week by state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth. The state’s expert witness, John Alford of Rice University, was on the stand to defend the districts drawn by the Texas [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Wendy Davis’
Payday lenders face new regulation
New regulations aimed at curbing the excesses of payday lenders are now in effect, but they will not be the last word on the subject. Proponents of the new regulations passed by lawmakers during the 2011 session say they’re needed because the practice of offering short-term, high-interest loans to consumers has led thousands of Texans [...]
TCEQ denies Valero tax break
Good. Texas environmental regulators have rejected Valero Energy Corp.’s request for a tax break that cities, counties and school districts feared would lead to devastating cuts to their budgets. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality denied the request because the San Antonio-based oil giant could not show an environmental benefit at its six Texas refineries [...]
First impressions of the new maps
Before I get too into this, the invaluable Texas Redistricting reminds us that the parties in the lawsuit will be able to make objections and comments to the proposed maps today at noon. Meaning, there may yet be some tweaks to come. Until then, this is what we have. I have 2008 electoral data for [...]
Interim State House and State Senate maps are out
And I don’t have any time right now to analyze them, but believe you me, I will. Go here and look at Plans H298 and S163, the latter of which appears to mostly restore Sen. Wendy Davis’ district. Also take a look at C218, which could be next. I’ll have much more soon.
Will we get some interim maps Monday?
Maybe. A panel of three federal judges in San Antonio announced Thursday they would postpone a trial over the redistricting plan for the Texas Senate so they can focus on developing interim redistricting maps for the 2012 election. Texas Redistricting has more on the court’s action and on one possible map. Basically, once the DC [...]
DC court denies summary judgment on preclearance
It’s official, the maps the Lege drew for itself and for Congress will not be used in the 2012 election. A Washington-based federal court on Tuesday rejected Texas’ request to approve new political districts without a trial. In a brief ruling, the court agreed with the U.S. Department of Justice that the GOP-led Legislature used [...]
New filing dates announced
The federal court in San Antonio has taken the first steps towards defining what the 2012 election will look like in Texas. A panel of three federal judges in San Antonio on Friday changed key rules for some candidates for public office, including delaying and shortening the filing period for the 2012 congressional and legislative [...]
Redistricting action this week
It’s a busy week for redistricting lawsuit action, as the federal court in San Antonio is having hearings on the proposed interim maps that were submitted by the various parties to the suits. The Statesman has an overview of the action, both from San Antonio and Washington, DC. A lot of this will be familiar [...]
The interim plans
Monday was the deadline for parties in the redistricting lawsuit being heard in San Antonio to file interim plans for the court to consider in the event preclearance is not granted in time for candidate filing. Texas Redistricting summarizes the various plans that were presented to the court: The Plaintiffs’ Interim Plans All of the [...]
Senate changes
I’m not worried about the State Senate becoming more conservative, I’m worried about it becoming more stupid. “A seat in the Texas Senate does not come open very often, and all of a sudden now there are four,” said Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, one of the four who have announced their retirements. “The Senate is [...]
Sen. Chris Harris and Rep. Will Hartnett to retire
One more out the door of the upper chamber. State Sen. Chris Harris, R-Arlington, announced [Monday] afternoon that he will not seek reelection — the fourth veteran lawmaker to announce their retirement from the Upper Chamber. He is the longest serving Republican in the Senate and chairs the Senate Jurisprudence Committee. “I want to express [...]
TRO granted for redistricting plans
Texas Redistricting: The San Antonio panel this morning enjoined provisions of the Texas Election Code requiring counties to redraw precinct boundaries by October 1 and to issue new voter registration certificates to voters by December 6. The panel also enjoined implementation of Texas’ new state house and congressional maps on the grounds that the maps [...]
DOJ says redistricting plans purposely discriminated
Game on. The Justice Department said late Friday that based on their preliminary investigation, a congressional redistricting map signed into law by Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry appears to have been “adopted, at least in part, for the purpose of diminishing the ability of citizens of the United States, on account of race, color, or [...]
Davis files anoter redistricting lawsuit
After the Justice Department declined to object to the new State Senate map under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, Sen. Wendy Davis filed a lawsuit in the federal court in San Antonio challenging it on other grounds. State Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth and Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks, both Democrats, joined [...]
Jackson to run for Congress, Anderson to primary Harris
State Sen. Mike Jackson makes official what had been speculated. As expected, state Sen. Mike Jackson, R-La Porte, will run for Congress next year instead of for re-election to the Texas Senate. He’ll be running in the newly created CD-36. Jackson, the Senate’s president pro tempore, has been in that body since 1999, and served [...]
Davis and Veasey will be allowed to intervene in redistricting litigation
From the Lone Star Project, via the inbox: Sen. Davis, Rep. Veasey Win Key Redistricting Ruling Federal Court rejects Texas Republican argument and grants North Texas Intervenors the right to participate in redistricting trial A group of North Texas citizens supported by the Lone Star Project and the Texas Justice Fund and led by State [...]
