MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON REDISTRICTING
Wednesday, June 6, 2001
9:30 a.m.
Betty King Committee Room, 2E.20
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate
Rule 11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on
Redistricting was held on Wednesday, June 6, 2001, in
the Betty King Committee Room, 2E.20, in Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Jeff Wentworth None
Senator Mike Jackson
Senator Kenneth Armbrister
Senator David Cain
Senator Robert Duncan
Senator Rodney Ellis
Senator Troy Fraser
Senator Mario Gallegos
Senator Florence Shapiro
Senator Judith Zaffirini
*****
The chair called the meeting to order at 9:37 a.m.
There being a quorum present, the following business
was transacted:
The following members arrived after the roll was
called:
Senator Robert Duncan
Senator David Cain
Senator Troy Fraser
Senator Jackson moved to adopt the committee minutes
from the previous hearing on Monday, May 28, 2001.
There being no objection, the minutes were adopted.
The chair announced that the purpose of this meeting
was to continue with the constitutional responsibility
of the Senate and House to draw Congressional and State
Board of Education district lines for the State of
Texas. The constitutional responsibility for the
Legislature to redraw Senate and House district lines
was transferred to the Legislative Redistricting Board
since the Legislature failed to pass plans. The chair
announced the Legislative Redistricting Board would
meet at 2 p.m. that afternoon in the Capitol Extension
Auditorium.
The chair announced the committee was charged with
redrawing Congressional and State Board of Education
district lines and determining whether the plans could
be passed by the Senate and the House in a special
session of the Legislature. The chair stated that the
Governor is reluctant to call all 181 legislative
members back to Austin for a special session to wrestle
with an issue that can more effectively be handled by a
committee, at least initially.
In an effort to comply with the Governor's charge, the
chair stated that public testimony would be taken at
this meeting on proposed plans. The chair announced
that copies of all public Congressional and State Board
of Education maps and statistics were distributed to
committee members at the beginning of the meeting. The
chair called upon Donna Kay McKinney, Director of the
Senate Committee on Redistricting, to brief committee
members on the maps and statistics they received.
Discussion took place regarding the starting points for
evaluation of plans by the committee. Senator Ellis
asked if the committee would determine whether
Congressional and State Board of Education plans would
be incumbency protection plans and if the committee
would consider acceptable political compositions for
each plan. Senator Fraser supported the committee's
centering its discussion on acceptable political
compositions rather than on map-drawing. Senator
Duncan suggested the committee consider the House
Redistricting Committee's congressional map as a
starting point, mainly due to time constraints.
The chair stated his belief that the House
Redistricting Committee's Congressional plan would
probably not withstand scrutiny by the courts. Changes
to the House Redistricting Committee's Congressional
plan would probably need to be made by the Senate
committee and then by a conference committee in order
for the plan to meet the approval of both houses.
In response to questions by Senator Shapiro, the chair
informed committee members that only one member of the
Texas Congressional delegation provided a district map
to the committee, despite repeated invitations to
participate in the redistricting process and promises
by Republican and Democrat Congressional delegations to
prepare maps. Letters regarding this meeting were sent
to all members of the Texas Congressional delegation
inviting their attendance, suggestions, and proposed
maps. The chair received letters from only six members
of Congress, and no state-wide maps were included.
The chair stated that he was more optimistic about the
committee's passing a State Board of Education plan
than a Congressional plan. Senator Zaffirini thought
it might be more fruitful for the committee to
concentrate on State Board of Education redistricting
first.
Senator Armbrister suggested the chair give
Congressional members a strict deadline for submitting
their plans. The chair stated his intention to send
letters with the deadline to Congressional members
after the committee meeting.
Public testimony was taken on Congressional and State
Board of Education redistricting, and committee members
questioned the witnesses.
State Board of Education Board members Geraldine
"Tincy" Miller, Don McLeroy, and Dan Montgomery
testified about the current map and told the committee
they would try to draw a map that had the support of
all board members. Committee members questioned them
about expanding the number of board members and
matching State Board of Education district lines with
Legislative districts.
Representative Delwin Jones, Chairman of the House
Committee on Redistricting, presented his State Board
of Education proposed map.
The chair announced the next meeting would take place
on June 14 or 15, 2001, and requested committee members
share their preferences with committee staff. The
chair said that the committee would not meet the third
week in June, but would meet during the last week of
June. The chair stated his intention for the committee
to decide by the end of the month whether Congressional
and State Board of Education plans can be drawn which
can be supported by both the House and Senate.
There being no further business, at 11:41 a.m., the
chair announced the committee would stand in recess
subject to the call of the chair. Without objection,
the committee recessed.
____________________________
Senator Jeff Wentworth, Chair
____________________________
Erica Sadlon, Clerk