Weekly Opinion Editorial
BREAKING
QUORUM
by Steve
Fair
Texas
House Democrats fled the Lone Star state in an attempt to prevent GOP state
lawmakers from redrawing federal congressional districts in the state. The Republican led re-districting proposal could
add up to five GOP seats in the U.S. House. The redistricting is being closely watched
nationally.
Texas legislative rules require two thirds of
members (100 of 150) be present for a quorum and a vote to be taken. There
are 88 Republicans and 62 Democrats in the Texas state House. Rs only need 12 Ds to be present to conduct
business.
Most of
the Texas Democrat House lawmakers flew to Illinois to hide in an effort to
block the passage of the redistricting map.
The tactic called 'breaking quorum' could violate their oath of office
and result in removement from office.
Three observations:
First,
elections have consequences. Democrats are
complaining because Republicans in the Texas legislature are in charge of redistricting,
but for years the Ds were the majority Party and in control. When they were the majority, they drew
districts favorable to the Ds. Republicans
now have a majority and can redraw the districts. Democrats can't really prevent it unless the
entire delegation stays out of the state until at least November. That is not likely. The Texas legislature needs to approve the
new districts before the filing of the 2026 midterm elections (November 2025).
Second,
Texas Ds have pulled this stunt before.
Breaking quorum is a tired and true tactic of Texas Democratic lawmakers. Back in 2003, more than 50 Democrat legislators
holed up in an Ardmore, OK Holiday Inn for a month to protest a redistricting
plan. One D lawmaker finally broke rank
and went home. He was compelled to show
up in the chamber, a quorum was established and the bill was placed. The Ds did it again in 2021 to protest voting
procedure changes in Texas, but once again someone got homesick and the
deadlock was broken.
"If
you're the minority party, and you can't block any legislation, one nuclear
option you always have is to walk out, thereby preventing the legislature from
engaging in any activity and particularly passing legislation," Mark
P. Jones, a political science professor at Rice University explains. But Jones says the action just delays the inevitable. It seldom derails it.
Third, state
redistricting impacts all Americans. The
435 members of the U.S. House are allocated according to population. Each state legislature draws the
congressional districts within the state.
With Republicans holding the majority in 28 of the 50 state legislatures,
you would think congressional districts would favor the GOP. But they don't control several of the larger
population states (NY, CA, IL). That's
why the margin in the House is so slim. Republicans
currently hold a narrow seven-member majority vs. Democrats in the House. If GOP state legislatures draw districts more
favorable to GOP candidates, in theory more Rs will be elected to the
House.
What
isn't being talked about is Democrat controlled state legislatures are working
to gerrymander districts to aid the liberal cause. The outrage by Ds in the Texas legislature on what Rs are doing in redistricting is hypocritical and sanctimonious.
Texas
Governor Greg Abbott says if the Democratic lawmakers return, "they
will be arrested and taken to the Capitol." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claims to
have started procedures to remove thirteen of the Democratic legislative deserters
from office. Paxton claims they violated
their oath of office and vacated the office by not showing up for a quorum call.
One thing is sure- Democrats will not be successful in stopping the Texas redistricting. The fleeing the state strategy hasn't worked in the past and will fail this time. Breaking quorum is a lot like breaking wind- noisy and it stinks.
No comments:
Post a Comment