The House Committee on Redistricting
77th Legislature
April 5, 2001
4:00 p.m.
Capitol Extension, E1.030
Pursuant to a notice posted on March 19, 2001, the House
Committee on Redistricting met in a public hearing and was
called to order by the chair, Representative Jones, Delwin, at
4:00 p.m.
This was a joint hearing with the Senate Committee on
Redistricting.
The roll was answered as follows:
Present: Representatives Jones, Delwin; Glaze; Counts;
Grusendorf; Hunter; Keel; Luna, Vilma; Marchant;
McClendon; Pitts; Sadler (11).
Absent: Representatives Bosse; Dunnam; Moreno, Paul; Wilson
(4).
A quorum was present.
Juan Maldonado of the William C. Velasquez Institute testified
regarding the increases in the Latino population over the last
ten years.
(Representative Bosse now present.)
(Representative Dunnam now present.)
Dr. Henry Flores of the William C. Velasquez Institute testified
regarding the lack of Hispanic representation in the legislature
and Congressional delegation in metropoitan areas and suggested
the need for additional Latino majority seats.
Andrew Hernandez spoke against racial gerrymandering for Latinos
and against minorities. He favored expanded opportunities for
Latinos and the protection of communities of interest.
Congressmen Joe Barton and Tom DeLay spoke in favor of
contiguous districts, respecting communities of interest and
against retrogression. They also testified that protection of
incumbents should not be a priority in redrawing districts.
(Representative Wilson now present.)
Anna Nunez spoke as an advocate for the large Asian, Black,
Hispanic and immigrant populations in Texas.
Chuck Statler presented resolutions from the Abilene Chamber of
Commerce and the Taylor County Commissioners Court urging that
Taylor and Tom Green counties be placed in the same
Congressional district.
Rob Beckham of the Abilene City Council testified in favor of
Taylor and Tom Green counties being placed in the same
Congressional district.
Victor Carrillo of the Abilene City Council spoke in favor of
Taylor and Tom Green counties being placed in the same
Congressional district.
Beckham and Carrillo presented resolutions from the City Council
of Abilene and the Democratic and Republican parties of Taylor
county in support of the same.
Ventura Ramirez testified in favor of keeping the 29th
Congressional district intact.
Perry Burnham testified on behalf of the city of Castle Hills.
He spoke in favor of the city being placed within one
Congressional district.
Victor Hernandez of Lubbock testified regarding the growth of
the Hispanic population in Lubbock and in favor of Lubbock
remaining in two Congressional districts.
Terry Gee of the Chinese Seniors Association of Houston spoke in
favor of the job performance of Congressman Ken Bentsen.
Paula Hightower-Pierson testified in favor of the work done by
Congressman Martin Frost and in favor of Arlington being split
between two Congressional districts.
Councilwoman Teri Jackson of Grand Prairie testified in support
of Grand Prairie remaining split between the two Congressional
districts they are now in.
Representative John Longoria of San Antonio testified in favor
of protecting communities of interest. He also supported
keeping Congressional Districts 28 and 20 in Bexar County.
A. J. Pate of Houston spoke in favor of compactness and
respecting governmental subdivision boundaries in redrawing
lines and presented a proposed Congressional plan.
John Poindexter testified in favor of keeping Presidio County in
the 23rd Congressional District.
Vivian Harris spoke in support of Congressman Ken Bentsen.
Allan Lichtman of Washington, D.C. testified regarding the 1991
Congressional plan. He discussed packing and stated that
communities of interest were not limited to political boundaries
but also includes individuals' approaches and attitudes.
Bill Owens of San Antonio presented a proposed Congressional
plan and testified in favor of the four equities of fair
redistricting: population, communities, racial/ethnic, and
political.
Connie Sonnen of San Antonio testified that the south side of
San Antonio should be kept as a community of interest and and
should remain in Congressman Ciro Rodriguez's district.
Cecile Harrison of Houston suggested that additional population
should be added to the 18th Congressional District as required
by law but that the district should remain intact.
Howard Jefferson of the Houston Branch of the NAACP testified
that the redistricting process should be fair and represent all
groups. Communities of interest should not be split. He also
spoke in support of Congressman Bentsen.
George Alexander, President of the San Angelo Development
Corporation, spoke in favor of keeping Abilene and San Angelo in
the same Congressional district.
Vince Ryan of Houston spoke in favor of keeping the 25th
Congressional District intact.
Geraldine Miller of Dallas spoke in favor of a proposed State
Board of Education plan.
Hector F. Garcia, Mayor of Watauga, suggested that Watauga,
North Richland Hills, Richland Hills, Keller, Haltom City, and
Hurst be in the 12th Congressional District.
Tommy Calvert of the Neighborhoods First Alliance urged the
Committee to do the right thing and not gerrymander. He also
praised the work of Congressman Ciro Rodriguez has done.
Jose Rodriguez of El Paso urged the Committee to continue the
political representation already in place.
County Commissioner Judith Gutierrez of Webb County suggested a
new Congressional District be created to include Webb County.
Raul Besteiro from Brownsville suggested that the core of
Congressional districts be maintained. He also suggested that
the district of Congressman Ortiz be maintained.
Ross Omar Garcia suggested that the core of Congressional
districts in Bexar County be maintained. He also spoke in favor
of the work of Congresman Gonzalez.
Dick Messbarger of Kingsville suggested that Congressman Ortiz
be kept in his current district. He also provided written
statements by Mayor Loyd Neal of Corpus Christi and Judge
Richard Borchard of Nueces County.
Mayor Maureen Jouett of Killeen presented written testimony from
the Mayors of Killeen, Waco, Temple, Hillsboro, and Copperas
Cove supporting the continued makeup of the 11th Congressional
district.
Gary Bledsoe of the Texas NAACP urged the Committee to follow
one person, one vote, keep communities of interest intact, and
to look at creating an additional Congressional district with a
substantial Black population.
Gerald Hebert of IMPAC 2000 suggested the Committee should
protect the interests of Texans in drawing Congressional
districts .
Dale Oldham of the Republican National Committee said that
protection of incumbents is a policy choice. He also discussed
retrogression and packing.
Thomas Hofeller of the Republican National Committee said that
incumbency protection could perpetuate gerrymanders. He said
present Congressional districts are not packed and the Committee
should not retrogress.
The Chairman entered into the record a written statement from
Representative Barry Telford urging that the 1st Congressional
District be maintained intact. At 10:25 p.m., on the motion of
the Chair and without objection, the meeting was recessed
subject to the call of the Chair.
________________________
Rep. Jones, Delwin, Chair
________________________
Glen Hunt, Clerk