Taking aim at the Voting Rights Act
In responding to a petition by State Rep. Marc Veasey and State Sen. Wendy Davis to intervene against the state in its lawsuit to get the federal court to pre-clear the new maps, the Attorney General responded by saying that the Voting Rights Act is too big a burden for it to deal with. The [...]
More redistricting plaintiffs
Here’s an update to the scorecard, for those of you hoping to keep track of the players. The Texas Democratic Party officially entered the court fight over Republican-dominated redistricting maps Wednesday. The new claims by the state Democratic Party came a day after the NAACP and other leading African American groups joined three redistricting lawsuits [...]
Opening bids on the next deficit
Do I hear $7 billion? Ten billion? How about $15 billion? Early projections indicate that when the Legislature convenes in 2013 it could face another revenue shortfall. Not as severe as this year’s $27-billion gap, but still problematic. “I think we’re going to have a $10- to $15-billion budget deficit next session,” Sen. Dan Patrick, [...]
Senate approves TWIA bill
Reform of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Agency was the original reason for this special session. It may yet be the reason for the next special session. Like ringing the bell at the boxing ring, the Senate today approved a bill that is all but certain to restart a brawl with the House over how to [...]
Republicans admit that the Rainy Day fund has been spent
I’m sure you’ve heard Rick Perry and other Republicans talk about how they’ve “balanced” the budget without tapping into the Rainy Day fund. I’m sure you’ll be surprised to hear that they’re lying. Republicans have given up any pretense that they’re saving the remaining $6.5 billion rainy day fund for some unknown rainier day. House [...]
Senate approves teacher furlough bill
Another divisive bill, another party-line vote. Legislation allowing school districts to reduce teacher pay and furlough them — to help absorb big budget cuts — sailed through the Texas Senate on Monday with a straight party-line vote. Lawmakers are working to cut $4 billion from the state’s 1,040 public school districts. Giving school administrators flexibility [...]
Perry adds “sanctuary cities” to the special session
I wasn’t sure if this would happen or not. I guess you can never pander to the base too much. Gov. Rick Perry has added controversial immigration and homeland security measures to the agenda for the special legislative session that began last week. Perry added abolishing “sanctuary cities,” the common term for entities that prohibit [...]
Wendy Davis profile
The Trib profiles State Sen. Wendy Davis. It’s a good read. The filibuster was a defining moment for Davis, a twice-divorced single mother who had her first daughter as a teenager, was the first in her family to go to college, and worked her way from junior college and a Tarrant County trailer park to [...]
Senate committee approves redistricting map
That was quick. A state Senate panel, voting along strict party lines, approved a Texas Congressional redistricting plan designed to increase Republican strength in the U.S. Congress. The Senate redistricting committee voted 8-4 to send the map to the full Senate, which could consider the proposal as early as Monday. The vote came after hours [...]
House gavels in and out
That was quick. The House gaveled in shortly after 10 a.m. today and adjourned about 10 minutes later after Speaker Joe Straus announced that he’ll have a better idea about the special session’s schedule when the body reconvenes at 10 a.m. Wednesday. So far, only one bill has been filed in the House, and Straus [...]
Get ready for the special session
Ready or not, here they come back. And with the start of the special session comes a little surprise. Gov. Rick Perry and legislative leaders hope to move through a series of bills quickly during the special session that begins tomorrow, starting with the fiscal issues that forced the session and continuing on through other [...]
Davis filibusters SB1811, special session looms for tomorrow
Hoo boy. Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, filibustered for a little more than an hour Sunday night, probably killing a school finance and revenue bill critical to the budget (it’s still possible for a four-fifths supermajority of the Senate to pull it up for a vote today). And the House hit a midnight deadline without [...]
Budget passes
It’s official. The Texas House and Senate passed a state budget Saturday that cuts billions from public schools, state universities and health care for the elderly. The $172 billion legislation now goes to Gov. Rick Perry for his signature. Facing a massive revenue shortfall, lawmakers crafted the budget by making cuts and using deferrals rather [...]
Watered down payday lending bills pass Senate
It’s inadequate, but it’s the best we’re going to get out of this Legislature. Senators took the plunge into payday lending reform Monday, passing two House bills that bring some oversight to the largely unregulated industry in Texas. Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, said the legislation represents a “very, very delicate compromise” between consumer groups and [...]
Budget deal reached
One less reason for a special session. Assuming nothing else goes wrong, and Rick Perry doesn’t veto it out of whatever sense of grandeur and vanity drives him. House Speaker Joe Straus indicated legislative negotiators have reached an agreement on the state budget, and the House soon today will consider the much-delayed revenue-generating bill crucial [...]
Senate approves modified Senate map
From the Trib: The Texas Senate approved new political districts that protect all of the Republican and all but one of the Democratic incumbents in that body, but stalled on a House redistricting map already approved in the House. [...] After knocking down two amendments from Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, and approving one by [...]
Senate redistricting hearing
So the Senate Redistricting Committee hearing was today. See if you can spot a theme here. Sen. Kirk Watson expressed his dissatisfaction with the map that was introduced by Sen. Kel Seliger. At a morning hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting, Watson blasted the proposed Senate plan as dividing historical minority constituencies in [...]