Continued absence of Dems grinds House to a halt

09:07 AM CDT on Wednesday, May 14, 2003

By SHELLEY KOFLER / WFAA-TV

AUSTIN - Right now, the Republicans aren't blinking.

Just moments after visiting with Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday, House Speaker Tom Craddick accused the missing Democrats of blackmail, and told News 8 he is unwilling to negotiate on redistricting.

Thursday is the deadline for the House to tackle some big bills or they may die. However, as the speaker and the Democrats continued their standoff, lawmakers who showed up for work fumed about the situation.

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"Our committees can't meet," said Flynn, R-Van.

Rep. David Swinford, R-Dumas, said a bill that would save more than $300,000 in state funds is in jeopardy.

"If it dies, we'll be back here in special session, because the budget will not certify without it - period," Swinford said. "Just won't do it."

By mid-afternoon, only seven of the House's 62 Democrats had reported. Craddick needs at least 12 for a quorum.

One Democratic representative, Helen Giddings of Dallas, seemed shaken after a state trooper stopped her outside her apartment and required her to ride with him to the Legislature.

Once there, she and other Democrats urged Craddick to ignore U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his contentious redistricting plan. DeLay's plan could give Republicans some six new congressional seats in Texas.

"Congressional redistricting has reintroduced Washington-type politics into the Texas House, and it is not serving Texans well at all," said Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston.

In an interview with News 8, Perry accused the missing lawmakers of neglecting the people's business. But, when asked if he would support dropping the redistricting issue to get the wheels of government moving, the governor - like the Democrats - held firm.

"This isn't about redistricting," Perry said. "This is about 51 individuals who are now out of power."

The governor and Republicans also tried to turn up the heat on missing Democrats Tuesday by ramping up their public-relations effort. The governor has taped a public service message sent to broadcast stations around Texas that criticizes the missing legislators, and urges them to come back to Austin.